I am currently looking at participating in Sudan Volunteers Program, a UK based charity organization. If I were to participate in the program I would teach in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, to Sudanese students. I am a little concerned as the program is sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Sudan. I was wondering what impact my participation in this program would have on my ability to obtain a security clearance. Thank you for any future information and assistance you may provide.
I’m a former investigator and not an adjudicator. I have no knowledge of the adjudications process. Nonetheless, I’d be hard pressed to come up with a country that would raise more red flags in a security clearance decision than Sudan. State sponsor of terrorism, egregious human rights record, global pariah, close ties and partnerships with China, et al. If you go ahead with this Khartoum volunteer program and end up getting a clearance, please let us know.
It would definitely be something that would be looked into more in-depth, involve State Dept. checks, and take longer to process, but as long as everything is legitimate it would not disqualify you from being eligible for a clearance. The length of time spent there immediately prior to applying for a clearance is also a factor. There are employees of government agencies that do similar work: USAID, State Dept,etc…
It’s not only the security clearance process, per se, but the agencies and entities requesting or granting the clearance. While you might not get a denial, along the way someone might have decided you’re not worth the extra aggravation and merely push your case into, for lack of a better description, security clearance limbo. Something never discussed. It’s a kind of like a shadow investigation. Once it goes into limbo, good luck resolving this. You’d have a better chance of successfully resolving a parking issue with the Philadelphia Parking Authority. But at least with the PPA you know what number to call and where to go to get information.