How Long Does It Take To Get Security Clearance? (1Q FY10)

William Henderson for ClearanceJobs.com - June 28, 2010

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There’s been a lot of improvement in case processing time over the past few years. Most of the improvement is directly related to the reduction in the backlog of cases. Since October 2006, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which conducts the vast majority of all security clearance investigations for the federal government, has reduced the number pending initial investigations that are more than 180 days old from about 99,000 to less than 1,500. They did this primarily by increasing their investigative staff. OPM currently has a combined federal and contractor investigative staff of about 8,500 personnel—about 6,500 of whom are field investigators. Ten years ago OPM and Defense Security Service together had half that many investigators. Seven intelligence agencies and 14 other federal agencies conduct their own security clearance investigations. The following chart shows the average processing time for the fastest 90% of initial security clearances by agency for the 1st quarter of Fiscal Year 2010 (October to December 2009):

AGENCIES	PERCENT OF WORKLOAD	INITIATION TIME (DAYS)	INVESTIGATION TIME (DAYS)	ADJUDICATION TIME (DAYS)	TOTAL DAYS END-TO-END
All Agencies	100%	11	46	14	71
Army	37.4%	6	42	10	58
Navy	17.4%	16	43	12	71
Air Force	13.2%	12	40	28	80
DoD Industrial	19.6%	14	44	20	78
DHS	2.3%	29	48	48	125
DOE	0.9%	9	47	11	67
DOJ	0.7%	12	60	42	114
NRC	0.3%	23	55	49	127
Transportation	0.3%	15	39	11	65
Treasury	0.2%	18	54	54	126
HHS	0.3%	27	52	13	92
OPM	0.1%	6	70	10	86
Interior	0.1%	18	55	47	120
Commerce	0.1%	9	42	9	60
VA	0.0%	23	54	31	108
CIA			78	49	127
DIA		41	55	9	105
FBI		35	76	6	117
NGA		7	25	31	63
NRO		3	27	31	61
NSA		7	70	10	87
State			43	11	54
USCG	0.8%	11	42	12	65
CBP	0.0%	30	233	31	294
ICE	0.0%	8	36	131	175
USAID	0.1%	24	45	20	89
BBG	0.0%	29	264	14	307
USSS	0.0%	14	104	18	136
ATF	0.0%	23	54	26	103
AF OSI	0.0%	1	71	20	92
DHS HQ	0.0%	8	40	7	55
Peace Corps	0.0%	11	33	4	48
TVA	0.0%	2	30	1	33
BEP	0.0%	8	24	2	34
BPD	0.0%	10	16	1	27
Postal Inspect.	0.0%	9	43	2	54

Source: Security and Suitability Process Reform—Strategic Framework, February 2010 A joint report by OMB, DOD, OPM, and ODNI

Notes: Agencies that receive investigative services from OPM are shown in blue and account for a combined total of 94.3% of the total workload.
Intelligence Community (IC) agencies that conduct their own investigations are shown in red and account for a combined total of 4.5% of the total workload.
Other agencies that conduct their own investigations are shown in green and account for a combined total of 1.2% of the total workload.
DHS HQ 1st quarter FY2010 data unavailable; data shown for 4th quarter FY2009.

In the chart “Initiation Time” is “the time in days from the date of submission by the applicant to the receipt date of all information/forms (PSI forms, releases, fingerprint cards, etc.) required to conduct an investigation by the investigative service provider.”

Compared to a few years ago, 78 days is a vast improvement for initial DOD industrial security clearances (cases processed by the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office—DISCO). But 78 days is an average for the fastest 90%, and an average is just a mathematical calculation. Here’s a better approximate representation of how it looked for the entire DISCO applicant population in FY2009.

End-to-End Completion Times for DISCO Security Clearances

The fastest 90% include those cases taking up to 180 days. Most cases taking longer than 180 days are those that involve major derogatory information and those that require investigative activity in overseas locations.

There are 2 situations where time spent on case processing is excluded from the case completion times. Approximately 13.6% of DISCO cases were rejected by either DISCO or OPM due to errors on the Standard Form 86—SF86 (Questionnaire for National Security Positions) or the fingerprint cards. These cases must be resubmitted as new investigative requests. DOD-wide in FY2009 about 20% of all investigations were returned to OPM, because the investigations were incomplete. Probably more than half of these cases were sent back to OPM, when a Subject Interview was required and the Subject of the investigation, who had been in Iraq or Afganistan, returned to the U.S. The other cases were returned to OPM due to deficiencies in investigative scope, period of coverage, or case expansion to properly resolve and/or corroborate unfavorable information. When cases are returned to OPM, they are reopened as new investigations and the elapse time for the cases are reset to zero.

A new SF86 was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in March 2010. This new SF86 will not be implemented until later this year. It is significantly more complex than the current SF86 and will probably increase the rejection rate. More than ever applicants with complicated personal histories will need help in filling out the SF86 properly. On the positive side, as more requesters begin to use SWFT, the Secure Web Fingerprint Transmission system, it should help lower rejection rates. Currently most fingerprints for DISCO cases are mailed to OPM. The mailed fingerprint cards sit in a bin at OPM until they are matched with the SF86. If fingerprint cards are not matched to an SF86 within 14 days, the SF86 is rejected, returned to DISCO, and the request for investigation must be resubmitted. SWFT will enable a more efficient matching of SF86s to fingerprint cards and eliminate the time OPM spends scanning paper fingerprint cards before they can be forwarded to the FBI.

For complex cases there is a 2-stage adjudication process at DISCO. DISCO is authorized to grant security clearances, but they lack the authority to deny or revoke a clearance. When the level of derogatory information in an investigative case file reaches a certain threshold, DISCO must refer the case to the Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals (DOHA) for adjudication. In past years DISCO has referred about 20% of its cases to DOHA; however in FY2009 DISCO only referred a little more than 5% of its cases to DOHA. No reason has been announced for this change. DISCO was probably given greater authority to adjudicate more complex cases, and by granting clearances in about 95% of its cases very early in the process, it has been able to reduce its average adjudication time.

DISCO interim Secret clearance decisions take about 3 working days. These decisions are based solely on a review of the SF86 and a review of federal investigative and security clearance databases. In FY2008 DISCO granted interim clearances in only 61% of its cases. When compared the 1% denial rate for final clearances, the 39% declination rate for interim clearances clearly shows the importance of providing as much issue mitigation as possible in the SF86, so that adjudicators have that information available when making interim clearance decisions.

William H. Henderson is a retired security investigator, author of Security Clearance Manual, and regular contributor to ClearanceJobsBlog.com and ClearanceJobs.com.

Copyright © 2010 Last Post Publishing. All rights reserved.

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Comments


	Mr. Henederson, Thank you for your feedback. Based on your experience, how long should I expect a "priority" TS clearance to take? Here is detailed timeline: 1/10/12 Cnditional Offer of emply 1/12 Drug Test & Fingerprints submitted 1/25 SF86 Submitted 2/2 contacted by investigator 2/7 interview with investigator week of 2/6 references interviewed by investigators The investigator mentioned that they should have my case or part of my case completed within the week as it is "priority"

dxr (Miami) on February 8, 2012 at 4:17pm


	I have had a interim secret clearance for 3yrs. and now i'm just getting ready to do my interview. Do you know why it took so long? And after the investigation, does the investigator make the decision?

G. (East coast) on February 8, 2012 at 7:59am


	Maegan (VA): There are no government-wide rules that cover Public Trust positions for contractor personnel, so federal agencies can do anything they want. They are encouraged (but not required) to comply with 5CFR731.

William Henderson on February 8, 2012 at 1:38am


	dxr (Miami): OPM offers 2 levels of service for Top Secret clearance investigations: Standard and Priority. Priority costs more but get done faster. When an agency pays OPM for priority service, they generally also conduct the adjudication faster. It's not unusual for investigators to start working on a priority case within a few days after the case opens. What is unusual is how fast your case was opened.

William Henderson on February 8, 2012 at 1:21am


	I was sent home from Camp Atterbury because my force protection was denied. Due to that my security clearance is pending. They gave me a letter which is 90 days leave without pay. It has been 1 month and I still haven't been contacted by an FBI agent and neither have my references. I was going to go to Afghanistan as a linguist. Does anyone know how long this usually takes?

Wade (New York) on February 7, 2012 at 12:04pm


	Mr Henderson, I was recently offered a conditional offer of employment to work for the Treasury Dept and i turned all documentation (sf86 and forms to willfully surrender my expired foreign passport and dual Ecuadorian citizenship) on 01/30/12. Investigators have began interviewing my references and I have my interview with an investigator tomorrow 2/7/12. One of the investigators told me that my investigation was a case priority. Does this mean that my clearance process for TS will be shorter? If so, how much shorter? I dont have foreign influence, all my immediate family members live here and are citizens; no financial or drug problems. I though that the investigators contacted me quite fast compared to some of the stories I have read in this thread; what is your take?

dxr (Miami) on February 6, 2012 at 9:14pm


	I currently have a TS/SCI with the USN but will seperate shortly and have a position in line as a contractor but they only require a public trust clearance. They say it is 4-8 weeks for that to process, but it seems tedious considering I alrady have an active TS/SCI. Is this still the case?

Maegan (VA) on January 31, 2012 at 1:11pm


	In regards to: Rarely does DISCO grant an interim clearance after it was declined. The only time it happens is when the applicant sends information directly to DISCO that completely mitigates the issue that cause the interim clearance declination. Is there an available address for sending information to DISCO??? Balaji (Midwest): After an interim clearance is granted or declined, the investigation is initiated, completed, and adjudicated for a final clearance (unless the sponsor withdraws the request before the final clearance decision is made). Some companies have their applicant submit fingerprints immediately after DISCO sends the case to OPM for investigation. A Non-disclosure Agreement is signed after a person receives an interim or final clearance. About 25% of applicants are declined an interim clearance, but only about 1% to 2% are denied final clearance. Rarely does DISCO grant an interim clearance after it was declined. The only time it happens is when the applicant sends information directly to DISCO that completely mitigates the issue that cause the interim clearance declination.

April S (Houston TX) on January 29, 2012 at 2:00pm


	Hello, I had a question requarding my clearance - in 2009 I had a Incident report filed on me in J-pass while I was working overseas. I have no Idea what the incident is about. I was holding a final clearance and when my company found out I had the incident report they fired me in 2010 and now in 2012 I just got sponsored with another company that made me submit a new E-qip It has been 5 days and my clearance is still pending will I get this clearance even thow I had the incident report filed in J-pass in 2009 that I have no knolege of. Please let me know thanks for your help.

ozzy (california) on January 25, 2012 at 1:30am


	Mr. Henderson, I have 2 questions: 1) I'm a naturalized US citizen but my parents are foreign nationals, can I still get a clearance? My investigation was closed in Jan 2012. 2. SSBI was conducted, is that for S or TS clearance?

Anxious (VA) on January 23, 2012 at 7:09pm


	So, I was chosen for a GS type job with the DoD. I have been employed as a contractor since 2007 and have had a TS since 2004. I had a DUI back in 2008....I did all the right things( full disclosure). I had my 5 year re-investigation in 2009. I find out today that my investigation was closed and has been awaiting adjudication since Feb 2010. I was told that it was processed....just never adjudicated. Security folks have requested that they adjudicate my clearance. What do you make of that? Someone drop the ball? Or is there a possibility that my clearance is in jeapardy?

DMB (Omaha, NE) on January 12, 2012 at 6:18pm


	I was employed by a government contract and need a TS/wpoly and 2 people were cleared (no citizens) and I am still waiting. I am a US born citizen all family members are also, I served in the army 6 yrs, never committed a crime and am a very honest person. My question is how can 2 non US citizens get cleared within a couple of months when a US citizen can't....is this just politics?

Concerned (DC) on December 29, 2011 at 11:08am


	I was granted an interim secret clearance and conducted a interview, I was later told i have to complete another interview 6 mo later. I am assuming it is due to my credit history. I have cleared up my credit issues but my credit score has not been updated, What does the score have to be to be granted a secret clearance and if the 3 bureaus have not updated my score, may I forward this information to the investigator who interviewed me so she can see I have resolved my credit issues. Please advise.

Audra (Texas) on December 23, 2011 at 10:37pm


	I was denied an interim and a full investigation was conducted for TS working with State Department. I was informed by my FSO that the investigation was referred to DOHA. I admit, I have credit issues and debt seems to be piling up but I've informed them of everything and some things are paid in full and others are on a payment plan. I have not received child support since my daughter was born and this is the reason for the bills piling up. I pretty much wrote a thesis on my SF86 but it seems that they need further information. Anyhow, I was informed on 12/14/11 that my company canceled the investigation which sucks, so I will never know the outcome of the investigation or will I? Even though my company canceled it in JPAS and since we are 3 months into the investigation, would it still continue since it is in adjudication with DOHA?

Positive Thinker (washington, dc) on December 16, 2011 at 1:42pm


	Mr. Henderson, Thanks for continuing to reply to information requests from this article. I was active duty military with a TS/SCI clearance. During my 5 yr PR adverse information was provided by co-workers which was false. This resulted in an LOI/SOR. I had already put in my paperwork to separate and received the SOR 12 days before I was scheduled to go terminal. My investigation was completed in April 2010 but I was not given the SOR until Feb 2011 and I separated in March 2011. I was able to get in my response but the CAF moved my status to "loss of jurisdiction" instead of making an adjudication decision. I had a future employer that was aware of the situation but the contract was contingent and didn't come through. So I took another non-clearance interim job. I am now looking for new cleared employment and having difficulty because recruiters don't know what to do with this status. So, I have a couple of questions/concerns I am hoping you can shed light on: 1. How long will it likely take for a decision if a contractor applies/sponsors for my clearance? Some have suggested very quickly but recruiters are more skeptical. Most of the jobs I am desiring require active TS clearances (or at least very quickly resolved). 2. How long am I eligible? Does the 24 months start at my investigation date (April '10) ? When they removed me (Feb '11)? 3. Are there any cases/reasons where a decision could be made on the SOR prior to employment/clearance need? The comments were based on slander and I was able to demonstrate this in writing in my response but no one has reviewed it to know it. 4. Can you make any suggestions of how to overcome this status and regain my career path?? Thank you so much!

Frustrated Job Hunter (Alexandria, VA) on December 13, 2011 at 3:30pm


	clearance concerns 2011 (KY): Credit counseling can be a positive factor for a security clearance, but it is also an indication of financial problems. Financial Considerations is the reason for over 50% of all clearance denials. The �Adjudicative Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Access to Classified Information� is the primary document used by all federal agencies for making security clearance decisions. For federal civilian employment you must also receive a favorable employment suitability determination which is governed by 5 CFR 731.202. Almost all law enforcement positions in the federal government are designated High Risk Public Trust positions.

William Henderson on December 8, 2011 at 8:51pm


	M. Gaskin (Wisconsin): What was the waiver for? Your military clearance terminated when you left the military. If you left the military more than 24 months ago, your clearance can no longer be reinstated. More importantly, you must receive a favorable employment suitability determination (separate from a security clearance) for federal civilian employment. See my article on "Employment Suitability Versus Security Clearance" posted on his website.

William Henderson on December 8, 2011 at 8:44pm


	I submitted my paperwork at the end of October 2011, was granted an interim secret clearance within a day or two and just received an email stating my final secret clearance was granted. Yea! It took approximately a month to be granted my clearance. Also worth noting, I'd been declined an interim back in March 2011 when applying for a job that required an interim secret walking in the door. Moral to this story, don't give up hope. The process seems to have improved. Good work powers that be :-)

Anonymous (Northern VA) on December 8, 2011 at 1:09pm


	Mr.Henderson, I recently applied for the NGA police and I was hired a few weeks ago. I currently need a TS clearance. What are the objectives that will determine if a clearance is granted or denied? How intense is the Financial Considerations portion? Do they look at expunged records? If denied do they give you reasons for denial? Also, will they take in consideration if I am receiving Credit Counseling Services and trainings? Thanks!

clearance concerns 2011 (KY) on December 8, 2011 at 8:56am


	I recent applied for a job with the DCMA. I'm assuming that they completed a security waiver because I received an email stating it was disapproved. I have a secret security clearance that expires in 2012. I had it when I was in the military.How come they can't use the one I had in the military and what does it mean when they say that the security waiver is disapproved?

M. Gaskin (Wisconsin) on December 7, 2011 at 11:35pm


	Thank you very much for your time Mr. Herderson.One last question.Is there a law governing how much time Internal Affairs has to adjudicate cases?It's been 6 weeks now since they received case.

Jake (Arizona) on November 4, 2011 at 10:21am


	Mr.Henderson I can't thank you enough for the wonderful information you are providing through this site. I also applied for TS clearance to DISCO through JPASS on oct 2011 and got denied the interim clearance. But they still continuing the investigation as my fingerprints were turned to OPM.(I don't have tickets, credit issues anything, except parents are foreign nationals). Do you think I have a chance of getting final clearance? Also, instead of waiting for final clearance can I accept another offer which requires only sp85 clearance? There is a quesetion in the sp85 which says 'have you ever rejected of any clearance' do I have to say 'yes' as this is only an interim and final is yet to come. Any advice is appreciated.

Liz (Washington DC) on November 3, 2011 at 3:38pm


	Mr. Henderson My Secret clearance is currently being adjudicated by DISCO. It has been in adjudication since mid-October. Do you or any1 have any idea on the current average adjudication time frame? I know each case is unique, but this is for a overseas contract position. Also during an interview my investigator told me the deadline established by the government for the case was November 29th, does DSS have a current deadline?

Ralph W. (Lincoln, NE) on November 2, 2011 at 3:22pm


	Jake (Arizona): I don't know of anything you can do to speed up adjudication. Average adjudication time is only meaningful to people like me who track these things. It means little to an applicant. For example: the Army claims an average of 52 days for investigation and adjudication of the fastest 90% of cases. But that average includes cases done in 9 days and cases that take 187.

William Henderson on November 1, 2011 at 12:24am


	Balaji (Midwest): After an interim clearance is granted or declined, the investigation is initiated, completed, and adjudicated for a final clearance (unless the sponsor withdraws the request before the final clearance decision is made). Some companies have their applicant submit fingerprints immediately after DISCO sends the case to OPM for investigation. A Non-disclosure Agreement is signed after a person receives an interim or final clearance. About 25% of applicants are declined an interim clearance, but only about 1% to 2% are denied final clearance. Rarely does DISCO grant an interim clearance after it was declined. The only time it happens is when the applicant sends information directly to DISCO that completely mitigates the issue that cause the interim clearance declination.

William Henderson on November 1, 2011 at 12:12am


	I have submitted my SF86 and in 3 days I was told that the interim clearance request was declined. I was asked by my employer to submit fingerprint cards and non-disclosure agreement as soon as possible. Also I was told that an investigator will probably meet me in about a week. I was told that final clearance will be given after that. Does that mean I will be given final clearance without the interim or is it the approval for interim? Can anyone please tell me about it?

Balaji (Midwest) on October 28, 2011 at 7:12pm


	I am currently in the hiring process as a CBP Officer.I have completed all the pre-employment requirements and am waiting on adjudications. My background case was completed,closed, and submitted to the adjudications department a month ago.I contacted adjudications to get a status and they said they received it but was undetermined the time it would take to get adjudicated due to their workload.Is there anything I could do to speed it up alittle bit? Or what do you think is the time frame I'm looking at to get a decision?

Jake (Arizona) on October 26, 2011 at 12:06pm


	Question: I was granted reciprocity of my TS clearance in a move to the State Department (new job only required Secret). After getting the final offer, Diplomatic Security at State requested my foreign born wife submit SF86P+S and a biographical sketch, something HR did not know about. Any idea how long they will take to re-clear/adjudicate this? We were married when I received the intital TS. Thanks

Andrej (MD) on October 9, 2011 at 7:41pm


	Sasha (VA): DISCO handles security clearance adjudication for most federal contractors. Adjudication for most of the small DOD agencies is done by Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) or by one the DOD Intelligence Agencies (NRO, NSA, NGA, DIA) or by JCS.

William Henderson on September 29, 2011 at 7:49pm


	Tariq (MD): Usually when an interim clearance is withdrawn, it�s because something unfavorable surfaced during the background investigation that was not fully disclosed on the SF86. Having the interim clearance withdraw will not negatively affect your final clearance eligibility per se; it�s the reason that the interim was withdrawn that may cause a problem.

William Henderson on September 29, 2011 at 7:42pm


	In my entire working history (15+ year) I've had received disciplinary action 3 separtate times from one police department (I've have worked for 2) Will I get denied my security clearance for that reason? I was honest on my E86 form

John (Baltimore) on September 29, 2011 at 3:01am


	W. Henderson: I have been given an interim clearance than was taken away, since I am still awaiting for my final clearance to be completed, would the interim denial negatively impact my clearance process? I'm still awaiting news (after one month so far) about my clearance.

Tariq (MD) on September 28, 2011 at 6:23pm


	I am seeking a Secret Clearance with DoD Agency (not one of the military services). My Personnel Security Specialist said OPM completed investigation and it went to adjutication on August 23, 2011. He said adjutication could take 2-3 weeks to 2-3 months depending on adjuticators workload. Can you tell me who would be doing adjutication (is it DITCO) and which number 2-3 weeks or two to three months is more accurate? Is there anything my agency can do to speed up the adjutication process. Thanks

Sasha (VA) on September 14, 2011 at 3:49pm


	just curious as to how long it takes to be investigated? I have submitted all required information and my interim was denied yet no real reason was given. Only a list of possible reasons. According to the companies security officer she can't see a reason for it to get declined. When I ask her about it, she just replies "nothing new. Sorry" I was told I was awaiting an interview. How long should this take!

Patiently frustrated (oregon) on September 13, 2011 at 12:31pm


	tariq (Ashburn, VA): OPM may have conducted your investigations, but unless you fall into the very small category of prospective OPM employees and OPM contractors (less than 1% of all clearances), your clearance investigation will be adjudicated by some other federal agency. I know that DISCO has been requiring applicants to surrender expired foreign passports for a while. To bad your security officer didn�t know this. Regardless of your financial situation, possession of a foreign passport (even an expired one) generally results in an interim clearance declination at DISCO. The fact that your investigation was reopened is not your fault. Sometime cases are reopened because the investigative agency failed to do everything that was required, and sometime cases are reopened because the adjudicative facility simply wants more information. About 20% to 30% of interim clearances are declined; whereas only about 1% of final clearances are denied. Without knowing which agency is adjudicating your case and what issues are involved, I can�t even guess how long your case will be in adjudication.

William Henderson on September 6, 2011 at 11:26am


	Mr. Henderson: I had submitted my SF86 in November or 2010, had two interviews with an investigator in January, then told that my investigation was closed end of January and that I needed to surrender my expired foreign passport in order for OPM to issue me a final Secret Clearance. btw I was declined an interim clearance, i'm guessing due to my bad credit. Then in July 2011 i was contacted by another investigator and met with her 4 times. She said another investigation was requested by my "employer" b/c the last one lacked information. Per my last contact with my security officer, my second investigation was closed on 8/24/2011. Do you think I maybe granted a clearance even though i failed the "interim" one and had to go thru 2 investigations? also, how long should i expect to hear back from them "idealy" if my investigation was closed and submitted on 8/24/2011?? Thank you so much for your help!

tariq (Ashburn, VA) on September 3, 2011 at 11:58am


	I submitted my SF85-P 18 May 2011, and got my clearance notification 3 August 2011. It invloved an interview and forms filled out from former associates and employers.

Jim (Mississippi) on August 3, 2011 at 2:17am


	Travis (TN): There's an updated version of this article posted at http://www.clearancejobs.com/cleared-news/360/update-how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-security-clearance The new article has data from 4th Q FY2010. Note that the CIA did not provide information regarding "initiation time" so their end-to-end time might not be correct. Note also that all phases of clearance processing at most IC agencies took longer in 4th Q FY2010 compared to 1st Q FY2010.

William Henderson on July 31, 2011 at 8:28am


	Wlliam, I have turned in my SF86 back in Sept '10. I have been interviewed by an investigator. This was 4 months ago. A polygraph isn't needed from what I have been told. I just keep being told it is with the client waiting on them. Almost a year from start to now.

Travis (TN) on July 28, 2011 at 5:05pm


	Pat (New York,NY): There�s a lot to understand, but here are the basics. A federal agency or contractor sponsors you for a clearance, you do the application, the federal agency requests an investigation, the investigation is conduct, the results of the investigation are sent to the appropriate federal agency for adjudication, and the federal agency makes a security clearance determination. Sometimes an interim clearance is involved and for federal jobs there is also an employment suitability determination that is separate from the security clearance determination. For more detailed information read some (or all) of my other articles on this website. As for how long a USAID clearance takes, look at the elapse times for the State Department. For security clearances USAID and State have some strange incestuous relationship.

William Henderson on July 26, 2011 at 9:52am


	Mary (columbus ga): An NACI is an investigation (National Agency Check with Inquiries). For contactors NACIs are almost always used for HSPD-12 credentialing. In other words, for a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card or a DOD Common Access Card (CAC), so the contractor employee can have physical or logical access to federal facilities or computer systems. There are no statistical data available on HSPD-12 determinations, but NACIs done by OPM take about 27 days to initiate and about 45 days to conduct. You have to add about a month or so for adjudication depending on the federal office that grants the PIV/CAC. Go to the �resources� webpage at my website (http://lastpostpublishing.com/resources.aspx) and click on the link for �Federal Suitability/Security Clearance Chart� and on page 2 of the chart you will find a brief explanation of an NACI investigation.

William Henderson on July 26, 2011 at 9:36am


	I have been waiting for my USAID TS Clearance. My HR point of contact told me that the investigation part has been done and it has entered to the ADJUDICATION phase. Does anyone know what this means and how long this typically take? I talked the Special Agents already, but they all tell me is that they have finished their jobs, please help understand the process. Thank you! Pat, NYC

Pat (New York,NY) on July 26, 2011 at 1:12am


	I have applied with ITT Systems and I am awaiting my NACI and I was wondering about how long does that take and what does it consist of???? I sent my birth certificate and my fingerprint card to Oklahoma. Level 1 clearance for Supply Clerk. Thanks Mary

Mary (columbus ga) (Columbus Ga) on July 25, 2011 at 5:13pm


	Travis (TN): It�s not that unusual for a TS/SCI from an IC agency to take a year. If the average for the fastest 90% of DIA and CIA clearances is about 6 months, the range for the fastest 90% is probably between 4 months and 12 months. God knows how long the other 10% takes. In the first example I gave (below), I asked the applicant a few questions and it was obvious that an investigation had not started. Where are you in the clearance process? When did you submit your SF86? Have any friends, neighbors, work associates, school references been interviewed? Have you had a Personal Subject Interview? Was there a polygraph? When did these things happen? Don't do anything to irritate the customer or your potential employer. . . yet.

William Henderson on July 22, 2011 at 4:56pm


	William, I read the updated information in the new article. I do apologize for not researching further prior to posting. Would you recommend asking my congressman to follow up on my clearance when it gets close to the year mark. The only thing the FSO tells me is, "it is still with the client." Do you have contact info for the Ft. Meade office? Will my congressman know how to follow up with my clearance? Will this look bad on me from my prospective employers point of view?

Travis (TN) on July 22, 2011 at 9:34am


	Travis (TN): More recent data on turnaround times are in the article, �Update: How Long Does it Take to Get a Security Clearance?� posted on 10 July 2011 on this website. Although I�m not aware of this happening with collateral clearances, I am aware of cases where IC agencies have failed to follow the rules (E.O. 12968). For example in one case an applicant for a federal job at an IC agency was repeated told that his application/clearance was �in process.� After waiting over a year, the applicant contacted his congressman and his congressman�s office found out that the clearance investigation had not been initiated. The applicant had connections to Israel. In another case an employee at a federal contractor facility applied for a TS/SCI clearance. She was already employed by the federal contractor, had a Secret clearance, and her employer wanted her to work on an SCI contract. Several weeks after submitting an SF86, a security representative of the IC agency telephoned the company FSO and told him to withdraw the clearance request. Of course the FSO withdrew the request, because the IC agency is the company�s customer. The woman merely stayed on the contract she had been working on. Nothing about withdrawing the clearance request was in writing, so I only have the woman�s explanation of what happened. The woman had been under the care of a psychologist for a few years for depression.

William Henderson on July 22, 2011 at 7:39am


	William, is there any truth behind the idea that they will sit on a case hoping you will lose interest rather than having to make a decision? Do you have any current stats on IC time limits? Is there a time limit to which you can file an inquiry on why it is taking so long? I will have been waiting for a year in Sept. Is this a staffing problem they are experiencing?

Travis (TN) on July 21, 2011 at 2:36pm


	I am not sure if it is from budget cuts or the fact that the WHS offices are relocating but I met with the Investigator's last August and my case has been an Adjudicator for a YEAR and still nothing. I just sent my Security Officer an e-mail to check the status but I'm sure that it will come back the same. I thought I was so detailed in providing support data for my financial mess that my ex-husband left me with but apparently not detailed enough. Sigh. Two years total.

Renae (San Antonio, TX) on July 13, 2011 at 2:16pm


	My investigation was completed in early June 2011 and I was told by customer service that the target completion date was June 25th. When I called cutomer service on June 27th they said call back in 2 weeks it's in adjudication. I called again on July 11th and they said it's in adjudication call back in 2 weeks. I would just like to know why they give a target completion date and if the call back in 2 weeks line is what they are supposed to say. It is quite frustrating since the clearance investigation caused me to lose my job. The investigator interviewed my current employer and afterwards my boss retaliated because I sought new employment. Like most people I would never have told my employer I was looking but in this case it was unavoidable.

Carl C. (Maryland) on July 11, 2011 at 10:41pm


	Sikh_and_tired, Did you get any response. I am in similar boat as yours? 7 months since poly and no contact from anyone

Anonymous236655 (Ashburn Virginia) on June 27, 2011 at 1:20pm


	Allen, I can top your story. I had an employee who left an intel community (IC) agency and came to work for us as a DoD contractor. I contacted a friend in the IC who verified his clearance info from Scattered Castles (the IC clearance/access database). I confirmed that he had a PR 3 years ago and had been read-off 3 months prior. I submitted a request to DISCO to convert his clearance into JPAS (the DoD database of record). DISCO had no access to Scattered Castles, so they insisted he submit a new PR. Six months later his PR was adjudicated for TS. Perhaps DISCO will have access to Scattered Castles when they relocate to the DoD Consolidated Adjudication Facility at Fort Meade later this year and the reciprocity of clearance data will be easier/faster for personnel who move from the IC to non-IC positions.

Bill L. (Bowie, MD) on June 21, 2011 at 8:38am


	I'm flabbergasted by the current system. I was a fairly senior Government employee at a well-known Government Agency in the Intelligence Community. I had TS and SCI clearances of all kinds. I also had a brand-new PR that successfully adjudicated on 1 April 2010 and I also had a current CI poly. I retired in Jun 2010, spent nine months or so off (then job searching), and joined an industry contractor, who put in a request for me to get re-accessed. Despite having a BRAND NEW Periodic Reinvestigation that completed just before I retired, it's taken four months and counting to get my clearances turned back on....amazing. My old agency says they could have turned me back on entirely after just 48 hours, provided I submitted a "time accounting statement" and had no really oddball things to report. I have no idea what this new system is (or if it's because I'm a slime ball industry contractor now) but it sucks. Being "read out" is like having an arm amputated...I can't even visit my former coworkers...lol.

Allen on June 17, 2011 at 3:15pm


	Matthew W. (Chantilly, VA): If both your SSBI and poly were completed in July 2010, the delay you are experiencing has nothing to do with investigative staff. All federal intelligence agencies use contractors to do their investigations; they don�t have their own investigative staff. The delay might have something to do with adjudicative staff, but I doubt it. There�s probably a problem with your case and they may be sitting on it and hoping you will lose interest rather than make a decision.

William Henderson on June 15, 2011 at 12:52am


	I took my poly back in July 2010 and it is now June 2011. I have been in adjudication this whole time. The reason they are slow, I am told, is because of budget cuts they had to cut their investigative staff down. Is this true?

Matthew W. (Chantilly, VA) on June 14, 2011 at 10:40am


	Al (Alexandria, VA): The only way I know of to get information on the status of a case that is handled outside of JPAS is from the IC security office. Generally DIA clearance data migrates from Scattered Castles to JPAS after the clearance action is completed. Sometimes if the contact involves an "unacknowledged" or "waived" SAP, the data never gets posted to JPAS.

William Henderson on June 3, 2011 at 11:03am


	I found out the adjudicating IC agency for my SCI will be the DIA. A little over two months and no news... Does the DIA record adjudications and eligibility in JPAS, Scattered castles, or both?

Al (Alexandria, VA) on June 2, 2011 at 9:42pm


	It's unfortunate, there doesn't seem to be much communication between my SFO, me, and our IC security official so who knows where I'm at in the process. I work with DoD customers currently so no one has access to scattered castles. Is there any other way I can get an update on my clearance status?

Al (Alexandria, VA) on May 19, 2011 at 10:31pm


	Travis (TN): Don�t bother sending a request to OPM. They don�t have it. I don�t have more recent stats on IC agencies. I think you would be premature in requesting any information about your clearance from any agency, even if your background is squeeky clean.

William Henderson on May 17, 2011 at 8:34pm


	Al (Alexandria, VA), You are correct � this process can take 1-2 months or 6-9 months depending on which SCI agency is processing your SF 86. Generally, since you have never had SCI access/eligibility, the facility is conducting a limited investigation to cover your background from the completion date of your original SSBI to present, including a credit check and possibly some reference checks. Then you made be contacted regarding a polygraph exanimation. Good luck.

Bill L. (Bowie, MD) on May 17, 2011 at 9:49am


	I have a TS/SSBI (finalized in June 2009). Currently I am waiting to be upgraded to an SCI. My FSO had me fill out another SF-86, however I'm under the impression another SSBI shouldn't have to be done. I was told this process may take up to four months to complete, so far it has been almost two. Also, I have seen no new entries in JPAS so I assume my SCI will show in scattered castles. How much longer can it take? I've heard heard horror stories of these taking 6-9 months for the upgrade. I've also heard of it only taking 1-2 months.

Al (Alexandria, VA) on May 14, 2011 at 9:59pm


	William, it is the CIA. I was confused b/c the investigator stated he was with OPM however the chart above shows the CIA conducting their own. I believe I am just jumping the gun and not allowing them enough time for the Adj process. Do you think it beneficial to gain a copy of one's report from OPM? Do you know if these numbers are pretty accurate today, or is there a recent backlog for the CIA? Are they to be worked in date order, like any claims process?

Travis (TN) on May 11, 2011 at 10:09am


	Travis (TN): Foreign travel does not slow down an investigation, unless you spend 6 months a year outside the U.S. FSOs don�t use the word client or customer when referring to OPM or DISCO. So I can only guess that your case is being handled outside of normal DISCO/OPM channels. The chart shows average adjudication time for the various agencies. Which one is it?

William Henderson on May 11, 2011 at 1:13am


	Sir, I greatly appreciate the information you have provided. My investigation was conducted in early April 2011 and my clearance officer states it is with the client. How long for adjudication for an individual contractor for TS? Does travel to foreign countries really slow it down that much? Say, a week to the Bahamas? Do you suggest requesting my info from OPM? Thanks for any help! T.

Travis (TN) on May 10, 2011 at 4:52pm


	Bobby (Nevada): There is no such thing as an HSPD-12 �Q� clearance. There is a �Q� access authorization and there is HSPD-12 credentialing, but they are two separate and distinct things. Normally if you are granted a �Q� access authorization, you are automatically issued an HSPD-12 PIV card, if needed. Q access authorizations are granted by DOE based on a favorably adjudicated SSBI. Your FSO should contact the servicing DOE security office. See my article on HSPD-12 on this website.

William Henderson on March 21, 2011 at 5:15pm


	Hello, Getting right to the point! OPM was finished with my investigation for a HSPD-12 "Q" clerance, June 26 2010. Its know March 2011 and my FSO doesnt know anything? I dont understand what could be happing? I'm prior military, with a SC and a former FED with a TS. Please, can you think of anything that could be going on?

Bobby (Nevada) on March 5, 2011 at 2:08am


	Sam jones: I assume your company has already been granted a TS Facility Security clearance and that they have sponsored you for a Top Secret clearance. If they only requested a Secret clearance for you, there usually isn�t a Personal Subject Interview or reference interview. Normally a case is either pending the completion of an investigation or pending ajdudication. If your application is �pending,� I can only guess that all the necessary paperwork has not been received by the investigative agency. Normally the status of a case is something you talk to your Facility Security Officer about, not your HR office, unless they are one-in-the-same.

William Henderson on February 24, 2011 at 4:38pm


	Mr. Henderson, Thank you for the great and informative article. My company applied for Top Secret clearance as they have many federal projects. i submitted my SF86 in the month of dec 2010 and did not heard anything from any federal investigator. None of my refernces are contacted. It is almost 2.5 months and No federal officer contacted me or references in my application. When asked, My hr informaed me that my application is in pending status. What does that means and usually after turning the SF86 form how long will it take to hear from federal investigator. What is the next step after submitting the SF86.

Sam jones on February 23, 2011 at 7:50pm


	I am a naturalized citizen who applied for a job requiring that I pass a polygraph. I took it in September of last year and have yet to hear anything. When I contact the contracting company, they keep telling me it's in adjudication. Now, I do have foreign relatives in India, but no business or government connections, and my family connections are infrequent. I was told that my background investigation was closed several months ago. I'm wondering how long this is likely to stay in adjudication since it has been almost six months since I took the polygraph.

Sikh_and_tired (DC) on February 8, 2011 at 6:26pm


	DCGirl (DC): Average adjudication time for DOHA is incorporated into the average time for DoD industrial (DISCO) cases. However, your case is not average, so it will probably take longer.

William Henderson on February 8, 2011 at 1:42pm


	This is great information to finally see. The question I have is what are the average timelines for DOHA? My re-application (approved) is with them right now for adjudication and UI understand that it is very long to get anything from them.

DCGirl (DC) on February 3, 2011 at 1:07pm


	gls007 (North Carolina): Calendar days.

William Henderson on January 31, 2011 at 2:52pm


	Earl Brown (afghanistan): No, it should have no impact on your eligibility for a TS or TS/SCI. The adjudicative criteria for criminal conduct and rule violations are the same for all levels of security clearances.

William Henderson on January 31, 2011 at 2:51pm


	Sir, I am currently working as a contractor in Afghanistan. I have a secret clearance. I was granted my interim secret in just a matter of a few hours ( 5 hours) and my secret was final in less then 4 months. My question is this, I had a special court marshal while in the service 30 years ago, I was not discharged because of that an I have a fully honorable discharge; would that keep me from getting a higher clearance? (ie. TS, TS/SCI )

Earl Brown (afghanistan) on January 25, 2011 at 11:28pm


	Is the timeline addressed in this article calendar days or working days? This would certainly make a difference to someone waiting on their clearance determination

gls007 (North Carolina) on January 25, 2011 at 3:43pm


	What category does Passport Agency fall under?? Does anyone know?? I have been waiting since October and it is already January.

Mika (san francisco) on January 24, 2011 at 7:59pm


	Bassman (MI): CBP has delegated authority to conduct its own background investigations. They use a contractor that actually conducts the background investigations. Although average turnaround time for national security clearances is probably only a little less than for PT positions; the figures in the chart are for national security clearances (not PT positions) and the figures are a year old now. So thing may have changed considerably at CBP in the past year�they may have gotten a new contractor or even added a second contractor. Note that 233 of the 294 days was investigative time. New figures will be reported to Congress in February and I'll try to post them as soon as the report is publicly available.

William Henderson on December 15, 2010 at 7:00pm


	Anyone know why CBP takes so long, and why an emplyer would tell me it would take 4 - 6 weeks (for public trust)when there is ample evidence that this is clearly not the case?

Bassman (MI) on December 15, 2010 at 12:20pm


	Sparky (DC), There is not much that can be done to speed the adjudication process. What you can do personally is to request a copy of your investigation from OPM via the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act. When you receive it, you will know what the adjudicators know. The main issues that would cause a PR to go on for almost a year are foreign connections (relatives, employment, travel, etc) and finances. Based on the content of your personal interview(s), you should know right now if there are issues in your case. Since your case is in processing, you should have maintained your prior eligibility and you can move from one employment to another at the same clearance eligibility level and not inhibit the process. So long as your new employer takes ownership of you in JPAS (for DoD) and sends a notice to DISCO/DOHA to continue your adjudication. Good luck.

Bill L. (Bowie, MD) on December 14, 2010 at 10:01am


	Sparky (Washington, DC): The source document for the data (not the graph) listed in this article are posted at: http://www.nationalsecuritylaw.org/files/received/OMB/Security_and_Suitability_Process_Reform-Strategic_Framework.pdf Page 32 and 33 of source doucment lists data for Periodic Reinvestigations & adjudications. PRs take twice as long as initial clearances because initial clearances have priority. Still, more than a year is unusual. If you go to another employer, your completed reinvestigation will have to be adjudicated by a different government agency, but the reinvestigation will not have to be done again.

William Henderson on December 11, 2010 at 10:38pm


	I currently hold a TS/SCI. I submitted my PR in Sep. 2009. The PR is still not complete. I do know that my investigation was completed sometime before Aug. 2010, but it has not been adjudicated. How long can adjudication take? My company submitted a formal request to adjudicate my PR back in August, but it has not helped. Is there anything else I can do to find out what is causing the hold up? Also, if I were to leave my job (with a defense contractor) and take a new job, would the new employer be able to "keep me in the process", or would I have to restart my PR from scratch?

Sparky (Washington, DC) on December 10, 2010 at 12:20pm


	Chris D. (Schofield Barracks), The time frames you are citing were, repeat were, the �norm� several; years ago. The DoD adjudicative facilities (Army, Navy, AF, contractors, etc) have been reporting for about the past year that they are in compliance with the Intel Reform Act, in that, the investigation and adjudication of �clean� cases is done within 60 days 90% of the time. A recent GAO report supports that reporting from DoD. Even today, �expedite� cases are not truly expedited by OPM unless they are submitted as such and paid for.

Bill L. (Bowie, MD) on December 9, 2010 at 2:28pm


	I'm in the military and Special Operations. It took almost 9 months to get my SECRET clearance with a clean record and an expedite request. When I had my clearance upgraded to a TS-SCI it took 23 months with an 'expedite' attached to the paperwork. This holds true for 90% of the cases in the Army and Navy over the last 20 years. This does not match your stated time-line.

Chris D. (Schofield Barracks, HI) on December 4, 2010 at 3:00pm


	Forgiven (Kansas): The process is automated. DISCO and OPM continue the clearance process until a final clearance determination is made or until the sponsoring federal contractor terminates the clearance request, which ever happens first. If the federal contractor withdraws a Conditional Offer of Employment (for a job candidate) or terminates employment (for an employee) or permanently reassigns an employee to a job that does not require a clearance, the federal contractor�s FSO is required to terminate the clearance request in JPAS (DOD�s Joint Personnel Adjudication System). This action notifies DISCO and OPM to stop processing the clearance/investigation. As a practical matter there is a delay of a few days before everything stops, even if the FSO does his part promptly. If the clearance processing stops even one day before a clearance decision is made, a �loss of jurisdiction� is entered into the applicant�s JPAS database record. As soon as a final security clearance is granted, it is entered into the applicant�s JPAS record. If the sponoring contractor�s FSO terminates the need for the applicant�s clearance in JPAS, it does not affect the notations in the �Investigation Summary� or the �Adjucation Summary� section of the applicant�s JPAS record. Typical entries look like: INVESTIGATION SUMMARY NACLC from OPM. Opened: 2010 08 09 Closed: 2010 09 15 ADJUDICATION SUMMARY PSI Adjudication of NACLC OPM, Opened 2010 08 08, Closed 2010 09 15 determined Eligibility of Secret on 2010 09 24 In this case if the individual terminated employment or had a COE withdrawn on 24 September 2010, he/she could have the clearance reactivated by another employer up until 23 September 2012.

William Henderson on November 23, 2010 at 8:59pm


	So basically what you are saying is that DISCO will not check with FSO if they (the company) still need the applicant for a clearance just prior to issuing a favorable determination. What I am trying to understand here is this: Can the sponsoring company(FSO) legally pull the plug at anytime during the investigation or adjudication even say the adjudication is 99% complete and is just about to issue a favorable one ? If the FSO tells me that they are no longer interested in me after a final secret is issued does my clearance remain active for 24 months at least if i cannot find a new employer ?

Forgiven (Kansas) on November 22, 2010 at 3:40pm


	mb (maryland): Only data for suitability cases investigated by OPM have been published. Overall the average for the fastest 90% was 110 days in 1st Quarter FY2010. The shortest time was for the Department of Transportation at 65 days and the longest was Health and Human Services at 255 days. OPM only took an average of 50 days to do the investigations for HSS (39 days for DOT), so HHS must have a terrible backlog of adjudications. Unfortunately these numbers include basic federal employment suitability determinations, as well as Public Trust determinations. Public Trust investigations take longer than those for basic federal employment suitability.

William Henderson on November 18, 2010 at 8:47pm


	Mary (DC): These stats are from 1st quarter FY2010 (Oct-Dec 2009) and represent AVERAGES for the fastest 90%. Averages can include a rather large range of case completion times. If your case involves significant unfavorable information, it can take a lot longer. Also, a lot can change in a few months, particularly at CBP which goes through uneven hiring cycles. In 2nd quarter FY09 CBP took 67 days; 145 days in 3rd Q FY09, and 215 in 4th Q FY09. Perhaps sometime after last December, CBP hired a new contractor to do their investigations and added some staff to their own clearance processing and adjudication offices.

William Henderson on November 18, 2010 at 8:37pm


	Forgiven (Kansas): When the completed investigation is adjudicated, a determination for a final clearance will be made. If DISCO declined your interim Secret clearance, DISCO is the sponsoring government agency. Investigations are never cancelled simply because an interim clearance was declined. Interim clearance decisions are made before the case is sent to OPM for investigation. Unless your company�s Facility Security Officer cancels the investigation in JPAS (the DOD clearance/investigations database), OPM continues the investigation and sends the completed investigation to DISCO.

William Henderson on November 18, 2010 at 8:20pm


	Is it relates to these figures and within the overall scope of clearances, are public trust clearances considered in the same league as secret clearances, i.e. is the processing time generally shorter? Thanks for the article.

mb (maryland) on November 17, 2010 at 8:45am


	I accepted a job that required a Secret Clearance as a contractor working for CBP - I was told that the process would take 4-6 weeks, which sounded unrealistic to me but I figured they knew what they were talking about - now going on 12 weeks and no word. Your table says 294 is the average time for CBP; feel like I have been misled. Do you know why CBP takes so long? Thanks, great article - as usual.

Mary (DC) on November 17, 2010 at 8:39am


	Denied interim for secret by DISCO in late September. However, either DISCO or the sponsoring agency requested (which I also like to know which one) continued investigation. I had an OPM investigator come in and do the "subject interview?" which did not seem like an interview at all. Anyway, my question is when the investigation is completed and an adjudication follows, and if favorable, am i going to be granted a final secret or just an interim secret? Next, does OPM checks with the sponsoring agency (just before sending the file to DISCO) if they still sponsors me? If not, does DISCO do this just prior to issuing a determination? Thank you Mr. Henderson. (By the way, I bought your book through Amazon this summer. And found it fairly useful).

Forgiven (Kansas) on November 15, 2010 at 9:43pm


	How long does is take for the Defense Logistics Agency to perform a security clearance?

Brian Jefferies (Battle Creek, Michigan) on November 9, 2010 at 10:40am


	ffox880 (CA), It is very difficult to establish a time to complete the investigation or adjudication portions of this process I have 2 employees who are "clean" and their adjudication has been pending at DISCO for 3 months. Since yours has issues (whether mitigated or not), it will take a bit longer. It is definitely in your favor that you provided documentation of your efforts to your FSO. Normally, OPM would have conducted a personal interview as well. Good luck.

Bill L. (Annapolis, MD) on November 8, 2010 at 4:17pm


	This is great. Thank you.

Del (pa) on October 30, 2010 at 10:13pm


	Hi, I need some insight regarding DISCO and their investigation, I was recently denied my interim due to financial considerations. Being that I had excessive debt (which was the cause) I had it consulted with a debt consolidation service about a year ago. Recently I was able to pay it all off (so know I'm debt free and my credit score is not bad at all) and gave my FSO all the evidence pertaining to the matter so it can be sent to DISCO. The new information was sent to DISCO on 10/13/2010, so my question is how long does it normally take to receive a final decision and does it look good on my behalf being that I practically fixed the reason I was denied my interim security clearance? Any info helps Its currently in the adjudication phase as of 8/07/2010.

ffox880 (Ventura, CA) on October 29, 2010 at 7:55pm


	Del (Pa): Your investigation should not take any longer because of your parents, but adjudication may take a little longer than average. Investigators try to conduct the Personal Subject Interview (PRSI) as one of the first components of the investigation, but it is not always possible. There is a certain amount of queuing time at the beginning of the investigation, so typically the PRSI will occur a week or more after the investigation starts. But this will only have slight effect on the completion date of an investigation because all investigations are driven by suspense dates. About 2/3 to 3/4 of non-IC applicants are processed for Secret clearances, which take less time than for Top Secret clearances. As indicated in the article the average end-to-end processing time for the fastest 90% of industrial TS clearance is about 107 days. The average processing times for IC agencies is based primarily on TS clearances.

William Henderson on October 29, 2010 at 5:11pm


	Typically how long does the process take after meeting with the investigator. This is for a TS clearance. I have both parents living in Canada and are Canadian citizens.

Del (Pa) on October 28, 2010 at 8:24am


	Robert L. Polk (Stone Mountain Georgia): Initiation time actually begins the day your company FSO releases your SF86 in eQIP to DISCO until the date OPM opens your investigation. The 14 days cited for initiation time is only an average. It takes DISCO only a few days to review your SF86 for completeness and make an interim Secret clearance decision. DISCO then releases the SF86 to OPM. It sit at OPM for a few days (queuing time), then OPM reviews your SF86 for completeness and matches the SF86 to your fingerprint cards and signed release, which are transmitted separately from your FSO directly to OPM. Once that�s done OPM opens the investigation. OPM also has to scan your fingerprint card before they can submit it to the FBI. OPM usually receives the results of the NAC in about 3 to 6 weeks after the investigation is opened, and sends DISCO the NAC results (which includes FBI fingerprint check) plus the credit report. DISCO can then grant an interim TS clearance if the NAC and credit check results are favorable. It is very unusual for DISCO to grant an interim clearance after OPM opened the investigation. Because of this I�m a little skeptical about the 7 July date. The case opening date is listed in your JPAS record, but not the date your case was received by OPM. JPAS also shows the case closing date, which is the date OPM finished your investigation and forwarded it to DISCO. The average of 78 days end-to-end is for both Secret and TS clearances. In 1st Quarter FY10 the average end-to-end for the fastest 90% of DOD industrial TS clearances was about 107 days. Check with your FSO. He/she should be able to tell you the case closing date. Add about 30 days to that to get a better idea of when you will be granted a final TS. This is assuming you have already had your PRSI, there are no issues in your case, and no overseas investigative actions are required.

William Henderson on October 9, 2010 at 2:25am


	My application was received by OPM on 7 July 2010, my Interim Secret was granted July 16, and my Interim Top Secret was granted 23 August. In evaluating the table above for average times for a DoD contractor, I am not sure where "Initiation Time" starts, or "Investigation Time" starts. I would think that the process would be (for me) Initiation Time started 7 July, and Investigation Time started 14 days (I assume Work days M - F less national holidays) later on July 29 and ends 44 work days later on 30 Sept. If that is correct - and no problems have been reported thus far, then Adjudication Time of 20 Work days would mean I might expect my final TS clearance on 28 October. Could you clarify or tell me my process thinking is on track, all other things whatever being equal? Thanks, Bob

Robert L. Polk (Stone Mountain Georgia) on September 29, 2010 at 8:34am


	Del (PA): As a Naturalized Citizen, I assume you have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years, so there should not be any field investigative activity in Canada. The time it takes to complete your investigation should not be affected by your previous residence in Canada, but depending on the nature of your foreign connections the entire process could take a little longer than normal. See my article on "Foreign Influence and Security Clearances" posted on this website. http://www.clearancejobs.com/cleared-news/54/foreign-influence-and-security-clearances

William Henderson on September 23, 2010 at 12:51pm


	I am a naturalized citizen but also still Citizen. My wife is also a Naturalized Citizen from the Caribbean. Both parents are still living in Canada but in the process of being able to move here through me on a visa. When it comes to the investigation going out of the country how much longer will it take for them to come to a decision. I'm assuming because Canada is our neighbor it shouldn't be too bad. I'm sorry I meant I am still a Canadian citizen by birth. I no longer have a Canadian passport. I'm going through the initial process for a TS clearance.

Del (PA) on September 16, 2010 at 2:57pm


	Daniel (fredericksburg,va): Try searching for listings on job boards/career sites with the words "clearable".

Eric (ClearanceJobs.com) on September 10, 2010 at 4:32pm


	Daniel (fredericksburg,va): You have to apply for a job that requires a security clearance. If you are given an offer of employment and accepted it, your prospective employer will sponsor you for the clearance and you will be given instructions on how to how to apply for the clearance.

William Henderson on September 9, 2010 at 7:13pm


	john r (ny): An SF85P is a form, not a clearance. A few agencies use the SF85P for HSPD-12 credentialing, but most agencies use it for Public Trust (PT) positions. Depending on the agency and the risk level (Moderate-Risk or High-Risk) of the PT position, the required investigation can be a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI), Limited Background Investigation (LBI), or Background Investigation. In very rare cases a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) investigation can be used for a Moderate-Risk PT position for a contractor. HSPD-12 credentialing requires a minimum of an NACI. So, if you previously had an NACI or MBI for a Moderate-Risk PT position and the current position is a High-Risk position that requires an LBI or BI, you have to undergo a new investigation.

William Henderson on September 9, 2010 at 7:11pm


	I am a veteran with with a 4 yr degree in Business and Homeland Security and Emergency Management. How can I obtain a clearance? Is there a way to locate agency that will sponsor veterans who desire to work in Homeland Security? Please help if you can..

Daniel (fredericksburg,va) on September 6, 2010 at 7:50pm


	I was wondering why it takes so long for sf85p when I had one approved on Aug 8 with a different company? The company I am applying for now told me to fill out another sf85p, I thought since I was approved less then a month ago it would take less time ..can anybody tell me why? thank you (this is for working abroad) John

john r (ny) on September 4, 2010 at 10:04am


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Eric (ClearanceJobs.com) on August 2, 2010 at 1:26pm


	Ismail Charania (Lawrenceville Georgia): You don't obtain a clearance in advance of applying for a job; your prospective employment will guide you through the process once they offer you a position. Different jobs require different clearances--HSPD-12 PIV card, Public Trust position and/or national security clearance).

William Henderson on July 23, 2010 at 3:23pm


	I need Security Clearance. How can I obtain one as I am getting a lot of job offers but since I have ICE clearance. What security clearance I should have for DEA jobs? Please guide me.

Ismail Charania (Lawrenceville Georgia) on July 19, 2010 at 2:54am


	Syed Karim (USA): Average end-to-end processing time for the fastest 90% of PRs for all agencies was 124 days in 1st quarter FY10; 122 days for DoD; and 139 days for Intelligence Community agencies. If your last SSBI or PR is not more than 5 years old, your TS/SCI should be eligible for reinstatement after you submit a new SF86 or SF86C for review. For clearance reinstatement there are 2 time limits�not more than 2 years since your clearance terminated (9/09) and not more than 5 years since your last investigation, whichever occurs first.

William Henderson on July 17, 2010 at 7:19pm


	Mr Henderson, I had TS/SCI until Sept 2009. I retired from DOD federal Service in July 2009. I will need a Periodic Review of my TS/SCI, since most of the jobs require TS/SCI for which I qualify. How long does the PR take and what can the hiring authorities do in the mean time to bring me on board. My SF86 is complete. I will greatly appreciate your advice VR SAK

Syed Karim (USA) on July 15, 2010 at 12:09pm


	I have an application waiting through NSA longer than 180 days much much longer. I am hoping it will be any day. I have studied quiet a lot about Mcneil as you can see from my applications I have applied for a number of jobs. I am hoping I will get a chance to proof to the managemet of Mcneil that I can be an excellent employee and a great partner.

dor m niaz (vienna Virginia) on July 15, 2010 at 8:28am


	Anonymous337116 (Arnold Maryland): There has been more improvement in security clearance processing in the past 2 years than there was in the previous 20 years. There are additional process improvements that are being tested and are scheduled to be implemented over the next 6 to 18 months. The number of investigators has actually gone down over the past 18 months and will go down even more as the new processes are put in place. The cost of investigation remained the same from FY09 to FY10 and once the new investigative standards are implemented in FY12 there should be a significant cost reduction.

William Henderson on July 13, 2010 at 1:32am


	Andrew T. (California): I�m guessing that you are an applicant for DOD civilian position (not a contractor position) because you used the words, �DOD Security Personnel Specialist.� Based on that assumption, whether or not you are considered for an interim TS clearance depends agency policy and/or the requirements for the exact position you are applying for. A decision regarding an interim Secret clearance could have been made in a matter of 2 or 3 days after you submitted your SF86. If your prospective employing agency wanted an interim Top Secret clearance for you, they would have requested �advance notification of NAC results� from OPM. A NAC takes less than 30 days, so an interim Top Secret clearance decision could have been made shortly after the NAC results were received by your agency. So, if you have not already been granted an interim clearance, you probably will not receive one. Within DOD waivers for collateral security clearances are only granted for very specific reasons, such as felony conviction and serving more than a year in prison, dishonorable discharge, mental incompetence). I�m not sure why the DOD personnel security specialist would use the word, �waiver� in your case. Your pending short sale might add a couple of extra weeks to the investigative phase, but doubt that it (or being 30 days late on your mortage payment) will result in a clearance denial, if there are no other financial problems. The figures in the chart show the average for the fastest 90% of all initial clearances (Secret and Top Secret). The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act specified a goal of 60 days for the fastest 90%, so that�s why the 90% figures are reported. There are 4 to 5 times more Secret clearances than Top Secret clearances and most Top Secret clearance investigations take about twice as long as Secret clearance investigations, so the numbers don�t tell the whole story. For DOD military and civilian positions the average end-to-end processing time for the fastest 90% of Top Secret clearances was 106 days during the 1st quarter of FY10. The average for 100% of TS clearances is probably closer 5 to 6 months.

William Henderson on July 13, 2010 at 1:21am


	Mr. Henderson, Thank you for the great and informative article. At this time, I am being considered for a DoD Top Secret clearance position. The security phase started on 5/18/2010, and I know that throughout the month of June, a lot of my references, past contacts, former managers, etc. were contacted by various OPM SA Investigators. I too completed my PSI with the OPM Investigator in the middle of June. As of today, 7/8/2010, I am not certain that the investigative portion has been completed to then transfer my case file to the ADJUDICATION phase. I was told by the DoD Security Personnel Specialist that if a security waiver or interim clearance is recommended and granted, it may occur at the point when OPM is done with their process when the case file is transferred to the Ajudicator. Is this true based on your experience? And do you have a loose idea if I am on track and when my possible timing may be from your past experience and expertise? I have already gotten my amended offer of employment with salary details back in late May 2010, but everything is contingent obviously with the security background investigation. And one last thing, my wife and I are going through a short sale approval request process with our mortgage lender, Chase, and per their guidelines, we had to be at least 30 days past due on the mortgage payments to finally be considered; therefore, we are doing just that, and for the first time, dinging our credit and stellar credit repayment history. I have detailed all of this with the OPM Investigator during my PSI as well as when I completed the SF-86 via e-QIP system. Would you issue present some issues or delays with the Ajudicator? Thanks in advance! Andrew

Andrew T. (California) on July 8, 2010 at 2:27pm


	The security clearance process is in need of revamping. I am not saying to "wing it", there is a huge need to eliminate the duplication of processes and begin clearance sharing by all agencies. In these economic times, we need work smarter not hire more people. Taxpayer's money is being wasted !!

Anonymous337116 (Arnold Maryland) on July 7, 2010 at 5:01pm


	Bryan Cox (Temple Texas): You must enter into an employment relationship with a federal agency or cleared federal contractor for a position that requires a security clearance. The agency or contractor can then sponsor you for a clearance and begin the processing even before you are actually hired. In such cases the employment relationship is a written commitment for employment by the employer that has been accepted in writing by the candidate with a provision that employment shall commence within 30 days of the granting of a clearance. This is generally known as a conditional offer of employment (COE). The COE can specify either a final clearance or an interim clearance. Interim Secret clearance decisions generally take only 3 days and interim TS clearances decisions usually take less than 30 days from the date the application is received by the government. Interim clearances have very few access restrictions (i.e. NATO, COMSEC, and Restricted Data) and allow an employee in most cases to be fully functional while waiting for their final clearance.

William Henderson on July 2, 2010 at 3:17pm


	Deb Jones: Having had a clearance 10 years ago will not reduce the amount of time that it takes to get a new clearance.

William Henderson on July 1, 2010 at 5:34pm


	What the procedures to obtain or to update your clearance. Jobs are not afforded to me for the reason of an expired secret clearance. I need your help, I'M SURE THIS APPLIES TO MANY MORE LIKE ME WITH THE SAME CONCERNS Thanks VR Bryan

Bryan Cox (Temple Texas) on July 1, 2010 at 1:52pm


	294 day for CBP! Terrible.

Ernest Santucci (Las Cruces New Mexico) on July 1, 2010 at 9:56am


	Wow, how timely! I'm considering going back into government service. What a great improvement. Are these times the same for someone (like me!) who previously held a clearance that expired about 10 years ago vs. a first-time initiation of clearance?

Deb Jones (Colorado) on June 30, 2010 at 2:32pm


	Thank you for the great stats Mr. Henderson!

MrVirus (South East) on June 30, 2010 at 1:39pm


	Thanks Bill. CVS has recently been renamed the "Central Verification System." They have no intention of loading JPAS records into CVS. They feel that they have (sort of) complied with Title III of IRTPA by creating a "single search capability" through CVS's linkage to SII and JPAS. Of course it's not OPM's fault that the IC won't permit linkage to Scattered Castles.

William Henderson on June 29, 2010 at 5:56pm


	Bill H., Great article. I passed it to my business development team and my recruiter so they have an idea of clearance time frames. I've been telling them for 2 years that it's not MY fault. At least we can't say OPM plays favorites as OPM-initiated investigations take longer than the average to complete and much longer than DOD actions. Perhaps we need a Congressional amendment to establish a time frame for conversions (reciprocity) as the current situation continues to be poor. The OPM Clearance Verification System does not seem to be working with only a few hundred thousand out of millions of clearance eligibilities posted there (Sep 2009 Congressional Hearing). Keep up the good work.

Bill L. (Annapolis, MD) on June 29, 2010 at 11:20am