Are You Experiencing Security Clearance Processing Delays?

That is a scary jump from the 166 days at the end of Dec 2016

From here: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2017/05/12/update-personnel-security-processing-delays-insider-threat-training-question-21/

“We are addressing the entire backlog as a whole,” said Sutphin. “It has really gotten extreme with the amount of time it’s taking people to get cleared. For interim secret clearances, what used to take three to five days is now taking about 120 days to get someone an interim secret clearance, and the entire secret clearance process itself is running a little under 300 days. The real pain point for everybody is those that need Top Secret security clearances, and that’s running over 500 days right now.”

-Michelle Sutphin, Industrial Security Professional and the industry representative for the National Industrial Security Policy Program Advisory Committee (NISPPAC.)

I would wish it took 120 days for my interim…today is day 176.

176 business days, acox20?

I’m currently at 236 business days. Please don’t be 340. That will put me sometime in Oct. but if it is currently “under 300”, it will most likely be up to 340 by the next quarter. I also love how every article I have read on the backlog since summer of last year has said, “we are addressing the issue”. smh…

No…actually it has been just 123 business days going by wolfram. If when I read “Days” it is meant business days…then I have been really off on my scale.

300 business days? I am 240 business day and just about 1 whole year calendar days… so 3 more months?

It is really tough to say and I don’t have any more info than what I linked to above. For me with a T5 it has been 473 business days and 690 days overall so far. Then again, I think my situation is a bit different than most in that I already have a lower clearance and can work. I think that puts me in the lowest priority pile for processing cases.

I agree that it would be helpful if the agency specified either total days or working days when giving metrics. It wouldn’t change how long they take but it might better manage expectations.

I really think the days are referring to regular days not business because they don’t explicitly state business days on any report. Another reason I say that is because the investigators can call you on weekends when that point in time comes to be in touch with your investigator. At least that what my FSO told me. Thanks to her, I seem to answer every telemarketer…

Just because you have a clearance now I don’ think that means you have low priority. If you have a private company sponsoring you then you may have lower priority. Govt employees have the priority over contractors, I think.

Still can’t find the actual Performance report from OPM
On Industrial Security Clearance Processing times. However this link is an artical posted yesterday.

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2017/05/14/long-take-get-security-clearance-q1-2017/

Basically saying that timelines have doubled since Q4 2016… 240 plus day to process the fastest 90% of the BI beginning to end for the industrial sector

Just reading this after googling this page. I’m still waiting on a High-Risk Public Trust clearance in the DC area. It’s sad to see these people are taking so damn long. I took my E-Quip back in February (3 months from this posting) and they’ve asked me for information such as washing out of boot camp, why I have worked so many jobs for the past couple years etc, medication, etc.

It’s ridiculous. I don’t even have a criminal record, no foreign contacts and I was born in the US. This is my first time ever waiting on a clearance job and since I thought I would be working two months ago but they’re still just dragging their feet on it. I’m literally losing my house, can’t pay my bills, and ■■■■■■■ up my credit because at this point because there’s no work here in the DC area in my field that doesn’t require a clearance, not to mention that it’s taking forever. God knows if my credit has been pulled, but they see fit to ruin my credit while I’m waiting.

If I don’t hear back from them by the end of the month, I’m never applying for a government clearance again EVER. I’m moving away from DC, going back to school and switching careers because there’s so much crap out there that requires a clearance in my field, and for anything around here for anything that pays more than $10 an hour.

Government = ■■■■■■■■

As many people have already noted, never rely on a clearance job. It may take 1 month, it may take 1 year, or even several. Even if you have a conditional offer, it’s preferable that you look for/work somewhere else while you wait.

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Looking for a little information. I was finally contacted for a security clearance interview after a year of waiting. However, I have since moved cross state from the permanent address on my SF86 and the investigator tells me my case will need to be reassigned to someone else closer to my area. I volunteered to drive to him but apparently I am not allowed to. He told me he will put a note stating “this applicant has been waiting for a long time” to my case. Will this speed up my reassignment in any way or will I have to wait months and months again for someone to contact me? Put my mind to ease please.

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It won’t have any real effect unless they’re looking to close out the case ASAP (higher priority cases, expedites). It will get reassigned to your respective area and you could wait a few days to a few weeks. Interviews have to get reassigned all the time, business as usual unfortunately. Shouldn’t have to wait too much longer.

Really need some advice here. This is bad.

Served 7 years in USAF w/TS. Separated in ‘97 and granted SCI w/FS poly. Have always maintained good credit. No drug use. Zero criminal history. Married a naturalized citizen in 2006.
Fell behind on taxes in 2012 but did the responsible thing and arranged a payment plan. Eventually cashed out 401K to pay it all off in 2014.
Passed routine poly in 2014, no problem. BGI update in 2014, no problem.
Accepted a contingent offer in Jan 2015 from a company. In Nov 2015, I get notified that the transfer request had been “closed due to no response from the government”. What?!? I wasn’t sure if it was mishandled by the government (security) or the customer, or the contractor. I was told the process would have to start all over.
So I decided to accept an offer from a larger, more reputable company. AGAIN, months go by. This time, security decides my tax debt from 2012 needs to be addressed (um…why wasn’t that addressed in my update? Or the last financial disclosure?). So they ask me to sign a release for EIGHT years of tax transcripts…a statement from the IRS saying my debt has been paid…copies of 3 years tax returns…all of the cleared checks proving I paid the debt…and of course, they want an explanation of why I was behind on my taxes to begin with. So then I have to explain that I became separated, had a 15 year mortgage and kids to support on my own.
An entire year goes by and I finally gave up. I decided to stay with my current company if they would move me to a different contract. My company had me lined up for a GREAT job. Seriously…fascinating work, an increase in pay…new facility…an office with good teamwork/morale. It would have been a really good thing.
I was in-briefed and planned to report to work a week later. But then… I suddenly became very sick and had to go out on short term disability. While I was out, someone decided to administratively debrief me.
Once I recovered, my company submitted for a simple re-instatement. We waited…and waited… At this point, I had been out of work for more than 3 months and finances were really tight (was living off of credit cards). More than a month went by an all security would tell us is “there are some issues and it’s going to take a while”. Are you freakin’ kidding me??? My whole life/background is as boring as it gets.
I needed to find a job…any job. I was fortunate enough to find an unclassified job (but with a huge cut in pay). Now, due to the cut in pay (and being out of work for a few months), I was drowning in consumer debt. Credit cards are all maxed out. Looking a year out, I don’t see how I will avoid bankruptcy or keep my house.
One large contractor has offered me a job and tells me their program is able to push clearances through at a higher priority (but some of these recruiters will tell you anything…just don’t trust them). I’ve thought of hiring a lawyer but I read on this blog it does no good.
This whole thing has been financially devastating. I don’t think “they” (whoever “they” are) realize the effect this has on people and families. I’m sick to my stomach over cashing out my 401K in 2014. And refinancing my 15 year mortgage. In hindsight, I have to ask myself why I bothered. I THOUGHT it was necessary to show financial responsibility and keep my clearance. But, effectively, I have no clearance!!!
I was debriefed in July. What’s the best option for getting reinstated? Does it matter if it’s a big, reputable company or a small company? I’d love to return to my previous employer. But, it’s a tiny company with no clout at all. I’ve even considered applying directly to the government. Do they process government clearances differently? For crying out loud…this has been unreal…

Oh man a few days to a few weeks would be amazing…

I hear government employees have a higher priority when it comes to the clearance process.

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I dont think companies have any clout except in the very rare case where the contract is somehow mission critical, and even then all they can do is expedite the investigation (where “expedite” is a relative term). One advantage some companies might have is the availability of unclassified work while you are waiting.

The issue of tax debt or even failing to file is very serious. Now, I know it is indeed nothing to be taken lightly, but I would like to know how many of the recent espionage cases involved tax issues? None of the high-profile cases did at least not that I can recall.

That should be illegal, IMO. But it’s not surprising.

In my interview I remember hearing those words “Mission Critical” as it pertained to my line of work. Is that a phrase that is just thrown around or is it actually serious?