If you’re filling out the SF-86 for a Secret security clearance, you’ve likely noticed the form asks for your employment history over the last 5 years, starting from age 18 or later. That part is straightforward.
However, a major inconsistency arises when you answer “Yes” to the question:
“In the last 7 years, have you been fired from a job, quit after being told you’d be fired, or left by mutual agreement following allegations of misconduct or poor performance?”
When you say yes, the e-QIP system prompts you to enter the details of that specific job, even if the employment ended more than 5 years ago.
The problem?
The system will throw an error if you try to submit employment dates outside the 5-year range—even though it’s the system itself that asked you to report it!
You are misreading the question. The SF86 is the same for a secret or top secret so that makes no difference. The listing requirement is TEN years, NOT five.
I’m looking at it and it says 5. But even for some reason if it didn’t. Why is it giving me an error under the field saying the dates I entered is older than what is required? For my case I put a job that started and ended in 2019, but won’t let me submit. This is the only error in my whole SF86. If I remove it, I get no error in the review section.
Since you are apparently filling out a form that I have never seen in my entire history as an investigator since no form ask for 5 years (even the SF85 asks for 7 years) there is no way for me to determine why you are getting an error message.
Exactly. From my little knowledge as a Security Manager, the guy likely is getting an error because he has already entered a job that covers the dates that he is trying to list elsewhere on the SF-86. e-QIP is pretty straight forward and it’s algo checks to ensure that there are not double-feed of dates, and dates of coverage. I too believe that is likely the reason why he is getting an error code.