I will need to apply for a contractor clearance with VA. I applied once before 7-8 years ago with a different agency; they never submitted to OPM, they told me over the phone that I was ineligible. I had some financial problem (short sale of home) and admitted drug use 22 years prior. Now I have excellent credit, no financial problems, no drug/alcohol for 29 years. Financial problems were resolved more than 7 years ago. Two questions
What are my chances?
I don’t think I was ever investigated, do I have to say I was denied on the forms?
Who told you that? Was it a contractor? Some contractors are very reluctant to get involved with people that have any blemishes at all on their record.
If you were never submitted, you were never denied. If you never received a letter informing you that you were denied, you were never denied. Some pinhead took it upon himself to decide, is what it sounds like.
I would think with VA you would only need Public Trust, though I’m not sure how that fits in to the new convoluted “Tiered” system.
Thank you sbusquirrel! I wrote to OPM to get my records as part of the freedom of information act. The OPM letter said that ATF may have info on me but my application was never submitted to OPM, NBIB to conduct a background investigation. They recommended I contact ATF - I have done that and am waiting for a response.
I have a Q for you please:
My family and my wife’s family are both non US citizens and live overseas ( ally nation of the US) do I have a chance of a TS/SCI or I will be wasting my time ?
Thank you Subsquirrel !
If you have immediate family members who are not US citizens and are living overseas then there would definitely be challenges. It becomes easier if they are extended family, but even then it depends on factors like country, occupation, amount of contact, etc… not to say you would be denied, but rather it would be a lengthier process and could result in a denial depending on the agency.
Thank you Marko for your reply. Don’t they consider spouse and kids immediate family? If the person is married like in my case? And why would they make the effort and go through the whole process (now at a year and half and counting) and send the person to poly like they did with me? If they will deny it at the end, especially since they saw all of that info in the SF86?
When you said your family and your wife’s family, that was taken as parents, in-laws and such, You should have said my wife and kids, As far as moving forward, pre-screening of applications are done by hiring managers or HR folks on the front end looking for any glaring obvious disqualifiers. Adjudicators don;t see it until the investigation is fully completed.
Thanks Marko so much for the reply. I apologize for the unclarity , yes it was meant parents and in laws. Hopefully things will turn out favorably especially with super clean record on all levels.
Thank you sbusquirrel for your reply. You mean you’ve seen it before that the government granted TS/SCI to someone who’s parents and in laws are not US citizens and live overseas? Maybe there is a glimpse of hope.
No, I was referring to a couple of cases where they made someone go through all the process and then decline to clear them because they had foreign contacts. This was for a specific program though that decided to implement very restrictive security.
But yes, I’ve known folks with foreign contacts who did get cleared TS/SCI. Sometimes it requires the sponsor to say that it is a critical need. I’d say there is a glimpse (or glimmer) of hope, but that still leaves a lot of room for doubt.
Yes. I have an employee who married a German citizen while in the Air Force. He has since become a US Citizen, but his family is in Germany and remained German citizens. She is and remains cleared TS. He is now in process to clear TS. He will require a Polygraph for his position. Currently his spouse did not, but will also apply for the full scope Poly cleared positions we have after completing a Master’s program.
Thank you very much amberbunny for the comment. Very encouraging to hear that. I’m hoping that they would take into consideration that my household members ( wife and kids are all US citizens and live here with me) and hopefully it would be a mitigating factor based on the fact that when you’re married your immediate family becomes your spouse and kids,unlike if you’re single, I don’t know maybe I’m speculating.
It may take longer to assess loyalties but don’t sweat it. Plenty GI is married to a foreign spouse with foreign family and they possess high level clearances. Be honest, upfront and report all. No issues seen.
How about a naturalized citizen ? My husband is a US born citizen but I am a naturalized citizen . Parents still in back my previous country but my sister is also a naturalized citizen here in US married a US born . Will I have a chance for TS? I am only doing S right now but wondering for down the road
I work for a defense contractor and we have a number of naturalized US citizens with TS clearance who maintain extensive contacts in their country of origin. It becomes more complicated when you go for the SCI clearance.
I’m also a naturalized US citizen , I don’t have extensive contacts overseas , but my family ( parents & siblings/ non US citizens ) lives abroad i have contact with them ( especially my mother) but not very extensively and zero financial interests or business ties so hopefully this will make the clearance and SCI feasible. Thank you for your comments, they really help to understand the process more.
Normally if you gave up the foreign passport, purchased a burial plot here, funny as it sounds…establishes that you live and will die here. If you have some form of income or social income that could indicate a continuity of ties or loyalty to the former country it slows it down but doesn’t remove the possibility. Obviously most folks not fleeing oppression will have fondness for their roots and mother country. Nothing wrong with that. Almost impossible to disinherit that. If they are considered a friendly country it is easier, if they are Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Russia, etc…it is still possible but will take longer. Owning property overseas can slow things down but plenty Americans have cottages in various locations. Most above board. But expect those areas need scoped to get a reasonable degree of certainty one isn’t more loyal to the other country and wouldn’t funnel information. Sad to say Americans, likely westerners all over do not have an eye on the long game. Countries are willing to send their citizens abroad to live, work, play, educate…matriculate…and gather essential elements of friendly information. Some nations consider it a lifelong responsibility to do so. This is the part that is mysterious and requires probing.
