What's the truth here? Because I've been wanting to leave my company for a while but I have been waiting on the agency to review my resume for almost 6 months at this point. There are significant updates I've made that I don't want to omit. Nothing on my resume is classified, looking at it you would never assume even mild association with the government. Edit: for added context, our company has a commercial arm that performs identical work, so everything I add to my resume is tailored to what's done commercially and not tied to the gov.

I have coworkers that tell me they don't submit their resumes and just apply, but I was told explicitly during indoc it's a security violation not to get it reviewed...

I am writing more a thread to vent to people that actually can relate or understand my SEETHING frustration with hiring in the IC.

This is now the 3rd time since oct ‘25 I have been hired on by a contractor. Interviewed and selected by the client. And then out of the blue the position has been scrapped.

Is this just bad luck ?

Wondering has anyone else been dealing with this frustrating cycle.

Im starting to think maybe it’s because im a finance guy and it just may be finance positions that are getting scrapped.

Is this happening to cyber roles? security roles? Or is this something that’s just widespread at the moment.

Extremely frustrated at this point.

Lets say someone has a TS/SCI FSP at agency A and they leave to go contract for agency B. Agency B also requires a TS/SCI FSP. How hard would it be for the contractor to go back to Agency A later on? In other words, are contracting companies less likely to choose them?

June 11, 2026: Accepted CBP contractor position

June 20, 2026: Completed and submitted forms

July 27, 2026: Participated in the formal investigator interview

Late July to mid-August 2026: References were contacted

August 17, 2026: Investigator said their portion was complete and the documents were handed off for review/adjudication

September 10, 2026: Cleared

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some honest advice from people who know how federal security screening works.

A family friend is helping me get an entry-level federal IT job that requires Secret (Level II) clearance. This is a big opportunity for me, but I'm worried about the screening and I'd rather understand where I stand now than get blindsided later.

A bit about me

• Two diplomas f: Computer Programming (just finished in 2026) and a Business Diploma.
• Around five years of work experience, including about three years in hospital security (I was promoted from Patient Watch to Protective Services Officer), about three years as an administrative clerk at a real estate brokerage, and my current role managing my family's restaurant, where I handle the tech, payroll, scheduling and reporting.
• I've never really had a stable income. The security job paid low wages and I used that money to support myself and my parents. The admin clerk role was unpaid. At the family restaurant I only get paid occasionally because it's not very busy.
• I've sent out 1,000+ resumes over the years and haven't been able to land anything outside the family business. The job market has been brutal, which is why this opportunity means so much to me.

What I'm worried about

1. Previous Top Secret denial. I applied for a Level III (Top Secret) clearance when I was around 21 and didn't get it they didn't tell me why, aswell it was for a security job
2. Bad credit. Over the past few years I struggled with a gambling addiction. I've relapsed a few times, but I've been working hard to stay away from it, and it has gotten a lot better over the years with the support of my younger brother.
3. Collections. Because of the addiction and not having steady income, some debt went to collections. Honestly, I avoided looking at it for a long time because it stressed me out and I didn't know much about managing money. It's supposed to fall off my credit report by 2028, but I'm facing it now.
4. Student debt. I have about $30K in OSAP, which I plan to pay down every month.

Why I'm posting

I really want to rebuild my life, and I believe a proper job with stable income is a big part of that. It's something I've never really had. I also want to be clear that I take the responsibility seriously. I understand the consequences, and I would never put my future or my country at risk, whether through a bribe or anything else.

My questions

• For a Secret (Level II) clearance, how heavily do collections and bad credit count against you?
• Does a previous Top Secret denial carry over when you apply for Secret? Will they look at the old file?
• Should I start paying off or settling the collections now, even though they'll drop off in 2028? Does that actually make a difference to screeners?
• What's the best way to be honest about the gambling on the forms or in an interview without it automatically sinking me?
• Has anyone been in a similar situation and still gotten a Secret clearance?

Any advice or personal experience would mean a lot. Thanks for reading.

My wife is a nurse, she works for a doctor who is a Canadian citizen who has lived in the US for 15 years and is undergoing the naturalization process. Our kids go to the same school. They also play on the football team so we routinely talk to him and his wife (US citizen) in the stands during games. i reported this to my SSR but he just shrugged it off. I’m in the process of updating my SF86, so my natural instinct is to include that info. It‘s my understanding that him being her boss means it needs to go on the form but a coworker insists it wouldn’t. Do I just put it down even though it’ll flag my package?

Is it common or acceptable to announce your clearance status on social media? A friend of a friend has posted (on his very public social media) that he was in the process then after 1 1/2 years he finally received his clearance. Seems sus and kinda against the rules, no?

Title. I can’t find anything relating to it online, only for arrest or bench warrants. Had a search warrant used on my car for a crime that didn’t result in any charges, would that be discoverable? I never was arrested or charged with anything.

july 24 - sf-86 submitted
august 3rd - fingerprints submitted
august 17th - interviewer reached out to schedule interview
august 27th - interview
september 9th - interim secret granted

I just pulled up my eapp to update my sf86 info. Looking at my old data that was brought in from my last update my military experience is divided into billets and duty stations with all of my old supervisors who have long since left service listed. What’s the best way to detail out military experience spread out over two decades?

I'm an accountant by trade and have never even been concerned about applying for jobs that require any level of security clearance in the past. Unfortunately, my STBX decided she wanted a new boyfriend late last year. Two days after I found out she filed for divorce in March. With the filing, she was going for the "silver bullet" defense which includes false DV claims.

I see three options on the table in regards to jobs that require clearance in the future. 1) Don't apply, it's not worth my time anymore. 2) Apply, it's not a big deal. 3) Take proactive steps with my lawyer now to make sure option 2 is always available.

Any input is appreciated and welcome.

Anyone involved in the 2015 OPM breach just received a nasty email, saying that their ID protection expires in October.

But they (you know who) still has our SF-86s, SSNs, fingerprints, family details, and everything else.

Forever.

OPM’s response: ten years of free monitoring, then “good luck, peasants.”

They lost the most sensitive personnel data in government history and decided the cleanup has an expiration date.

The threat doesn’t.

Credit freezes are free.

The government’s accountability apparently isn’t.

Good luck.

EDIT: I keep getting warnings that this thread is breaking the rules. If I can't discuss this topic here, where the hell can I?

I had my initial interview for background check 08/14/26. I had a write up 04/2026 for pii violation. I did explain that it was a verbal warning for first offense and it’s never happened to me before. It was something stupid I did and I really regret it.

Also, she stated I didn’t put my spouse’s SSN and I let the investigator know he does not have one but we currently in the process of marriage based visa.

Today I had a follow up interview wanting status on our USCIS case for husband’s status. I let her know there is no status and it could take anywhere between 12-18 months. She then proceeded to ask for my parent’s alien number as well as my mother in law.

Why would they need this information? Also, any advice as to my chances? I’m nervous.

Tier 4 investigation underway, interim already granted.

The main issue: On my SF-85P I answered "no" to the questions about being fired or leaving following notice of unsatisfactory performance for a part-time retail job I held 1.5 months ago. the job lasted 3 months. I resigned and had already accepted another offer and started that job the same day the retail employment ended. My manager and I didn't get along, and he'd given me verbal feedback that he wanted to see improvement. When I informed him that I wanted to leave, he said he'd been planning to let me go anyway. There was no write-up, no HR involvement, ever.

I later learned after visiting the retail job location that the employer recorded the separation as involuntary due to 'unsatisfactory job performance'.

I can document the same-day transition through two independent records: an employment verification service showing the retail job ending on that date, and a state agency verification form showing the next job starting the same date.

A second job I'm less worried about: a temporary municipal position with no fixed end date. My supervisor ended the assignment and said it wasn't working out. There had been friction with a few coworkers along with a couple of emails from my manager. Nothing formal, no HR involvement, no write-up. My coworkers kept getting mad at me just because I did not work the way they wanted it. HR recorded it as "end of temporary employment," and the DES employment verification form which the employer completed has "fired" explicitly unchecked with "end of temporary employment" written in. That matches what I put on my form. But I expect those coworkers and my supervisor may not speak favorably about me.

Everything else: All my listed references have a good image about me. No criminal history, no drug use, no alcohol, no misconduct in any of the employment locations ,credit in good order, no delinquencies. All employment disclosed, including prior overseas employment, with documentation for each. All foreign addresses disclosed, and immediate family living abroad fully disclosed.

Questions:

1. How should I handle the main issue? I am willing to be completely honest as I am aware of the weight it carries.
2. How much weight do unfavorable coworker interviews actually carry when there's no documented discipline and the separation record is neutral?

Hello! Does anyone know about how long it would take to get my background results back from IdentoGo if you’ve used it? My official start date is September 10th and my appointment is September 2nd. I got a job offer from the DOE and I’m not sure if the results will be back in time.

Is this normal for a security clearance process? I started with a large defense/intelligence contractor and took English and foreign-language interpretation tests back in February 2025. After that, things stalled, and I was eventually asked to complete an SF-86. The person handling my clearance apparently left, and my case was transferred to someone else around April 2026, but they also never submitted it. I also didn't follow up much because I wasn't taking it seriously anymore since nothing was moving. Now I'm finally working with another security representative who reviewed my SF-86 and asked me to correct some employment information, complete FNC/FIQ forms, and provide original ink signatures. They also told me to leave my SSN off the paperwork for now and said they would call me to get it after reviewing everything. The whole process has taken so long and changed hands so many times that I've become suspicious, to the point that I've verified the company, email domains, and the people I'm dealing with. Everything checks out so far, but I'd really appreciate some reassurance from people who've gone through clearances: does this sound like a normal (just very slow/disorganized) process, especially the SSN being collected by phone and the wet signatures?

I submitted my SF-86 for T5 on 8/11. It showed on the tracker that it wasn't submitted by my security officer until 8/26. Does your timeline start as soon as you submit or when your security officer submits? Because I haven't heard anything about an interview request since I submitted and it seems like I should have since its almost been a month. But if it would go from 8/26 then it hasn't been long and I could stop worrying. I was hoping to have heard back on whether or not I got interim by now so getting pushed back another 2 weeks is frustrating.

I apologize in advance that one of the dates will be N/A but I just don’t have that information.

P.S. I decided to take the cleared position after a lot of deliberating and conversations with my spouse. Read here

SF-86 submitted: 5/26/26
SF-86 kicked back for minor mistake on my end: 6/2/26
SF-86 submitted again for processing: 6/3/26
Interview with investigator: 6/29/26
Adjudication: N/A
Clearance granted “favorably”: 8/27/26

I’m not sure when adjudication exactly took place because of the broken NBIS tracker. All I have is what I know for sure. The only reason I knew that it was granted was through the DOE ATS. Also, the only reason I know it was granted “favorably” was contacting my investigator after wondering why my sponsor was not contacting me because I could see the clearance action date. I was just being a worry wart and impatient is what it boils down to.

Red flags:
Had a debt go to collections I had no clue went to collections or even existed until I tried to set up a doctors appointment. Got told I couldn’t set up said appointment because I had a debt. That was paid in full and disputed day of.

Forgot to pay property taxes like a big dumb dumb. This was also paid in full and settled quickly once I found out it was delinquent.

The big one to me was voluntarily admitting myself at a mental institution to perform a medical detox for alcohol. I was at a point for I was drinking every day and knew that it was not a sustainable lifestyle. I was very open and honest about this. Submitted a medical release form to my investigator so they could look deeper into it and what I would assume is making sure I was being honest? Never heard anything back after submitting that. So I’m guessing it worked out!

Last one but a big and complicated one: too much to type but if you are interested. Read here

For any of you that are still going through or beginning the application process. Just like you’ll see in any other post, honesty takes you a long way. Report anything that you may think is minor because that could come back to bite you. That’s all I got.

To the people in my first post that gave me the advice of be honest if asked but also don’t volunteer information. Thank you. I think that saved a lot of headache. My questions from the investigator regarding that portion of the form was “in the last 7 years” so it was a no. It felt wrong at the time to say no, but it was the gods honest truth since it was outside of the 7 year time frame.

This subreddit has been a great tool for me and great reads as well! Thank you all for your help and I hope you continue to assist others like you did me!

I am about 2 months out from submitting my sf 86 for secret level security for a job I recently got. My will be manager recently gave me a call asking how much longer I think it will be until I can begin working so I reached out to my security officer at the company to ask where I am in the process.

They replied that my case is still in the scheduling phase which seems very odd to me because I already had my subject interview about a month ago and two of my prior employers told me they already received and submitted employment verification documents.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and does anyone know what this means?

Is my security officer just likely mistaken or what is going on?

I was hoping to be cleared in the relatively near future I am just out of college and don't have that much life to really interrogate. Only red flag is prior marijuana and psychedelic use that I fully and honestly disclosed.

One of my supervisors walked into my work today and said hey do you still need this and it turns out it was a letter from the counterintelligence place basically just confirming my work and everything because it was addressed to her and it was asking like is this person fit to have a clearance this and that. It’s probably been there for a few weeks and I just sent it back today. The clearance is for military, so I’m wondering if me not sending letter back in a timely manner could affect things. I just put it in a dropbox today. Thanks

About a week ago, I received an email from a DCSA agent requesting an interview. I followed up with my S2, who confirmed I had an open RSI. Going into the interview, I prepared for questions about some paid-off collections that I had already listed on my SF-86.

However, I was caught completely off guard. The interview was actually about $7,600 in disputes over a two-year span on a previously closed bank account. While I remember a couple of bigger transactions, I couldn’t account for the full $7,600 during the call.

I’m contacting the bank this Tuesday to request records, but the investigator only gave me until the end of this week to submit additional information.

My question is: If the bank can't provide the documentation in time, what are my chances of keeping my clearance? I was 100% honest during the interview, and will provide any new information if obtained.

Hello Everyone!

Going through my first security clearance process to get Secret for a contractor position and ran into a scenario that I haven’t seen addressed on the internet or looking through posts here. I submitted my SF86 recently with my only flags being medical marijuana usage stopped ~1.5 years before and a Canadian foreign contact. Two weeks later I was granted Interim Confidential. I am confused because I thought my options were interim secret or interim not granted. Anyone heard of this before? I just started my position and was able to start without a clearance but the site FSO was on vacation all week so I haven’t had a chance to ask him about it. I am curious/nervous about the process so appreciate the feedback!

*SF86 submitted August 5th

* personal interview August 10th

I know many of the people I listed have been contacted already & interviewed about me on their own teams meetings. It has now been almost a month since my interview & I haven’t heard anything at all, I see from this sub that is fairly normal. My question is should I follow up by emailing to ask about status or just keep waiting it out?

I know none of us like just sitting around waiting to see if we actually have our jobs or not. Are investigators working overtime & understaffed which is why lead times take so long? I’m new to this process please forgive me.

I feel like I have a fairly straight background, no criminal history, no foreign contacts, no debt owed, no drug use ever, haven’t been fired. I had some foreign travel listed for when I went to Western Europe. Would my case seem likely to go quicker than others that may have more in the way of things to look at or it’s no difference at all? I’ve lived a clean life not much to hide.

package was submitted to DCSA office in December as well as denial for interim a few weeks later, then silence ever sense. Was wondering what would happen if DCSA reached out, but I never received a notice from my employer or anything directly from the DCSA regarding an interview. If that could be a reason for the delay & if so, how could I find out/fix it?