A Breakdown of the Tier 3 Background Investigation

And about how long are these investigations taking? I’m getting different answers ranging anywhere from 16 weeks to a year for the process to be complete - but how long have they been taking to even begin after the SF-86s are submitted?

I’m concerned my job offer will be rescinded due to the long length of time for my investigation to even open. My recruiter assured me I can start as soon as the investigation is opened, but I have no idea how long I should expect to wait, and it seems neither does she. I submitted my SF-86 in early November and my start date has been pushed multiple times.