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Stay Up To DateOn changes that might affect your clearance eligibility

In addition to the personalized and confidential consulting services that we offer, FEDCAS is committed to keeping you up to date on changes in the Security Clearance field that might affect the clearance eligibility of you or your employees. Follow the FEDCAS blog for clearance related news and information. Browse our FAQ’s for a list of common Security Clearance Questions and visit our links page for a list of helpful off-site resources.

Latest NewsFrom the FEDCAS Blog

  • Allegiance to the United States

    September 16, 2019

    Guideline A of the National Security Adjudicative Guidelines addresses “Allegiance to the United States.” However, most issues people would perceive as involving Allegiance to the United States are actually covered under “Foreign Influence” (Guideline B) and “Foreign Preference” (Guideline C). . . . In the past 22 years there has not been one case ...
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  • Foreign Influence

    September 15, 2019

    The “Foreign Influence” criterion (Guideline B) under the “National Security Adjudicative Guidelines” affects many security clearance applicants, particularly those who are naturalized U.S. citizens or whose parents immigrated to the U.S. Others who marry (or reside with) a foreign national, who have foreign financial/business interests, or who maintain close and continuing contact with foreigners are ...
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  • Foreign Preference

    September 15, 2019

    “Foreign involvement raises concerns about an individual’s judgment, reliability and trustworthiness when it is in conflict with U.S. national interests or when the individual acts to conceal it. By itself, the fact that a U.S. citizen is also a citizen of another country is not disqualifying without an objective showing of such conflict or ...
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A. If you have been living within your means and have not been delinquent in any debt repayment since your bankruptcy, you will probably not be disqualified based on financial considerations. Surprisingly, the Adjudicative Guidelines do not specifically address bankruptcy. A bankruptcy from two years ago is not considered a current problem. A single bankruptcy two years ago that was caused by circumstance largely beyond your control without any subsequent problems (or secondary issues that complicate matters), probably would not result in a clearance denial.

A. Probably not. Although the Adjudicative Guidelines list any drug use as a disqualifying condition; most young people are able to substantially mitigate their drug involvement. Mitigation involves a stated and demonstrated intent not to abuse any drugs in the future, dissociation from drug-using associates, changing or avoiding the environment where drugs were used, and an appropriate period of abstinence. There have been cases where a period of less than one year was adjudicated as “an appropriate period of abstinence.” The appropriate period of time is influenced by your age, frequency of use, and the number of years that you used drugs. If you are middle aged and you used drugs regularly for 10 years, an adjudicator may not feel that two years is an appropriate period of abstinence.

A. The Government has not published figures for the total cost of security clearances; however, the Office of Personnel Management publishes the cost of security clearance investigations. The vast majority of investigations and clearances are paid for by Government agencies using appropriated funds. Only a very small number of non-DOD federal contractors pay for security clearance investigations. For more information see the article on “The Real Cost of Security Clearances.”

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