When obtaining a clearance for an OPM background investigator with CSRA, is it true that the security clearance isn’t transferable?
If it is a federal clearance, in scope, and at the appropriate level…it should be transferable under the rules of reciprocity. If you are told it cannot, or will not, I would ask about reciprocity. All federal clearances should be transferable depending on being in scope at the right level. Some agencies exercise greater control over their information and will be very strict in interpreting another agencies clearance. It took me over 3 months to work through getting the State department to show the existing TS clearance to cross over a new hire. A lot of phone calls, and endless loops of talking to very bureaucratic people not wanting to assist in any fashion. But I kept pushing and poking until I found the right bellybutton.
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Thanks for the response. I am about to start a new position with CSRA as a OPM background investigator. A friend of mine recently applied for this same position I got hired for and he was told the clearance we receive isn’t transferable. I wasn’t told anything like this and I can’t find any information that validates this and so I am not sure what to believe.
If it is a clearance for classified material, and it is approved for access to the “x, Y, or Z” level, there is no reason it wouldn’t be crossover ready. Although I have had numerous employees with my current client tell me they were told they cannot even tell anyone they have a clearance or that they cannot use them in other locations…false. Or to use a common term of the day, “fake news.”
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Others might know better but it is my understanding that BI investigations are the same as secret but do not actually allow for access to secret information. They would not be transferable to a contracting IT position but should be transferable to other BI jobs.
Maybe that’s where the confusion comes in.
Thanks for the response, I am just trying to figure out what clearance I’ll actually have. I start my job in a few weeks and I am sure I will find out more then. I was told in the beginning “Able to obtain a SSBI/ Top Secret Security Clearance”. I was told we were getting a top secret and then my friend was told we are getting an SSBI and not a top secret and that the clearance is not transferable. I don’t know a whole lot about security clearances but most of the people I talk to state they receive a top secret for a background investigator position and so I am not sure why my friend was told differently or what the mix up is. Plus I was excited to get a top secret to be able to use towards another job in the future hoping that it is transferable.
You’ll get a T5, suitable for a TS or anything below. At a minimum you’ll get a favorable T5, upgradable to TS. Whether or not you get the clearance activated is based on a need-to-know or the facilities you’ll frequent. The investigation is transferable as @amberbunny points out.
SSBI doesn’t exist anymore.
OPM clearances are accepted by other agencies, just as other agencies accept yet other agencies’ clearances.
Clearance candidates really need to shake loose of the need for the TS designation. You might be adjudicated to the TS level but never have access. The need to know over rides your clearance. Background investigations, such as Tier 5, are just as often used to ensure your suitability and character. Most federal law enforcement positions require the T5 - trust me, every federal law enforcer does not have access to TS material. On the other hand, we need to know who they are and what they are.
If you are trying to become an OPM investigator simply to get a “TS clearance” - save yourself headache and heartache - find another profession.
To be frank, if your goal is simply the TS/SCI - not the actual job - save yourself headache and heartache. Seeking access for the simple reason to have access makes you a security risk.
No, I am not becoming a BI just to get a TS and no my goal isn’t just to get a clearance. Yes, having a job that involves getting a clearance I consider a perk because a lot of these jobs lead to great experiences and learning opportunities. The overall purpose of my post was to better understand the idea of this clearance being transferable or not.
the field investigator for OPM/NBIB requires an adjudicated Tier 5. Your personal history and issues determine if another agency will accept your Tier 5. There is no guaranteed transfer between Agencies even between DoD and DoE.
I was recently interviewed by CSRA for a BI position. They told me the clearance would be non-transferable AND non-adjudicated. Could someone please explain what this means?
A coworker of mine was told the same thing you were told for that position and then I was told the exact opposite so I am not sure what to believe at this point.
Refer to the post above you. This has been asked multiple times in several threads. HR reps are sometimes not knowledgeable of how the clearance/reciprocity process works, so take what they say with a grain of salt.
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Datesnotrecalled, yes, I understand, and that’s what probably happened here - the interviewer did not quite know how the process works. But what does a “non-adjudicated” position mean?
That’s an incorrect term with respect to the position. OPM Investigators required at minimum a favorably adjudicated T5.
He/she likely meant to communicate that you wouldn’t be receiving a TS but would require the T5 investigation.
When your investigation is completed and adjudication you have eligibility for access to a clearance. This does not necessarily mean you have a clearance, but means someone could grant you a clearance based on your favorably adjudicated investigation. If you don’t sign that extremely long NDA, then you don’t have a clearance.
Thank you, Datesnotrecalled and Majorrework! So I did get a verbal offer and have until tomorrow (Monday) to accept/decline. They told me that I’d get an interim within 4 months and can start training then. They also told me that for the investigation they go back 7 to 10 years. Given that I was born overseas and lived there for many years before moving to the US about 20 years ago, do you think it would be hard to get a final clearance? I have an absolutely clean background here and overseas but do have a lot of friends and family that live outside of the US.
To clarify, is this for an OPM contract/employee position? (i.e. to become a background investigator for NBIB)