What does a clearance adjudicator do?

The individuals responsible for granting or denying your application for a security clearance are called adjudicators. Adjudicators are specialized personnel security professionals who will review the results of your electronic record checks and Report of Investigation (ROI.)

What happens during clearance adjudication?

Adjudication. Adjudication is the decision the sponsoring federal agency makes about whether to grant a security clearance to the applicant or not. The sponsoring agency will base this decision on the information verified by the background investigator during the investigation stage.

How long does it take for an adjudicator to make a decision on a security clearance?

Average adjudication timelines for Department of Defense/Industry applicants in the fourth quarter of 2021 were 31 days for a Top Secret clearance and 14 days for a Secret clearance.

What disqualifies you from getting a clearance?

These conditions may disqualify you from access to classified information: Drug abuse. Illegal drug possession. Diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence by a medical professional.

How do I know if my clearance is approved?

Clearance Adjudication Timelines Highly Variable

What are the 5 levels of security clearance?

How difficult is security clearance?

The National Security Agency denied the most applicants–9.2 percent. The National Reconnaissance Office and the Central Intelligence Agency had the next greatest number of denials, at 7.4 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. These numbers might seem relatively low, but there's a reason for that.

Do security clearances check Internet history?

Although security clearance background checks can be intensely thorough, the government can't view your emails, Internet browsing history, hard drive data, and other virtual assets without a subpoena or warrant.

What can ruin a security clearance?

In fact, one common area that can be troublesome on a background check is financial behavior that indicates the applicant is frequently over-extended on credit, personal debt, etc. Having too much debt and not enough income creates a potential circumstance where a security clearance application can be disqualified.

What percentage of people get denied security clearance?

But don't lose heart – 20-30% of all interim security clearances are denied, but that is vastly different than the figure of final clearance denials, which hovers around 1%.

What is an adjudicator in security clearance?

The individuals responsible for granting or denying your application for a security clearance are called adjudicators. Adjudicators are specialized personnel security professionals who will review the results of your electronic record checks and Report of Investigation (ROI.)

What is adjudication for security clearance?

Security Clearance Eligibility: A determination that a person is able and willing to safeguard classified national security information and/or occupy a national security sensitive position.

Who adjudicates a security clearance?

DCSA handles about 90% of all security clearance investigations and 95% of all PSIs for the federal government.

How long does clearance adjudication take?

The government-wide goal for processing initial secret clearances is 74 days to reach a decision. Meanwhile, the fastest 90% of initial top-secret clearances took 176 days on-average to process end-to-end in the fourth quarter of FY 21, 35 days slower on-average than the first quarter.

How long does a security clearance investigation take?

In general, expect a CONFIDENTIAL or SECRET clearance to take between 1 and 3 months. A TOP SECRET will probably take between 4 and 8 months. However, some individuals have been waiting for the results of their TOP SECRET investigation for more than one year.

What is the highest level of security clearance?

There are three levels of security clearance, with the highest level being Top Secret. Secret is the next level of clearance and Confidential is the final. 6.

Does my credit score affect my security clearance?

Credit scores are not specifically mentioned in the Code of Regulations as being examined by the Diplomatic Security Service. So when it comes to obtaining your security clearance, there isn't a clear “cut off” point or range for acceptable credit scores.

Can you have debt and get a security clearance?

While it is generally conceded that excessive debt is a cause for denying security clearances, no branch of the military has a set amount of debt that will result in being denied.

What happens if you lie on security clearance?

Penalties for Inaccurate or False Statements

The U.S. Criminal Code (title 18, section 1001) provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony which may result in fines and/or up to five (5)years imprisonment.

Do security clearances look at text messages?

INTERNET HISTORY, EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES AND iCLOUD

Security clearance background investigators do not check your browsing history, read your emails, surveil your every move, bug your telephones, or photograph you commuting to work. That's just not feasible, or allowable.

Do they call references for secret clearance?

References are less likely to be contacted for a Secret security clearance, but if there are issues, references may be contacted to verify issues. Likewise, if you're less likely to need a personnel subject interview for a Secret clearance determination – unless there are issues an investigator needs to clarify.

Does security clearance check bank accounts?

They run a credit check and run your name and SSN through NICS. If there are problems you'll be asked to provide more information. You don't have to provide the information (such as bank statements) but the clearance process will stop if you don't provide it.

Does secret clearance require polygraph?

Polygraph tests accompany some Top Secret or TS/SCI clearances; however, they are not required to obtain either type of clearance and are not part of the clearance background investigation.

Who has top secret security clearance?

A Top Secret clearance may be granted to those persons who have a "need-to-know" national security information, classified up to the Top Secret level, and who need unescorted access to FBI facilities, when necessary.

How can I speed up my security clearance?