Latest Security Clearance Processing Times for DoD/Industry

#1

If you’re applying for a Department of Defense contractor security clearance, or up for reinvestigation, here’s a run down of the current timelines for the fastest 90 percent of applicants. Secret clearance processing times are largely the same (and still behind ideal timelines), but Top Secret investigation times increased by another 30 days in the first quarter of 2018, and are now at more than 530 days for the fastest 90 percent of applicants:

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2018/03/13/long-take-get-security-clearance-q1-2018/

Counting DAYS to help prevent INSANITY!
Are You Experiencing Security Clearance Processing Delays?
#2

And of course we tend not to hear from those fastest 90 percent :slight_smile:

Wait I just had a delayed reaction… they’re ADMITTING that it is taking over a year? For the fastest 90 percent? Wow. So all you folks coming up on the two year (730 days) mark, you’re not that much of an unusual case anymore.

#3

But here is the thing that my investigation was recently completed so I am hoping that adjudication time is still currect for Top Secret which is 20 to 90 days.

#4

Unfortunately, the Intelligence Community hasn’t released a comprehensive report on security clearance processing times, the size of the cleared population, or reasons for denial since 2015.

Do you know when an updated report will be available?

#5

Unfortunately, we don’t know why the ODNI stopped publishing the report in the first place, or if they will do so again! Legislation currently pending would provide more regular updates on the security clearance process and timelines, but until that is signed into law, everything is pretty ad hoc. I’ll keep you posted.

#6

Are the listed number of days counted as calendar days or workdays only ?

I’m hitting 230 days today for Secret DoD/Industry … :expressionless:

#7

It’s calendar days, thank goodness. Even still, this news broke about 700,000 hearts. :disappointed_relieved:

#8

The 20-90 days for adjudication is a fraud. It takes many months for adjudication. The DODCAF is reporting only how long it takes once a file is given to an adjudicator. It’s all a game.

#9

Remember, the 20-90 days (or whatever the metric is) refers to the fastest 90 percent of cases, or something like that.

And the people who get cleared quickly probably don’t go looking for answers on forums like this :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

#10

I don’t understand why adjudication takes so long. Doesn’t someone review all the gathered information and makes a final decision. Why does that take months?

#11

I don’t think that adjudication takes very much time at in most cases however, the file may sit for weeks or months waiting to be picked up by an adjudicator. It’s this down time that creates the long times but they continue to report the time it takes to actually adjudicate a file and they don’t count that time spent waiting.

#12

Makes sense but if you are contacted by an adjudicator for additional information, and then you don’t hear anything for months, I don’t get that.

#13

Finally, adjudication was completed. It took 17 months from the initiation of the request through adjudication. Keep in mind that I’m a fed.

#14

Is this for TS? IC? Or dod?

#15

It was a TS for DOD. It seems that the IC clearance always take longer.

#16

Indy,
have a question or two on understanding the time line thing,
My SF-86 went in to the tubes last year August, As of date everyone including me have been interviewed, past places of work, people that I know best, ectt… Just last week they called me to
inform me that I am now on a list to go take a polly when they are ready, So my question ( 1)
dose that mean that I passed all checks on paper SF-86, Am I correct they do not send you to the polly unless you checked out on the other stuff correct? now for the polly. now that i am on a call list, time line. is that several more months of waiting?
thank you for help me understanding this time thing
JC

#17

@WaitingGame do you know the exact dates when your investigation was sent to DoDCAF and when it was adjudicated? Trying to get a feel for what current processing times are like and if they are still close to that 20 day average they always report. I’m close to 40 days into adjudication already so starting to get a little concerned.