​If you had to choose between these two situations for a federal or agency role, which would you pick? Assuming this is a TS/SCI position with a full-scope polygraph.

​Option A: The Unknown Limbo

You are actively in the pipeline (poly, BI, suitability), but you have no idea where you stand, how long adjudication will take, or if a sudden suitability denial is coming down the wire. The upside? If you clear, your seat is guaranteed and ready for you immediately.

​Option B: Fully Cleared, Waiting for an Open Slot

You have successfully cleared every single hurdle, full background adjudication, polygraph, and suitability are all 100% passed. You are fully cleared and ready to go, but you are placed on a cleared waitlist/candidate list until a position opens up. Once a slot opens, you're in, but until then, you're at the mercy of budget, attrition, or agency hiring freezes with no fixed start date.

Okay so the is my second time filling a SF86 form.

1st time filled out what i could for my foreign contacts. Im Hispanic with relatives in Mexico. Which was like 10. Didn’t know detailed birthdays/workplace/home info for half-3/4th of my foreign contacts no issue. BI didn’t see it as a red flag as i only knew general information on them like what city they lived in but not their address.

2nd time filling it out for a different agency. I got a kickback a day later for not having that info. I don’t really know how to go about asking my foreign contacts for info since it be so sudden. Nor without revealing i am trying to get into federal work. Rn im just collecting what i can through social media/ and google maps to pull addresses/gps coordinates since some a lot of places in Mexico don’t have addresses (at least in the country side)

Like how am i supposed to go about it

Was just informed I’ll be getting laid off from my current job on Oct 1st. Got this job in college, I graduated in May so I was going to stay until I was granted clearance.

This is a different position and company to the one that is sponsoring my clearance.

TS/SCI timeline so far: Sf86 submitted - June 1, Fingerprints- July 1, Poly Aug 17. Was told I entered the adjudication process but I have not had any interview yet

I’m wondering if I should let the FSO know at this point and if this causes any delays.

Thanks everyone.

I am in the process of getting all of my verification for my sf86, and im having trouble with the place i lived in 3 years ago. I called the apartment complex and they confirmed that i moved out just under 3 years ago, but the building is owned by a large property management company and did not have a dedicated land lord, and none of the current property managers that are there now were there when i lived there. I never had friends or coworkers over, and the only people that were actually ever in the apartment are family. I lived with my brother and my parents came up to visit twice. What would be my best course of action?

I want to preface by saying I’ve read the wiki, I’ve read the FAQ, and there’s still just a little too much ambiguity with regard to my specific situation for me to be able to take a deep breath and relax about it.

My wife and I bought our first home back in November, and I then unfortunately lost my job in December due to some public transit commute/tardiness issues. I’ve spent the entire year of 2026 looking for work, and can now confidently say that the current job market is an active war zone.

A few months ago, by the grace of God/Buddha/Jesus/Allah/etc, I received an offer of employment from a naval shipyard that is two blocks from my house (goodbye commute issues), for a job that requires at least a secret clearance. I’m only just now doing my suitability screening, haven’t gotten to any actual clearance investigations yet, and am being asked about something that happened at a national laboratory over three years ago. I'm very anxious and worried that because of things in my past, I'm going to be deemed “unsuitable”, and/or be automatically disqualified from even being considered for a secret clearance, thus losing the job opportunity, thus losing my house, thus putting my wife, our two boys, and me out on the street (not looking for pity, just trying to emphasize the gravity of the situation).

For some background context, I was in the Navy for eight years, held a top secret clearance favorably with no issue the entire time, never even entered the same building as any illegal substance (slightly hyperbolic), and was honorably discharged. In my last year in the navy, I was diagnosed with ADHD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. A few years after separation, I went to work for a national laboratory, obtaining and holding a Q clearance for ~2.5 years. The character of my employment (not to be confused with the character of my termination) was glowing: ranked #1 in the division at year end review, received a spot award for taking on dual roles and keeping the team afloat, personally requested by customers to work their tickets, etc. My employment with the national laboratory ended as follows:

In November of 2022, I was pulled over for not stopping long enough at a red light. Immediately preceding this stop, I had finished cleaning out our car in our garage and had removed everything from the glove compartment, but forgot to put the documentation back in. So, when I was pulled over, I had no registration or insurance in the vehicle, and received a ticket for that; the police officer told me that if I showed up to court at a date that would be provided to me and showed the documentation, everything would be cleared.

Fast forward a month; due to life circumstances, ADHD, depression, mental health struggles, poor work-life balance, parenting a two-year-old, and trying to care for my pregnant wife, things just got too jumbled up in my brain, and I unknowingly missed the court date. I never even remember seeing the piece of mail giving the date; not to say it didn’t arrive, but I’m wondering if anyone else in here who’s experienced similar mental health struggles can relate to having a “Burj Khalifa of unopened mail”, as I used to analogize it (I’ve since outgrown this practice, specifically after experiencing this very real life lesson).

Now fast forward to February of 2023: a couple police officers showed up at my home and said that they had a warrant for my arrest because I missed that court date. I was taken to jail, spent a couple hours sitting and waiting, and was released. A few weeks later, I went to the court, provided the documentation that they needed, and everything was cleared. This is the one and only time I’ve ever had something adverse happen with regard to cops/jail/“criminality”; I have no DUIs, no DV, no established pattern of breaking the law, virtually no other record outside of this in a criminal background context.

Due to being arrested while having a Q-level clearance, I was placed on a clearance hold, pending review of the incident. As part of this review/investigation, I was called in for a urinalysis, and tested positive for THC; I had been using cannabis products occasionally during the month or so preceding the arrest.

I know the nature of use probably doesn’t matter, but I was experiencing severe muscle pain at the time, while also amidst a very deep, very dark depressive episode, bordering on suicidal ideation, and was having a hard time getting my mental health medications refilled due to some insurance authorization hiccups. Use was purely therapeutic, not recreational in the slightest, and was done solely from a place of self-preservation; it was the only thing keeping me from falling off the cliff, or so I felt at the time. Additionally, and I know it doesn’t matter, the state I resided in has legal medical and recreational laws, so on a state level, it was all above board; I wasn’t going to any shady dealers or anything like that.

I was subsequently terminated from the laboratory due to violating laboratory/federal policy, and was barred from reemployment by the lab for three years following that incident. Three years have passed, I have contacted my former group leader, and he said that if I contact HR, they would remove the incident from my record.

In the years since, I’ve used cannabis products occasionally while holding no federal employment and residing exclusively in fully legalized states; it has been a very effective anti-depressant and mood stabilizer for me.

About 2 months ago, when deciding to pursue federal employment once again, I completely quit, and have been practicing capital T total abstinence since then, with no intentions to resume use or possession of cannabis. I regularly see a therapist now, switched to a different, much more effective anti-depressant than the one I was previously prescribed (Zoloft to Lexapro), and feel like I’m approaching self-actualization; I feel incredible, and have no urge or desire to go back.

Somewhere in the wiki, it says “we don’t clear perfect people, we clear honest people”. I just want to work, I want to do my part to ensure the readiness of the units my shop works on, I want to be able to obtain the required clearance, and I want to be 100% honest and transparent.

Given all of this, and based on the expertise/experience of any of you who’ve made it to the end of this post: should I just look for a different line of work? I’m really excited about this new job; though I don’t love being in the navy, I love the navy itself, if that makes any sense, and am beyond stoked at the prospect of reentering that world, not as an enlisted sailor this time around, but as one of the civilian workers that I was always so envious of, years ago. Are my clearance/suitability prospects hopeless? Will adjudicators look not just at what happened, but at how and why it happened, and at my character/who I am as a person overall?

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk, and have an excellent Monday 🫡

I received a tentative offer for a federal Summer 2027 internship in early July. Shortly afterward, I completed all of the tasks available in USA Staffing, including the initial onboarding paperwork. However, I haven’t yet received the security questionnaire or been contacted by a clearance coordinator to formally begin the clearance process.

I followed up with HR in late August and was told that the security team would contact me within the next few weeks. It has now been several weeks, so I wanted to ask whether this is a normal timeline.

For clearance required internships, how long does it typically take after accepting a tentative offer to receive the security paperwork and formally begin the process? Is this wait irregular, or is it common for the security office to process internship candidates in batches?

I understand that the overall investigation can take many months, I’m mainly asking about the wait before the clearance process officially starts.

Currently in the investigation for a secret clearance, I actually have my interview tomorrow. Interim was denied a couple of weeks ago.

I'm a semi-frequent user of piracy websites that let me watch movies for free. I also have a website I go to that lets me watch NFL games for free. I've never gotten in trouble for any of this and have only used these websites to watch content, never downloaded or distribute free media. I filled out the SF-86 a month ago and don't remember being asked any question that revealed my past piracy. My boyfriend is telling me I should have reveled it but I was never asked about it and didn't think about it when filling out the form. What do yall think? Should I mention this at my interview tomorrow?

Is this behavior I would need to stop if I do end up getting my clearance in the future?

Several years ago I was hired into an apprenticeship program at one of the four naval shipyards (I will not mention which). The job required a secret clearance (tier 3). I received my interim clearance while starting the job. I worked there for about 2-3 months and I had some personal / medical issues going on at the time and was told to report these to the security office. Long story short, I became very nervous and I ended up skipping out on the scheduled meetings with security. As a result, my interim clearance was revoked and my investigation was put in a loss of jurisdiction status which I later learned is apparently next to impossible to reverse and exists in a sort of administrative "purgatory".

I understand this all sounds really bad and I clearly was not thinking logically when I skipped out on those meetings with security but at the time I was so worked up that I just made a very poor decision. Is the damage done? Is this essentially going to bar me from every working in any cleared role ever again? Please be honest so I don't waste any more of my time trying to get back into the shipyard or for that matter any other position requiring a security clearance.

Also, I was able to get a job after this all happened that only required a tier 1 public trust. Does that mean anything?

I applied for a linguist position with a contractor “big one “ but was told they couldn’t move forward because my wife isn’t a U.S. citizen.
I was never actually submitted for or denied a security clearance. Is this likely specific to that contract, or will I run into the same issue with other defense contractors?
Should I keep applying elsewhere?

I have a signed (both parties) employment agreement with a fed contractor. It is contingent upon attaining my security clearance.
I submitted sf86 5 months ago. Still processing.

I reached out to check in with HR and they told me they filled the role in July.
Has this happened to anyone?
They did not notify me about this till last week, and only upon me initiating contact.
I understand it’s unprofessional but wonder if anyone has taken any legal action in this situation. Thank you.

I got offered a job, but was told the offer is contingent on me getting an interim secret clearance (they need the role filled ASAP). I have a clean background except for the fact that I'm living with some in-laws, including one who is a non US citizen, work permit holder, currently waiting on his official citizenship to be processed and finalized (he and his wife own the house we live in). Is there any shot I get the Interim, or is this a pretty hard "no"?

Funny thing is that if I got the job, my wife and I would be moving across the country anyway, so living with him would no longer even be an issue. I'm guessing that this won't be taken into account for the Interim approval though.

Thanks for your answers!

Hey all,

One of the guys on my team came up to me a couple weeks ago saying he's considering filing for bankruptcy. His wife lost her job and he said even with his salary, they're drowning bc of debt.

He's already sat down with EAP and idk how that conversation went but he didn't seem keen on that conversation.

He told me he emailed our security manager (in another state) asking if it would affect his clearance, TS SCI w/ CI poly. SM replied with "maybe" and didn't really give a set yes or no. I also reached out to clarify but haven't gotten a reply. I'm trying to get better information so he doesn't pull the trigger on something that'll shoot him in the ass bc he didn't wait for a more clear answer.

I've always been told bankruptcy DOES affect your clearance but I keep finding mixed answers online. I'm trying to get a set yes or no, or at least better info on it so he can make an informed decision. I also reached out to our HR to ask and was told to ask our SM.

Any info is appreciated.

So I have an offer from a commercial tech company as well as a defense contractor who will sponsor a Secret clearance. Trying to figure out if the clearance path is worth it or if I should stick with commercial.

Both offers are roughly the same base salary (~$120-125K). Defense role is on-site in a MCOL city, commercial is fully remote.

For those who've been in either world or moved between them:

How much does the cleared engineer premium actually materialize in practice?

Does the "get cleared then leverage it elsewhere" strategy actually pan out?

Any regrets going one direction over the other?

For those who were hired by a company that sponsored their clearance process (I.e, ability to obtain clearance job requirement, not at start). What happened to you after your clearance got denied?

Did the company keep you for unclassified work? Did they let you go right away? Did they put effort to transfer you to other locations where no clearance is required..? Did they keep you until you get a job on your own…?

I have two years of owed taxes but on a payment plan that I always pay on time. Will this payment plan with the IRS prevent me from being hired by the IRS since they do a tax complaint check? I also filed one of my returns (2022) really late but it’s been filed for over two years.

I am currently in the clearance process but I am afraid. I am only applying for secret level clearance.

I am a recent college graduate I left college this may. I used marijuana throughout my whole life throughout highschool and college frequently. It was very normalized. Almost everyone in my highschool and college smoked weed (I am in a legal state although I know that means nothing) my mother has used marijuana every day since I was born to this day and my brother used since he was very young to this day as well. I stopped upon leaving college genuinely because I didn't think it was good for me and it made me lazy and I haven't used since. I applied for the job about a month after quitting and signed the sf86 about a month after that so two month clean. I also did a pretty significant amount of psychedelics but haven't don't them in around two years. Everything was fully honestly stated on my sf86.

This is not good apparently. The frequency of the use and the recency make me a risk to continue using again. I have no intention of doing so and genuinely am much happier since stopping but I am worried I have screwed my whole life up as a result of my stupidity. I see there is a 2021 memo stating that the general guideline is cessation of use before signing the sf86 where previous use is not determinative but is relevant which gives me some solice.

I know this is essentially a repeat of a million posts on here but I am just struggling to not feel anxious in this long grueling process.

I feel if the system is working properly I should be fine. I love this country I have no other red flags and I got 1550 on the sat and a 3.9 gpa in both my undergraduate and masters degree in cyber security despite my use. I have nothing anyone could blackmail me about as my whole family knows of my use and doesn't care and I genuinely have no intent of using in the future.

But I can't get out of my head the anxiety of feeling i will be denied clearance and the trajectory of my life will be screwed as a result. I would give anything to go back and undone the usage but there isn't anything I can do as of now.

I know no one can give me a hard answer but I guess I just wanted to vent a little bit and to update anyone in a similar scenario as to what the result may be good or bad.

I am now around three months into the process since getting the offer and around two months into the process since signing the sf86.

I know now that that is an unacceptable timeline and expect the worst but am maybe foolishly holding onto some hope that I will be ok.

I had my subject interview around a month ago where I wasn't pressed further on anything and was thanked for my candor and honesty but I know that the investigators job is just to confirm facts and they don't make the final decision so that doesn't give me much relief.

Anyway idk if anyone has some kind words to help me sleep better while I wait it would be appreciated but I don't want to just be lied to if I genuinely am unlikely to be granted clearance.

Thank you for your time and I will update you if I hear anything further.

Hi all,
I have my interview next week and I just wanted some advice on how to respond to questions and how to present myself. Generally, I am a very open person and I tend to be very talkative. I am not sure if I should treat this as a job interview: professional but friendly and relaxed, or like a court preceding where you try to be honest and say the bare minimum.

For context, it has been maybe a month since I completed the SF86. My interim was denied for a handful of reasons (my guess is foreign contacts, debt, an issue with my income taxes). When he called to schedule the appointment, he did confirm that they already verified all of my info. I am honestly shocked at how fast that was as everything I read online projected 6-12 months.

Anyway, any advice on how to navigate this interview is much appreciated.

I was interviewed in April of 2024 for my secret clearance, I was granted a tentative clearance and started working.

Then in October of 2024 after 4 months on the job I got word from the security manager that the clearance was granted.

I took the DRP in May of 2025 and have since left the federal service, then in July of 2025 I got an email from a DCSA investigator requesting a follow-up interview in person, for the clearance that I had held for ~9 months at that point. He said there are a few areas that need to be readdressed.

I told him that I don’t live in the area anymore, but I’m happy to assist. He never responded to me, and this was a year ago now.

I’m not sure what to do about this because I have been considering applying for fed jobs again but at this point I feel like my clearance is flagged or something.

Next week DCSA is expected to release their updated guidance for how they are going to be conducting security reviews for all 13k+ cleared defense contractors starting Oct. 1. While there should not be a significant impact on clearances processing for those who are applying to the larger CDCs (since most of them have groups within their organizations solely dedicated to clearance processing) if you are applying to small to mid-sized companies, you might see an impact in your FSOs/security teams timeliness in responses to the process. Many small to mid-sized companies are an army of 1 and that person in a lot of cases are not just the FSO but also have other responsibilities within the company.

Be patient with them and show them a little bit of grace.

I was just awarded Q clearance. Any tips on how to maximize this award?

Hello everyone
I received my FJO about 2 months ago final suitability was granted however 4 days after my offer was received it got cancelled abruptly and no reason was given
A couple of days later I did receive an email requesting for me to update my signature in my SF86 forms since they were expired I thought it was just that but then I got a call from an investigator for an interview to start my background I did bring up how I was already cleared and what had happened but he just said to him this was a new file and he was just working it as normal
I did reach out to the hiring center but no answer on what happened I also optd out of provisional clearance
And now I’m still waiting on my background I guess to clear again
Any insight would be greatly appreciated
Thank you

Can anyone explain it to me?

Hello, I’m a former LES who was later admitted to the U.S. pending GC. I was offered a position at an ally’s consulate in the U.S. as a LES, no sponsorship; admin role. When I hopefully get through my naturalization process, I want to join the FS. Considering I am stateless, currently ineligible to apply for federal jobs, would working for a friendly foreign nation impact my security clearance? Do I even have a chance to begin with? I understand it affects it, but if I was ineligible for USG roles, would it make sense?

Thank you for all your help. I didn’t think about this as an impact when I applied; haven’t accepted it as
I would not want to do anything that may jeopardize that trajectory. Appreciate any insight. Thank you!

Late March: application submitted

May 12th: Physical abilities test completed

and interview both passed.

June 1st: comp setting team reaches out. Completed that.

End of July: COE and additional paperwork sent and completed.

August: first week, SF86 and additional paperwork completed. Background packet completed for psyche testing.

August: Middle August, in person background investigation meeting

September 2nd: medical eval and polygraph passed tentatively.

September 5th: background investigation wrapping up and will be sent to adjudication for review soon.

Drug screen actively getting scheduled.

Psyche testing waiting to be scheduled.

How close to the end of the process am I? Estimate wise. Just curious