The SOR should have given you how long you have to send a response . It’s a set time like 30 days or so.
The SOR language says I have 10 days to send in a request to review the case. It doesn’t directly state anywhere in my letter that I need to have the appeal response written in 10 days; the lawyer I spoke with confirmed that I can write the appeal once the process begins. I’ll be requesting all documents including the investigative files and anything else I can get, and I’ll decide then if its worth writing a proper appeal.
I’m just a bit foggy on what you plan to appeal on. Unless I’m misunderstanding (more than very possible), it sounds like the issue wasn’t the drugs or foreign contacts themselves, but rather that you didn’t report them as required. The only real mitigation for that is “time.”
I mean if the lawyer says he can handle it, great! Go for it. But if he’s saying, “well, we can try to fight it…” that could end up being a very expensive lesson in “just suck it up and be patient for 1 year.”
Not trying to dissuade you, just offering another perspective.
Either way, best of luck. Keep us posted.
I’m replying to this super late (sorry) but a couple of my close friends who were interviewed knew I’ve been sober for quite a while now.
I sent in a request for a review along with all my IF documents. The SOR didn’t say to directly send in a response immediately, only to request a review.
I’m leaning towards not appealing, but I’ll see how it goes. I kinda gave up on applying to any position that requires a clearance in both private and public sectors. It feels terrible knowing I can’t apply for positions that require something as low as Secret until May of next year.
Time is the only mitigator. Heavy use…requires 3 to 5 years no use. Prove you can live without it. If you said you smoked on weekends, “never at work,” they walk you in agreement to this stuff. 52 weekends a year, Friday, Saturday, Sunday…156 days a year…5 years…thats how they estimate use that high. If you have been drug free 2 years, you need about 3 more drug free years. The propensity to buy non legal items implies disdain for rules. Under reporting implies possibly deliberate ommission…lying. That is the bigger concern. As they see it you falsified paperwork, official documents you swore were truthful. How far would you go in the future to lie about non legal behavior? I predict 3 years is necessary. Live a sober life and accurately report this moving forward. Can you completely stop? Not even a weekend vacation? You could go to narcanon meetings, change friend groups, stop going to places where drugs are bought regularly. Show you took steps to move away from the life. Thats a lot of dope, complicated by other types, ommission, etc