Hello all, and sorry if the title is not very clear. I’m a recently retired military veteran. My secret clearance investigation period ends in February 2018. My last command would not do a reinvestigation because they could not justify the need since it was still good until after I retired. Fine, understand. My concern now is that if I don’t get hired by someone before it expires, that I may find it more difficult to get hired because it’s gone. What’s your opinions or experience if anyone has been down this road before? How much more difficult will it be for someone to hire me and/or how does that hurt my chances of getting hired? Will a reinvestigation be more difficult because it’s expired vs inactive? Will it be any easier because I had one before? Thought or anything you might share would be appreciated.
I’m not an expert, and i’m sure you will get other answers but i’m thinking you will need a new investigation after February 2018. Since it is expired after that point, no one will be able to Re-Open your clearance, since a new investigation is needed. Another fact is that even though you have held a clearance before it doesn’t really impact a new investigation, it takes the same amount of time.
Got a lot of my questions answered at the following site after posting this but I would still love to hear you thoughts everyone.
If you can get hired before your clearance expires, take the job. They will start a reinvestigation in February but you will be able to continue working while that investigation is in progress (I believe!) If you let it expire, you will be starting from scratch and will not be able to work until the investigation is completed and adjudicated.
Are you sure about not being able to work until completed and adjudicated? Can’t a Security Manager give a Interim clearance?
Well . . . A security manager can’t grant an interim clearance. The sponsoring agency CAN do so after a preliminary investigation but, based on what I have been reading here, those are becoming rare.
When I first applied for a clearance, in 2005, the company had me start and do non-classified work until my interim came through in about three weeks. My final clearance took only three or four months.
These time lines are pushed way beyond that now and most companies are not working the same way.