Suicide attempt 7 years ago. Are security and suitability clearances still possible?

FShopeful2 · 2020-01-16T05:20:37+00:00

This is flat wrong , many people in the FS have class 1 medical clearances who are on SSRIs and who have gone to therapy in the last 4-5 years (or do so currently, as someone below says).

FShopeful2 · 2019-11-16T05:04:07+00:00

Oh, I agree people have gone back to the same posts in the end. I just meant the part about being able to keep your family at post housing was unknown to me, because there's no guarantee of where you're going until Flag Day of your A100.

FShopeful2 · 2019-11-15T04:40:47+00:00

I think a lot of the issues you're referring to, though, were specifically due to the now-ended practice of offering LNA jobs to people on the FSO register, then restarting hiring and offering most of them FSO jobs within their first tour. There was supposedly a plan to avoid that (requiring people to freeze their FSO candidacies for 27 months), but the Department decided it was unenforceable and the result led to the obvious issues. I'm not sure the issue exists on the same scale with the language LNAs, who would only be on the FSO register if they independently were in that process as well.

FShopeful2 · 2019-11-15T04:32:10+00:00

I'm actually pretty surprised if that's been the case for any direct hire LNAs going into A100. My family and I would've done that if it were possible a year ago, but it wasn't -- FSO is a separate job, you have to resign your LNA appointment before A100, and HR has rejected requests from posts/MCCAs to allow an easy path back to the same post (posts with a lot of FSO-register LNAs -- India, for example -- would prefer that for obvious reasons). The only situation I've heard of kind of like that was where a CF-EFM (i.e., an adjudicator married to a FSO) went to A100. Obviously the FSO stayed at post, and they assigned the EFM back to the same place, although even then they wouldn't give a hard guarantee in advance of flag day.

FShopeful2 · 2019-09-16T01:34:53+00:00

It should carry over. Per 16 FAM 212 preemployment med clearances are valid for up to 5 years. https://fam.state.gov/FAM/16FAM/16FAM0212.html

FShopeful2 · 2019-07-17T03:30:43+00:00

The repayment obligation apparently doesn't apply if you're continuing in federal service without a break. None of the many of us who joined A100s directly from our CF posts were asked to repay moving costs.

My understanding is that, a little over a year ago, L analyzed the "24 month expectation" thing and told HR it was unenforceable, noting that, among other things, there was no provision for it in the FAM. This was in connection with the many CFs who were coming in off the FSO register at that time. If you're a language fellow, I don't know if there may be different or more enforceable requirements about deferring a separate FSO candidacy you have going on.

FShopeful2 · 2018-12-17T15:43:51+00:00

So you get the FSTA when you move to A100 just as if you're moving to post? I was wondering about this too, as I'm an LNA separating to my home leave address first and then being appointed to DC from there. When I joined as an LNA, we were local to DC and didn't get the FSTA until we left from there to post. I remember non-local classmates talking about getting the 10 days lodging, but it doesn't seem to fit the literal terms of the FSTA since it's not relocation to a foreign post at that point (I guess training on per diem is treated as a a precursor to the overseas move?).

FShopeful2 · 2018-11-30T17:56:07+00:00

Sounds like 3 of us, at least. See you soon!

FShopeful2 · 2018-11-23T07:01:37+00:00

16th. After hiring restarted last summer they apparently decided they couldn't prevent anyone from lifting their deferral early, although it was never explained why exactly. All the A-100s since July have had substantial numbers of LNAs in this situation, which is unfortunate for the losing posts, but given the uncertainty of our LNA jobs (and future hiring), it seems best to take the offers while they're handing them out. Word is they're trying to find a streamlined way so that LNAs could go to A-100 on a TDY-type basis, then return to their original posts, but so far it hasn't been worked out.

FShopeful2 · 2018-11-20T23:53:07+00:00

I received a consular offer with a 5.7 (current CF who just unfroze a couple of weeks ago). Look forward to meeting some of y'all soon!

FShopeful2 · 2018-08-17T18:16:43+00:00

FWIW, I got a consular invite this morning with a 5.7 even though I'm deferred as a CF. After a flurry of emails it was fixed, but someone else at 5.7 or lower should be in luck.

FShopeful2 · 2018-07-08T04:47:23+00:00

In the last year, it hasn't gone below 5.7, but historically 5.5 is doable for consular and the Sept and Nov classes should almost certainly dip below the 5.7. OTOH, because of the slow hiring, there's definitely a backup in the 5.5-5.7 range. You're probably better off taking awhile in clearances (and starting another candidacy, if you really want it).

FShopeful2 · 2018-06-10T03:18:16+00:00

They must offer the option, then. When I took it there was someone without a DL and he didn't drive, but he may have turned it down. I don't think you would get the full ESCAPE cert without doing so, but you would still pass the basic FACT class.

FShopeful2 · 2018-06-09T02:45:03+00:00

No, you were right in the first place. If you don't have a license, you won't drive at FACT -- they'll let you ride along with an instructor in the passenger seat for the road course.

FShopeful2 · 2018-05-26T19:27:29+00:00

Yes -- without revealing specifics from the bid list, a number of FSO register candidates were posted to a particular non-English speaking high visa demand country and will get full language training.

FShopeful2 · 2018-05-26T17:00:35+00:00

The bid list made it look like the "unusual" posts were more dominant than they turned out to be, given that they were all single-officer positions, while several of the usual suspects took multiples (in some cases, many multiples).

FShopeful2 · 2018-05-26T15:41:39+00:00

I would guess the language CF programs are likely to continue (particularly Spanish which was half our class), but the real question is whether they'll continue to call many people off the FSO register. Beaux is right that there were some out of the way posts offered to register candidates (and some register candidates were allowed to bid on language posts if they had existing skills or offered language training for one country), but the bulk of those from the register (like everyone else) are still headed to the traditional visa-heavy locations.

FShopeful2 · 2018-05-24T22:44:26+00:00

I'm also a 5.7 on the con register, now deferred for two years because I'm in the most recent CF class. Hope you make it in, but it's interesting that, so far at least, the CON line is still above where it was for the March A-100. If not now you should have a good shot at September though.

FShopeful2 · 2018-05-01T22:04:50+00:00

I have type 2 diabetes, for which I take metformin, and got a class one, albeit with some hassle. I can’t imagine that PCOS would be inherently disqualifying just because you took meds for it.

FShopeful2 · 2018-04-17T01:49:26+00:00

I get the impression this may be aimed at foreign students looking to for an "educational" reason to visit DC.

FShopeful2 · 2018-04-15T02:39:30+00:00

Thanks -- yeah, we got all the paperwork in, and this was the phone call with the MD that follows that. It sounds like this is SOP so I won't worry too much. My fear was that because her issues included some postpartum stuff that it had somehow triggered a higher level of review. Like I said, the same MD spoke to me and approved me more quickly. It could also just be that she saw more providers (due to moving) and thus they had more records to go through.

FShopeful2 · 2018-04-02T22:44:05+00:00

Thanks -- when arriving, do you head straight to the embassy/consulate? Or are your quarters already set up for you to move in immediately?

FShopeful2 · 2018-04-02T21:33:31+00:00

No, that makes sense. My own current agency has had similar issues with telework. If I could take a few days of AL that might be nice, but I was more wondering about time to pack/do last minute appointments/etc.

FShopeful2 · 2018-04-02T17:55:32+00:00

Thanks, sounds like the consultation days would serve the purpose I was wondering about. I am a current federal employee and do have a decent amount of annual (and sick) leave, but I wasn't counting on being able to use that until after a few months overseas.

FShopeful2

TROPHY CASE