I seemed to read something online that even after being adjudicated favorable for a TS clearance, the person then has to wait even longer for SCI access? Is this true? Would someone waiting to work a TS/SCI job need to wait even longer even after a favorable TS decision? What kind of timeline is it, and for people with conditional job offers does that mean they would have to wait even longer before being able to work? Thanks.
Sounds like you didn’t have a TS or SCI prior the job application.
If the job required SCI, they most likely put you in for one and you would get your SCI adjudication (not a TS adjudication). After that, it’s just a matter of getting read-on.
(I could be wrong here, hopefully someone can chime in…)
If you had a TS and they sponsor your SCI, you will have to get re-adjudicated at the SCI level before you can get indoctrinated.
Or worse, depending on the IC element, they might not accept your TS and redo their own investigation…
Timeline will depend on what IC element adjudicates you.
You’re right about the fact that I am going from no clearance to the TS/SCI level. So what you’re saying is once I’m adjudicated I’ll get the TS/SCI clearance as a whole and be ready to work immediately?
As you may already know, SCI is not a clearance, but rather is a collection of control systems protecting extra sensitive information regarding intelligence sources and methods of which access is granted to on an extremely limited “need-to-know” basis.
In MOST cases, in order to be read into an SCI control system and/or any of its compartments and sub-compartments, a final TS (interim will not suffice) clearance is prerequisite. However, there are some control systems one can be read into with only a final Secret clearance, but those are the exception to the norm.
Since the background investigation for determining TS eligibility is the same investigation used for determining SCI eligibility, my understanding is that the SCI access would be granted rather quickly assuming the TS is adjudicated favorably. However, each SCI program is different and can have its own suitability criteria so there is no hard answer to how long it would take to get access.
For people who already have an active in-scope TS clearance, they would not need to undergo a new investigation in order to get SCI access. Their employer would just have to fill out the proper paperwork justifying why said employee needs access and that would get routed to the proper authorities and once approved, the employee will get indoctrinated.
I am undergoing a background check for TS/SCI as we speak. This is my first time through the process so I apologize if anything I’ve said is inaccurate. It all just reflects my best understanding.
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Great I see. Thanks for the reply. I think that makes sense and I guess I’ll have to see how the particular agency will handle it then.