I am currently in a Federal job that requires TS/SCI. My clearance was adjudicated in 2012 and re-investigation began mid-2018 (a year beyond the customary 5 years). Since I submitted my updated SF-86, I have decided (due to an extremely toxic leadership environment) to leave my job without another job waiting in the wings. I am actively pursuing employment in other sectors of the Federal government and with private sector companies that require a clearance, but I don’t know how much longer I can remain in my current situation without it negatively impacting my health.
Will the already-initiated investigation continue and be adjudicated even though I will have resigned my position? Will I remain eligible to have my clearance reinstated as an interim should I be reemployed by the Federal government or a Federal contractor within a certain amount of time after I leave?
Most likely, your investigation will be terminated but can be picked up by another agency or company if it is done so soon after being closed. There is no hard and fast rule.
Your best bet is to wait it out and get cleared. If you go out and interview now, the new companies will see your RI in progress and know that you still may not remain cleared.
Are there any issues that you expect to come up during your investigation?
I did talk with our SSO today. Since the money’s already been spent, it’s a sunk cost. As long as my record says that I intend to pursue another Federal position or a private sector job that requires a clearance, they’ll keep the investigation going through to completion. As that happens, I’ll have a grace period until July 2019 to find another job (easy peasy).