How do you fail a security clearance?

What will disqualify me from a secret clearance?

Financial Issues. 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.

What can jeopardize a security clearance?

What is checked for security clearance?

Credit and criminal history checks will be conducted on all applicants. For a Top Secret security clearance, the background investigation includes additional record checks which can verify citizenship for the applicant and family members, verification of birth, education, employment history, and military history.

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.

Top Reasons Applicants are Denied a Security Clearance

Who Cannot get a security clearance?

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%.

How hard is it to get a 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.

What happens if you fail security clearance?

If you feel you have been unjustly denied security clearance, for any reason, you can appeal for a reversal of the decision. The federal government can take up to six months to approve your application for security clearance.

What are the 5 levels of security clearance?

What questions are on a security clearance?

Questions about experience and background

Can you tell me about your law enforcement experience? Have you ever held a security clearance before? Have you ever had access to classified or top-secret information before? What do you consider your most important technical skills?

Do people fail security clearance?

The security clearance application has to be filled out completely. This is a more common reason to fail a security clearance than you may think. You also need to include any documents they ask for, such as birth certificate, utility bills, or anything else that proves your identity.

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.

Can you lose your clearance if you fail a polygraph?

The reality is while the government can't deny a security clearance based solely on a failed polygraph, it can absolutely deny a clearance based on negative information disclosed during a polygraph – that's the entire point.

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.

How do you pass a polygraph if you are nervous?

Tice says it's also easy to beat a polygraph while telling a real lie by daydreaming to calm the nerves. "Think of a warm summer night... or drinking a beer, whatever calms you. You're throwing them off," he says.

How far back do Top Secret clearances go?

The clearance process for Secret level access uses an investigation called the National Agency Check with Law and Credit that goes back five years, while the clearance process for Top Secret uses a Single Scope Background Investigation that goes back ten years.

What questions are asked during polygraph?

How long is security clearance interview?

The security clearance interview itself tends to last approximately one to two hours, although the duration varies depending on the difficulty of the case. Usually, just one investigator is assigned for the personal interview, but in some cases there can be two investigators.

What is the lowest security clearance?

The Department of State official site lists three federal clearances from lowest to highest. They are, respectively, Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret.

How do I prepare for a security clearance interview?

A government–issued photo ID. A personal address book or a list of your contacts. Any relevant documents that may resolve any pending security issues. This could include your passports, financial documents, court records, and birth certificate—or anything else relevant to your case.

What is a favorable clearance level?

A favorable clearance decision establishes eligibility of the applicant to be granted a security clearance for access at the level governed by the documented need for such access, and the type of investigation specified for that level in 32 CFR part 154.

What are the 3 types of security clearance?

There are three levels of security clearance: confidential, secret, and top secret.

What's the highest clearance?

What is the highest security clearance you can get? The federal government provides three levels of clearance: confidential, secret, and top secret. Top secret clearance is the highest security clearance level anyone can get. A candidate's responsibilities determine the level of clearance granted.

What is a Tier 4 background investigation?

This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a secret clearance. Tier 4 (Formally BI or Level 6) – public trust position. Tier 5 (Former SSBI or Level 3) – critical sensitive national security position. This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a top-secret clearance.