I never saw any credit inquiries hit any of the 3 agencies. I subscribe to myfico for the full credit montioring, reporting and scores.
Phone interview with BI in February 2019
None of the people I listed (friends, coworkers, etc.) were ever contacted. It’s possible neighbors were. I didn’t ask.
My contracting company had to close the investigation in JPAS in mid April because the job was no longer available
My contracting company then re-opened it 2 weeks later when a new opportunity was available. Due to the short time span since the investigation being closed, it was able to resume where it left off.
Clearance granted mid August 2019
For past 2 years, have been on a MRPT position with a govt. agency and authorized to work while that investigation was ongoing. In mid-September 2018 that MRPT investigation(T2S) was closed and went to adjudication. Never heard anything back on that, though I don’t know that one does for a Public Trust classification unless the person is deemed unsuitable. For that investigation, I had an in person interview with the BI in June 2018. Could this explain why my secret clearance for a different position with DOD only involved a 40 minute phone call with the BI? Still not sure why my credit wasn’t pulled.
I had some financial “concerns” but they were all listed and mitigated, including delinquencies from 2013 that were either fully paid, or in process of being paid on a plan with the creditor. I had several years of late tax filing, some when I owed nothing and others where I owed and had a large balance but was on an approved IRS payment plan. So, in other words, none of my financial shortcomings were being ignored long before the clearance process began.
After obtaining my Aug 2019 secret clearance, I started work in January for a company that supports numerous government and DOD customers. I got my CAC and all is roses. Now for a particular DOD agency project they want me to work on, it requires top sec (SSBI) so they had me fill out a new E-QIP basically a year to the day my secret was granted, and almost 2 years since my Secret investigation began. I’m told by my FSO it shouldn’t take nearly as long and the BI interview will likely be by phone (as my previous one was)
Questions for this community, who has been very helpful and insightful:
1.) Almost all of my negative financial info that I previously reported is now past 7 years, so I didn’t report them on the questions that asked “in the past 7 years have you…” I’m sure the investigator will review my prior investigations, and those financial issues were satisfied with no delinquent/unpaid debt. Shouldn’t be an issue, right?
2.) I got married between the time the secret investigation completed and now. My wife is a dual citizen (Russian and American). She’s been in the USA for over 20 years, and a naturalized citizen for over 10. Her only tie to Russia is her aging mother. I did notify my FSO after getting married, and have included everything about her and her mother on the new E-QIP. Her father passed away in 1982, so I have/had no info about him. I don’t see this is being a red flag, but I’m sure it will be investigated a little. deeper. Any potential this will cause issues assuming she comes up clean (she will). Neither she nor I have any financial or government ties to Russia.
3.) In my Secret investigation, as I mentioned above, none of the people I included as ‘people who know me well’, were contacted. My credit was not checked (there were no inquiries during the course of the investigation), etc. It’s safe to assume they will go through these items more thoroughly.
4.) Since I’m recently cleared secret and it took a year, is there any reason to think this would take as long? Any recent experiences with timelines on these kinds of ‘upgrade’ investigations?
