Security Clearance

[Sean82]

I recently graduted from college and will be starting a job working for the DOE. This work requires a security clearance that typically takes 3-12 months to complete. While I was there getting a tour with the manager of the facilities and speaking with co-workers. I came across a person who has been there for 9 months and has not got his clearance yet. I looked at his desk and it had piles of crossword puzzles, playing cards, and other things just to keep himself busy. When I seen that, it kind of scaried me. I hate being bored out of my mind and having to resort to crossword puzzles to keep it company. I just wanted to see if any others have been in this situation and if it is really going to be that bad?

 

[IRstuff]

I guess my experience has been different. I've moved companies 4 times in the last 8 yrs and have had no lapse in security clearance.

In general, if there's no lapse in employment, the clearance is simply transferred given the appropriate paperwork

TTFN

 

[mshimko]

I agree with IR. I'm an engineering manager who for two hires the past two years took great pains to get clearances asap. As long as the paperwork is properly done by the previous company's security officer, and both security officer's talk and cooperate, the clearances seem to get re-issued within a couple of days.

The "transfer", however, IS NOT between the tco companies. Instead, both submit paperwork to the certifying agency, who will quickly re-issue the clearance.

 

[Haf]

mshimko is right. The security clearance is not transferred but re-issued. It may or may not lapse depending on the timeliness of submitted the paperwork and the response of the certifying agency. In cases I've seen, the clearance usually lapses for 2-4 weeks.

This is in contrast to the reinvestigation, where your clearance will not lapse. I've heard of cases where an employee's "five year" reinvestigation actually happens after 7-9 years. These cases where in the past though, and with the present environment that stresses security more, the reinvestigations are more timely from what I understand.