Reapplying for a Public Trust after a denial?

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

Hello,

I began working for a contractor in january and was eventually asked to submit for a position of public trust in april, for GSA. I decided the best thing to do was be honest, and I admitted to using marijuana on 2 occasions, about 7 months prior. Before that, the only time I’ve used was during a period of time about 5 years ago, so that wasn’t disclosed. 5 days after submitting, I received an email saying I was determined to be unsuitable, and received an official letter in the mail a few days after thag. My company was nice enough to put me on a project that didn’t require a clearance, but obviously eventually I would like to be able to get a public trust or clearance for career purposes.

The official probation period before I can reapply for a GSA public trust is 1 year I believe, but for public trusts and higher clearances in general, what’s a safe time to wait before I attempt to reapply? Obviously I’d have to admit that I was denied and I’d have to explain why on the e-qip. How do investigators view previous denials?

2

Investigators don’t review the final completed investigations, adjudicators do. They will look at the reasons for the previous denial and determine if those concerns still exist or if they have been mitigated. One year is a general guideline for abstaining from illegal drug use, depends on the type of position and agency though.

3

Oh okay, thank you Marko. The determination was so quick that I wondered if it ever got past the first investigator or whoever was the first to see it. Do secret or top secret clearance e-qips ask for drug use beyond 1 year in the past?