Good morning! So I have a unique situation and need to some advice. Long story short I have a TS clearence and the company/agency I report is trying to process my SCI. I started the process in December last year. They said since my SCI was previously with DOD they needed to go through Intel first to complete the process and cross over my clearance. Because of that they need to do a BI with the Intel Agency. My wife is Russian and her and her family who have lived here for nearly 20 years all have been naturalized as US Citizens with the exception of her father who is in the process of getting his citizenship. I had reported him as a foreign national separately as well as during the subject interview. I also have been scheduled for a CI poly next Monday. If I had reported him will I have any issues? He nor there family have any contact or interest with anyone outside the U.S. and all of there family or friends are currently living in the U.S. and have there citizenship as well. I’ve been completely open and honest throughout the entire process.
The fact that you already have a TS clearance will work in your favor. The polygrapher will likely be predisposed to passing you. However, the national origin of your wife and in-laws could raise suspicions, especially if your marriage is recent. You should not be surprised if you receive a post-test interrogation about foreign contacts.
Post-test interrogation? Yippee can’t wait for that. I understand based on where my wife and my in-laws are from raises questions despite me extensively reporting every detail about them completely and honestly. My wife and the rest of her family all went through the US citizen process legally and obtained there citizenship by the US government so that must count for something. I would think that main focus would be my father in-law since he is the only one who has not completed that process yet. I was planning to bring him up for the pre-test interview to ensure the polygrapher was aware of him and his affiliation. What is the point in all of this reporting if all they will do is accuse you lying or hiding stuff anyway. I obviously will keep doing it but it kind of ridiculous bs.
The polygraph is ridiculous BS (as confirmed by the National Academy of Sciences), but our counterintelligence community swears by it.
The poly is not adjudication, lots of people get confused. The adjudication decides if you get your SCI with the IC agency, the poly is to see what you omitted or lied about. If you reported him, don’t worry.
I knew someone at my last job who was almost in the exact same predicament as you – in laws Russian citizens, spouse naturalized, etc. She got cleared, took her a looooong time to get through adjudication though.
Thank you for the response. I’d imagine my situation would be a little different since I have had a fully adjudicated TS already. The CI poly was actually a condition of the job I am currently at. I reported all of the foreign contacts on the SF 86 and to the background investigator. So I think I should be good hopefully. I think in the worst case scenario and I fail the poly I would just be denied an SCI on the Intel side and I can just find another position to use my TS and sponsor my SCI. Maybe I am wrong but I think that’s how it works.
The worst case scenario would be if the polygraph operator got it in his head that you were somehow attempting to beat the polygraph.
Polygraphers have no reliable method of detecting countermeasures. Not using them offers no protection against an accusation of having done so.
A countermeasures accusation can lead to the suspension or revocation of a security clearance and the termination of employment.
Well I have no intention of using countermeasures. I just plan on going in and during the pretest interview make sure I provide my father in-laws information. On the actual test just answer the questions truthfully and hope for the best. I don’t have anything to hide and everything they will ask about regarding my wife and her family are on the SF-86. I am only providing my father in-laws information again to ensure they have it.
If you get denied, yes that is on the SCI usually. BUT, you really won’t be able to get another position with a denial until that is removed or mitigated. It is possible if the denial is say from CIA and you are applying for a position at DOD since they use separate systems. Having a collateral TS is basically useless with no SCI.
Is the pre-test part of the CI poly an acceptable time to clarify or bring up any missed foreign contacts that were recently corrected and reported during a subject interview? Would doing so halt the test entirely?
A polygraph interrogation is a poor time to bring up any previously undisclosed information. If you have indeed made a recent correction elsewhere, why would you bring it up in the polygraph suite?
I was reading recently that the pre-test part of the poly before the test starts is where they normally ask if you need to clarify, add or correct anything related mistakenly omitted on the SF-86 I assuming they are going off of for the questions. Is this not accurate? Otherwise during the test wouldn’t that come off as possibly deceptive? I am not referring to an admission during the actually examination I meant before.
The polygraph operator doesn’t have the time to read your SF-86. The questions on the polygraph are standardized. Everyone gets the same relevant questions. If it’s of interest, you’ll find the entire script in the Test for Espionage and Sabotage administration guide.
I believe that those seeking positions of public trust have an ethical obligation to answer relevant questions truthfully. But in all candor, any information you divulge in the polygraph suite that was not previously disclosed will not improve your chances of passing the polygraph or proceeding in the hiring process.
I don’t understand what you’re asking. Either you reported him previously or you didn’t. FIL is in the family section, so you would have had to report him and his nationality.
If you did like you had to, you have nothing to fix/clarify/report/etc. during your poly.
He was not my father in-law when I completed my SF-86 I was married after the SF-86 was already turned in and being processed. After I was married I reported my marriage and since have completed foreign contact forms on my new in-laws with the back ground investigator. So if I am reading you correctly if I have already reported it then there is no point in re-reporting it again at my poly?
I concur. I don’t see any point in bringing this up with your polygraph operator.
Okay noted I just won’t mention it. Thanks for the advice.
That makes a little more sense. You’re worried about a non issue. You disclosed your relationship with him, you filled out the appropriate FNC forms.
You have nothing to worry about in terms of not reporting the contact – just be honest answering the questions they ask you.
Thank you! That makes me feel much better about this process. I appreciate the feedback.
Okay so given that information and contradictory to what the others have said should I to be safe bring up my already reported father in law who originally wasn’t on the SF-86 but later was reported to the investigator? I was concerned because the polygrapher may not have that updated information on the SF-86 given to them previously.