How Do I Obtain Security Clearance?

The federal government grants security clearances to individuals who work for its agencies or contractors. A clearance enables an individual to access classified information, and a number of positions in government require a security clearance. Military, investigation, intelligence, and analyst jobs commonly require a clearance.

Job seekers cannot obtain a security clearance on their own. The background investigations required for a clearance are conducted by the federal government, and only current and prospective employees of the government or its contractors are eligible to receive clearances. Security clearance jobs are often highly competitive, and the process of obtaining a clearance is expensive and time-consuming for the government.

There are three general levels of security clearances, each with a different level of difficulty to obtain: confidential, secret, and top secret. A confidential clearance is the easiest to obtain; top secret is the hardest. The first step in obtaining a clearance is to gain sponsorship by an appropriate government entity or contracting firm. Sponsorship is granted for current employees or prospective employees who have accepted a conditional offer of employment.

Sponsored individuals then complete an extensive application that includes significant background, residency, employment, family, education, medical, and international travel information. The initial application process includes verification of citizenship and fingerprinting. The application allows the government to use any and all information, even sealed records, as part of the background search.

For security clearance jobs, the Defense Security Service, or DSS, conducts the actual background investigation. The depth of the investigation depends on the level of clearance required. For confidential and secret clearances, criminal, financial, and all government records are reviewed. Top secret clearances require in-person interviews with the individual, friends, co-workers, family, and neighbors. In addition, a polygraphed interview and psychological evaluation is conducted.

The last step in the process is for a review of all collected information by the Department of Defense and a approval or denial of security clearance. While the clearance process is a complex one that takes into consideration character, honesty, fiscal responsibility, and substance use. These are some key reasons that a clearance may be denied:
* Addictive use or abuse of drugs or alcohol that may lead to impaired judgment
* Mental instability as determined by a psychologist
* Criminal record, especially convictions that involve a prison sentence
* Too many significant associations with foreign nationals
Candidates for intelligence or analyst jobs, which require top secret clearance, can expect the process to take months.