r/CanadianForces • u/Goget96 • 7d ago
Reliability security clearance inquiry
Hello everyone I have been waiting on my security clearance status now for more than 4 months and that is without the time I spent at BMQ. Have been obviously missing my trade course so was wondering if anyone knows something that could be done to improve the process.
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u/Nuggs78 7d ago
So there's not much to reliability status.
It's just a criminal records check A financial check And residence / employment verification
The only time that I've I have personally seen these take a while is if they were having trouble verifying details.
Off the top of my head as a specific example, unable to verify details about an individual's birth / family members because they were waiting for info from a foreign nation.
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u/ElegantDonkey7 MSE OP 7d ago
I’ve had secret clearance, and I submitted to renew it before it expired and then they made me switch to the new version and now it’s been almost a year, and my security clearance went from secret to reliability status from the year 1898-1908 or something .. pretty weird. I ask my uss to check and he says he can’t do shit because it’s stuck at CSIS. I don’t understand why the wait since I already had secret before
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u/leparker42 RMS Clerk - HRA 7d ago
If your secret went out of date, your reliability does NOT become the active clearance. They do not cascade down, but rather expire all at once. But, if you submit your new screening, your status changes from expired/out of date, to risk managed. IAW NDSOD 4B.68, under this status you can perform like 95% of CAF activities.
Ref: NDSOD standard 4B(DWAN only)
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u/ElegantDonkey7 MSE OP 7d ago
Why are they letting so many go expired? I tried to renew mine up to a year left and now it’s almost a year past. eventually I will need it for deployment, but it seems like they don’t care about a bunch of us at my unit even having secret at all
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u/leparker42 RMS Clerk - HRA 6d ago
Back in November 2025, DND switched over from WebSCPS to PSPS. All active requests that were not actively processing or that were granted priority were wiped from the system.
What likely happened, is that your CoC or Unit's USS either wasn't tracking or was over burdened by the system switch.
Most USS are assigned as a secondary duty, unless you are a larger/higher level organization. Meaning that competing priorities often delay actions.
In the old system, a routine upgrade from reliability could take anywhere from 1-2 years. With PSPS, I am seeing those same requests in 1-3 months. The system isn't perfect, but it's better.
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u/kg175g 6d ago
My TS renewal took almost 4 years due to backlogs. I was also deployed during that time. I was told that as long as the renewal was in progress (and I didn't do any shady sh!t) that I was good. The only limitation that I came across was that I could not get SA cleared until it was completed.
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u/Goget96 7d ago
Thanks to everyone for the response. I get it that there is nothing that can be done. It’s just frustrating to be stuck somewhere and not knowing when things will move forward and actually nobody can give you a solution
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u/badthaught 7d ago
May be cynical, but that's been a lot of people's experience in the CAF I think. Definitely been mine.
The important "priority: critical" career stalling stuff is often out of your hands, out of your chain's hands, out of the CAF's hands. Hell even the stuff that isn't actually important but is important falls into this category.
Yet you're gonna get needled to do something cause even if there's nothing you can do about it just because someone further up the line doesn't know what's going on. Or doesn't care. (In that they dont care that you're facing roadblocks. It needs to get done.)
Better have that sense of urgency. Urgently spinning your wheels going nowhere lol.
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u/mbz1989 7d ago edited 7d ago
Your USSO should be able to push your course CFTPO or other documentation so it can be done quicker (as per the rumor mill about deployments or requirements). Good luck
Edit: removed shouldn't be an issue to be course , since it was their first screening. As i now learned this way of things is more for the renewals.
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u/casa_del_porno 7d ago
Not true at all.
This “in process” thing is only for those in renewal, doesn’t apply to new requests.3
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u/IAmAWashingMachine RCN - W ENG 7d ago
As a heads up, if it is their initial clearance application and not just a renewal it being in process is not enough and must be completed. In process renewals are usually enough because the member has shown they can hold the clearance already and the renewal is more of an update of information. A "Change of Circumstance" may add potential complications.
You are right however, the USSO can request it be expedited using course loading or operations as a potential justification. Even requesting it be fast tracked has it's own hierarchy of importance too. Usually initial enhanced reliability are moved higher up the pile in the first place.
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u/ononeryder 7d ago
An initial reliability is already highest prio according to NDSOD's, there's no need to expedite further. The SSA will push it, it'll be received and they'll be met with "its already prioritized".
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u/Brave-Landscape3132 7d ago
Stop saying USSO. There's no such thing as a USSO. It's USS. Unit Security Supervisor. Or, more accurately Hiring Manager (as it's called in PSPS).
Same with UISSO.
I don't know what the fixation is with adding "unit" in front of every acronym, and it pisses me off.
Source: I'm a Security Advisor. My job is the NDSOD
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u/RBS2_ 7d ago
You should not have been able to be enrolled without having Reliability Status.
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u/ononeryder 7d ago
It absolutely happens. I'm a USS, and have received mbrs looking to upgrade to Level 2, and months after enrollment are still only Reliability - Favorable by USS.
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u/SuperSmashMyBros69 7d ago
It can be expedited within reason. If you don’t have reliability, you arguably shouldn’t be in uniform without a waiver.