I have a question about my clearance. I am a native-born US citizen and have a simple inactive TS right now, and am due to start a job soon. Since I last used it, I have been living in a MENA country and am now engaged to a girl here. My question is what are the chances this alone will cause me to lose my clearance? I have basically no relationship with her family, none of them have any work history with the govt/military/terrorist groups, etc. What worries me is that while we wait for her fiancee visit application to be approved, she will be in her native country waiting. Essentially, how likely is it I will lose my clearance? Also, doesn’t a foreign fiancee/spouse disqualify a person from TS/SCI, or not necessarily? She herself is not of the local religion, her family have no political/religious affiliations, thus on that front the chance of coercion/manipulation are low. How will I be viewed by the adjudicator? Thanks.
Former investigator here, NOT adjudicator. IMO, the MENA country thing is not a disqualifier. Some MENA countries are not on the high-threat list while some countries in S. America and Caribbean are. If you elaborated to the investigator the same mitigating factors that you did here, and articulated a commitment to be fastidious about avoiding foreign contacts/involvement in the future, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Btw, here’s a hint. If you provide the investigator with neat and tidy and succinct phrases subsuming some key points you want to convey, particularly convening the mitigation of foreign influence, the investigator will copy it down and use it in the report.
I agree with RZzzz regarding the TS clearance, however, depending on the agency, the SCI access is a lot trickier as some flat out do not allow immediate family member foreign nationals, and it could result in a denial. Only way to go forward is to provide as much mitigation as possible up front,
Thanks for the reply. That’s what I’m hoping, that my statements will have some sort of influence, as I know there is a difference between an investigator and adjudicators and I’m not sure if any impression I may make on an investigator may make it to the adjudicator(s). Her family has no political or military connections, my fiancee herself is not muslim and has no affinity whatsoever for her country or culture (quite the opposite tbh). I won’t have contact with anyone in her family but her, will not send money, all that stuff, so I hope it will be fine. I hope that if I present myself in such a way that demonstrates I’m aware of the various risk factors and have done what I can to mitigate them that that will play a role in the adjudication stage.
Another question if I may: when I start my job, I know I will have to update my SF-86 since my clearance is inactive, what are the chances some other investigation is opened due to my fiancee, and how long do they usually take?