Security Clearances Do Not Expire According to Memo from US Intelligence Director

Originally published at: https://clearancejobsblog.com/security-clearances-do-not-expire-according-to-memo-from-us-intelligence-director/

Grumblings from the field about DOD agencies denying contractors access to facilities and/or classified information because their investigations are out of scope has elicited a response from the Director for Defense Intelligence. This issue was addressed in a December 7, 2016 memorandum issued by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense and states that contractor…

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Good stuff! This is what our personnel security folks have been saying but they’ve had problems convincing others.

However, if a person went from one employer to another (on the contractor side), can the new employer pick up this “unexpired” clearance? This is the problem that I personally may be facing.

As long as you have an active clearance they just change the cage code in the system to the new company

Is this just for personnel already working in the IC or does it apply to someone outside who’ve let their clearance lapse after two years?

This refers to those with an active clearance who may have an investigation that is past due for a PR.

I think the clarification applies most to those currently/already employed. If you transfer employers, there’s a possibility your current employer would downgrade your access in JPAS before your new employer ‘picks’ you up. Isn’t that a possibility? It’s still relevant to the many of cleared professionals currently employed, still working, with overdue PRs (which is a growing number!)

This memo comes from the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, USD(I). As such it clearly applies to DoD activities. Is there a similar guidance from somewhere in DNI that applies to other agencies? Does this guidance apply to NRO and NSA, which clearly fall under DoD, except when they don’t.

Wouldn’t an employer be required to downgrade an employee who left the company since there’s no need-to-know at that point?

Yes, when you separate from an employer and are no longer in a cleared position the FSO is supposed to go into JPAS and indicate that so the clearance can administratively withdrawn.