Can my employer see my SF-86?

You should rest assured that the information you provide on your SF-86 is meant to remain private.

Who can see my SF-86?

So, the answer to “Who can view my SF-86?” is: only those performing investigations and their support staff. Perhaps law enforcement and courts may view pertinent information during legal proceedings.

Is SF-86 for Secret or top secret?

The Standard Form 86, or SF-86, is the questionnaire used to obtain a Secret or Top Secret security clearance. And it's a whopping 127 pages. (We'll let that sink in.) It's packed full of questions that require a very high level of transparency and honesty.

Will my supervisor be contacted for Secret security clearance?

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officially cautions security clearance applicants that their current employer will be contacted in the course of the security clearance investigation. In practice, this may not happen at the Secret level.

What happens if you lie on SF-86?

If you completed your last SF-86 less than five years ago, you are still within the statute of limitations for a federal false statements prosecution. Such cases are rare, but they do happen – especially when the lie was particularly egregious and would have resulted in a clearance not being granted.

3 Common Problems with a Security Clearance Application or SF86

Do people go to jail for lying on SF-86?

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.

Will I lose my security clearance if I fail a drug test?

The results of a positive drug test are devastating. A drug test as a result of a safety violation or random employee selection will provide enough information to revoke a security clearance.

Does security clearance contact previous employers?

Listing previous employment on your SF-86 is required and the background investigator may or may not contact your previous employers, depending on the level of security clearance you obtain.

What disqualifies you from top secret clearance?

Top secret clearance holders must have no significant financial concerns. If the background check reveals a considerable amount of debt, missed payments, tax evasion, collection judgments, check fraud, foreclosures, embezzlement or bankruptcies, your application might be rejected.

How do I check my security clearance status?

What causes a red flag on a background check?

Common background report red flags include application discrepancies, derogatory marks and criminal records.

How far back does SF-86 go?

If not back 10 years, it will slow down the processing time of your background investigation. The SF-86 form requests information back 7 years for employment and residence; however, to comply with the investigative standards, 10 years is required.

How long does it take to review SF-86?

Your SF-86 Questionnaire is supposed to proceed through the system as shown below. Ninety percent of all cases are supposed to be completed in approximately 60 days. (40 days allotted for the Investigation Phase and 20 days for the Adjudication Phase.)

Do agencies share SF-86?

Agencies usually don't share information with one another directly though.

What is considered close and continuing contact?

If personnel have sexual or otherwise intimate contact on more than one occasion with the same foreign national, regardless of circumstances or likelihood for follow-up contact, the relationship must be reported as close and continuing contact, even if there is no expectation of future contact.

How long is e-QIP good for?

e-QIP replaces the Electronic Personnel Security Questionnaire (EPSQ). When completing the questionnaire, for CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET Clearances, it's necessary to provide information for the previous five years. For TOP SECRET Clearances, one must provide information for the previous ten years.

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.

How much debt is too much for a security clearance?

No branch of the military has a set amount of debt that is the breaking point for security clearance. You could owe $5,000 or $50,000 and be granted or denied clearance. It's all a matter of how you deal with the debt. Responsible behavior in tackling your debt problems is considered a positive.

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.

Can employers find out where you previously worked?

EMPLOYERS CAN VERIFY YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: At the very least, this means that they'll find out where you worked and for how long, and what your job title was at your former employer.

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.

Do omitted jobs show up on background check?

If anything happened that during your time with the company you have not listed was criminal then it will show up on the background check, otherwise, there's no reason for jobs to show up.

Should you lie about drug use for security clearance?

Don't Do It! Many security clearance applicants become tempted to hide former drug use, such as the fact that they smoked marijuana or abused prescription pills, perhaps back in college.

Can you take CBD with a security clearance?

Second, the use of CBD products risks tripping up a holder of or an applicant for a security clearance. Although Congress legalized hemp and its derivatives such as CBD in 2018, use of products containing these substances could result in a positive drug test.

Does SF86 ask about drug use?

Although Section 23 of the SF86 asks about drug use within the past 7 years; Section 22 asks “Have you EVER been charged with an offense involving alcohol or drugs?” If you were not charged and you had no subsequent involvement with drugs, you would not have to list simple possession of use of drugs that occurred more ...