Who is eligible for a security clearance?
To obtain a security clearance, you must be a Canadian citizen, have 10 years of verifiable information, and “demonstrate suitability” [[1]]. Only employees who will be working for certain government agencies and related organizations that have access to classified information are required to obtain a security clearance.
Is it hard to get a security clearance?
Obtaining a security clearance can be difficult since the requirements for higher-level intelligence jobs can be quite stringent. But as long as you have not committed any serious crimes and have a relatively clean history, you will likely gain the security clearance needed to be officially hired. In addition to security clearance, many information security jobs with the government or related organizations also require certain baseline cyber security certifications to validate their knowledge of best practices.
What disqualifies you from security clearance?
Disqualifiers of security clearance may include taking advantage of dual citizenship, ongoing use of illegal drugs or gambling, patterns of unpaid debt, and financial violations like theft or embezzlement.
Videos
Government Security Clearance Timeline (Secret/Top Secret) : CanadaPublicServants
Public trust security clearance? Help please? :(
The best thing you can do is be completely honest.
If you are filling out something like this then you will generally want to:
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Employment - Put in the exact information requested. Even if the your old supervisor and manager are no longer in the company , if the company still exists then the person doing the background check will be able to get the information needed. If they have a human resources person, get that information if possible and put that in.
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Residential - If you have always lived with your parents, that's usually not a problem. If you lived on your own , then put in that information as well and the landlords information (if you had one).
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Educational history - Here it is best to put in the information for any schools you were in, as well as contact information for those schools (usually their public phone numbers and mailing address). Often those doing the background check will want to call the schools to confirm.
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People who know you well - Before you put anyone on this list, be sure to check with them first, let them know that you are using them for a reference. Some people get a little freaked out if someone comes around asking questions. One thing here as well is, anyone you do use should also have a clean background (but not to clean, being unable to find SOME skeletons looks fishy). Do not use your parents for this, they will want someone other then family.
Well that's about everything I can think of.
Source: Once held a Top Secret in US Army, that background check was a lot worse. ;)
More on reddit.comAdvice Needed: Applying for a security clearance, filling out EQIP tomorrow and am unclear about a few things
Hello. I am reading the instructions for the EQIP questionnaire that I am to fill out tomorrow. A few questions:
This one is probably a given, but I am to list every employer that gave me a paycheck in the last 7 years, right? Even if I worked for them for a day?
Yes, as fully as you can. A big part of the background check is checking truthfulness, so better to put something down than they discover you were fired after three days of working at some burger joint.
The next section mentions financial questions. It says be sure to list any debts past due. I know that there was something that I didn't pay until a year later, think it had to do with my car insurance, but I honestly can't remember. There may have been one instance of me not paying a credit card bill on time when I first got a card. I guess the question is, what if you honestly just can't remember?
Put it down and explain in comments. If you're filling out for TS or Q, they will check every line item on your crefit report. If there's a chance that it's on your credit report, put it down.
Another credit question, but it mentions "credit issues…if listed please state amounts etc.". So this applies to any balance on a credit card, even if you've never had a late payment? I have 2 credit cards, one with $8000 on it, and the other with $500. I pay the minimum payment on time every month. Will this reflect negatively on me, even if my credit score is pretty good?
I would take "credit issues" to mean anything on your credit report or sent to collections.
For personal reference, someone you've known for 7 years or more, can you list a family member?
No family members.
As far as criminal records go, do I have to list a case that I got expunged last year? Will I get the question about past drug use and have to disclose the skeletons of my teenage closet? Ive met people who have clearances that lied about this sort of thing, and have told the truth, and both ended up getting granted.
I would put down the expunged case, and state it was expunged. The paperwork for the arrest still exists. They will check your records with local, county, state and federal law enforcement. If you admit to past drug use but state that you don't currently use they will have you sign a pledge to that effect and that you won't use anymore. Your friends that lied can get their clearances pulled if they're found out.
I don't understand how people end up losing their clearance later on though. If somebody said they never smoked weed, then 10 years later lose their clearance because it was found out that they lied, how does this happen? Did the person just come out and confess?
Sometimes it comes out from that individual blabbing to a coworker, or if an asociate of that time puts it on record. Sometimes something slips in a follow up interview. Reinvestigations occur every 5 years for TS/Q, and they can find stuff. If you lie and are caught, your clearance is gone. If you're truthful and continue to be good, you're good.
Also, are there any negative side effects to being denied? I am reading about some people who think it may be better to withdrawal than to get denied. Why is this? Cant you just try again in the future?
I believe once they initiate the investigation, they must finish it, so there is no withdrawing. Denied clearance looks bad, and could mean you don't get hired for even uncleared positions.
I know that some of these questions I shouldn't even have to really ask, but I want to be 100% sure before I fill it out. Thank you.
Be truthful, lying equals a pulled clearance.
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