Is a Secret clearance good for 10 years?

How often is a security clearance renewed? An individual is normally subject to reinvestigation approximately every five years for a Secret or Top Secret clearance.
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How long is secret clearance inactive?

A security clearance becomes “inactive” once a person leaves the military or if their job responsibilities change and their need for clearance ends. Even after it has expired, a security clearance can be re-activated up to 24 months after its lapse date without having to go through the application process again.
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Is my secret clearance still good?

To determine the current status of your security clearance, please contact the agency's personnel security office that granted your clearance. If you are a contract employee, your company's facility security officer may also be able to assist you.
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What security clearance goes back 7 years?

The SF-86 form requests information back 7 years for employment and residence; however, to comply with the investigative standards, 10 years is required.
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How far back does secret clearance check?

Security Clearance Adjudicative Process

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.
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Top Reasons Applicants are Denied a Security Clearance



How do I keep my security clearance active?

A clearance can only be active if it's in use. That means if you're laid off, leave a position or are simply moved onto a contract that doesn't involve cleared work, you no longer have an active security clearance. But that doesn't mean you can't quickly return to cleared work.
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How do I renew my secret clearance?

Renewing your clearance: You may renew your clearance when you are within 30 days of expiration. To renew your Secret or Top Secret/SCI security clearance you are required to complete the online Electronics Questionnaires for Investigation Processing (eQip) applications.
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How can I lose my secret clearance?

5 Easy Ways to Lose Your Security Clearance
  1. Fail to self report foreign travel. ...
  2. Make multiple security violations. ...
  3. Make close and continuing relationships with foreign nationals – and don't report them. ...
  4. Start accruing debt – and fail to address it. ...
  5. Get a hidden side hustle.
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What are red flags for security clearance?

A criminal arrest, financial bankruptcy, unreported foreign travel, drug abuse, mishandling of classified information, serious mental health disease, etc., could result in removal from access, if the government knew.
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Can family members affect security clearance?

Hardly. Previous questions have included if a spouse being listed on the sex offender registry for a decade-old arrest or if a jail stint would affect the applicant's security clearance. Those issues would likely only be an issue of the applicant was involved in some way.
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What can ruin a security clearance?

top five reasons for security clearance denial
  • Financial considerations. Almost half of all denials are due to financial issues. ...
  • Personal conduct. ...
  • Foreign influence. ...
  • Drug use. ...
  • Criminal conduct.
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How many people in the US have Top Secret clearance?

The 1.3 million individuals with Top Secret clearances are supporting a wide variety of missions, from the CIA to the Department of Commerce. Just because you have a Top Secret clearance doesn't mean you have access to any information out there that's classified Top Secret.
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What are the 5 levels of security clearance?

Types of Security Clearances
  • Confidential Clearance. Confidential clearance gives the holder access to information that could damage national security if leaked. ...
  • Secret Clearance. ...
  • Top Secret Clearance / Sensitive Compartmented Information. ...
  • Department of Energy Authorizations.
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What are the 3 types of security clearance?

Types of Security Clearances

Positions in the federal government are classified in three ways: Non-sensitive positions. Public trust positions. National security positions.
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Is it OK to put security clearance on resume?

While it's perfectly acceptable to list your security clearance, polygraph, and issuing agency, you shouldn't list specific Special Access Programs you were a part of, your supervisors in those programs, specific software or tools that were a part of the classified position, or any sensitive or proprietary information.
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Can you tell friends you have a security clearance?

The fact that you have a security clearance is not classified, so there's no reason you can't tell someone you have a security clearance. In fact, the State Department and other government agencies advise applicants who have a clearance to include this information on their resumes.
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Should I put expired security clearance on resume?

Describe your clearances in your employment history

Additionally, it's a good idea to state that you underwent a background check or polygraph test. If you've had expired security clearances in the past, you can list those here as well.
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How often do people fail security clearance?

myth #1: Many security clearances are denied.

Less than 1% of security clearances investigations result in denial. Individuals may not be eligible for an interim clearance, and they may have significant issues that need to be mitigated.
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How much is a Top Secret clearance worth?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $169,000 and as low as $31,500, the majority of Top Secret Clearance salaries currently range between $74,000 (25th percentile) to $130,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $156,000 annually across the United States.
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Does Top Secret clearance do 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.
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What do investigators look at for Top Secret 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.
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Does anxiety affect security clearance?

Security clearances are not denied for seeking help. Pro-actively seeking counseling is a positive indicator and often mitigates security concerns. Less than 1% of security clearances are denied or revoked due to psychological concerns.
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What disqualifies you from secret clearance?

You were dishonorably discharged from the military. You are currently involved in illegal drug use. You have been judged as mentally incompetent or mentally incapacitated by a mental health professional. You have had a clearance revoked for security reasons.
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What can jeopardize a security clearance?

Criminal sexual behavior, pornography and repeated, high-risk sexual behavior are all examples that suggest lack of self-control and trustworthiness to retain security clearance.
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