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waht
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When obtaining a security clearance to work for a government, what type of things do they usually check?
turbo-1 said:Everything! You should expect unexpected visits to friends and family and former and current employers. You should also expect that they will examine the histories of people close to you. I had an older friend (now deceased) that was in danger of having his clearance revoked because a daughter moved to Canada in the 1960s with a boyfriend who was suspected of having moved there because he opposed the Viet-Nam war.
If your security clearance is high enough, they will also screen your whole neighborhood. Not kidding.waht said:wow, didn't realize they would check your family/friends like that
This is SO not true that it can't qualify as wrong. Before you can get a security clearance, you have to pass a lot of hurdles that are a lot higher than represented here.wildman said:Actually, they are mainly interested in whether you actually exist or not, in other words you are who you say you are. Governments plant people who pretend that they are native Americans. That is why they interview so many people and so far back. They actually don't care at all about your politics as long as you are not a member or supporter of a group that wants to violently overthrow the US government.
turbo-1 said:If your security clearance is high enough, they will also screen your whole neighborhood. Not kidding.
Tis true. My brother now works for ICE and they interviewed his kindergarten teacher in that process. They didn't interview me though... probably a good thing :)
I live near the CIA. I have feds knock on the door like once a year for people I don't know.
Yeah, from what I hear they just want to see if you have anything that can be used as blackmail. They don't really care that you smoked pot in high school.
waht said:Do they actually ask if you know some person and give you their name or photo?
FredGarvin said:- Group membership history
turbo-1 said:Everything! You should expect unexpected visits to friends and family and former and current employers.
FredGarvin said:For my clearances they have always checked the same things (off the top of my head):
- Family background (names, age, nationalities, locations of birth, time known...)
- Places lived
- Employment history
- Educational history
- Criminal history
- Travel history
- Group membership history
The tough part is trying to remember all of the details if you have moved around a fair amount. It gets tough and you can not leave anything out or it gets kicked back. I have had follow up interviews because of my applications.
Inquiring minds want to know...minger said:I actually had a pending arrest charge (was completely dismissed btw! just to clear that up), which wasn't a big deal at all.
minger said:I can tell you for a fact that it did not involve alcohol and an over-zealous campus policeman.
lisab said:Redundant, maybe...?
A security clearance is a determination made by the government that an individual is eligible for access to classified information. This access is necessary for individuals to perform their duties in certain government positions or contracts.
To obtain a security clearance, an individual must first be sponsored by a government agency or contractor. They must then complete a background investigation and pass a security clearance review by the appropriate government agency.
The government will review an individual's personal and professional history, including their education, employment, and references. They will also investigate their financial history, criminal record, and any potential foreign influence or affiliations.
The length of a security clearance can vary, but the standard is 10 years for top secret clearances and 5 years for secret clearances. However, the government can revoke a clearance at any time if an individual no longer meets the requirements or if new information comes to light that could compromise their eligibility.
Yes, a security clearance can be transferred between government agencies as long as the new agency has a need for the clearance level and the individual's eligibility has not changed.