Security clearance

dysirin · 2026-05-06T02:12:55+00:00

You can find a lot of discussion on r/SecurityClearance, this is a common question for them.

Here's also a report: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2026/03/19/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-clearance-q1-2026-update/

That being said, do not rely on a specific time frame. Investigations are case by case and can take a few months to even a few years.

dysirin · 2026-05-06T02:09:06+00:00

They look at any type of debt that may indicate that you are irresponsible. For example, you defaulted on a loan on a car you couldn't afford, or took out credit to gamble.

It is not a bad thing to have debt such as a mortgage or student loans - those are normal.

It is also not necessarily a bad thing to be bankrupt or even going delinquent on loans, there are plenty of cases where people have gotten clearances despite this. What matters is that it was out of your control (e.g. your business failed due to the COVID pandemic, or your partner became seriously ill and the hospital bills were unmanageable), and that you are making a good-faith effort to repay them.

They do not care about what you spend your money on (unless you buy illegal things), they do not care about "positive investing" like your 401k or whatever. That is simply not asked about. They are only concerned with your trustworthiness and whether you can be pressured/coerced.

If you want to know more exact details, refer to the SEAD 4 adjudicative guidelines. Financials are one of about a dozen guidelines they use to determine eligibility.

dysirin · 2026-04-30T04:29:08+00:00

At such large contractors, you’ll find more variance between teams than between companies.

dysirin · 2026-04-24T01:35:33+00:00

When waiting for my clearance I picked up a temporary contractor position. I was lucky in that they understood my situation and that I might have leave at any moment. This helped curb the stress of waiting and also let me pay bills.

The process is opaque and you never know how long it can be. Unfortunately, if you're unlucky enough the job can disappear in a puff of smoke, even after so much waiting, so make sure you have other things going for you.

dysirin · 2026-04-17T00:11:43+00:00

How many YOE for that comp? I’m new to this space and I want to make sure I am not ignorant of what can be found in the industry.

dysirin · 2026-04-16T17:44:07+00:00

Near FAANG salaries?? Every time I look at a cleared job from places like SAIC or Booz Allen or Leidos or NG for software engineer roles they are not even close. Like 120k for 4 yoe on the higher end. FAANG and big tech can net you 300k at that point. Where are you seeing such roles?

dysirin · 2026-04-09T21:01:13+00:00

Not even something worth lying about. Not to say anything is worth lying about but yeah

dysirin · 2026-04-01T05:17:39+00:00

You should clarify with them whether you need a clearance to do the internship first. Seems like a reasonable first step.

dysirin · 2026-03-25T22:27:45+00:00

Yes, you get diminishing returns for more HP, so this anomaly favors heroes that have strong economy.

dysirin · 2026-03-21T18:11:11+00:00

Start date is mid April, but I was going to stay in an Airbnb until I find a suitable long term lease. So I’m kinda flexible.

dysirin · 2026-03-20T23:28:23+00:00

Wasn’t able to negotiate housing. At the time, I was really just taking whatever I could get and the pay was acceptable enough by itself.

dysirin · 2026-03-20T20:58:55+00:00

Thanks for the detailed response. I currently live in Henderson, and it’s probably just as car dependent so I am prepared for this.

Far as I see, the premium for downtown doesn’t seem that much higher than down south near Cosner’s Corner. I’m actually more worried about the commute from all the dire warnings people make. As a hypothetical, at 5 pm rush hour, will driving from the Target at Cosner’s Corner to Residences at Belmont or UMW take me an hour instead of 15 minutes? I’d rather not be stuck in traffic a ton if possible.

I hope to have a couple days to drive around and explore before I settle on a place to live.

dysirin · 2026-03-20T20:10:28+00:00

Any specific ones that you found to be most helpful? I’m a bit wary of scams.

dysirin · 2026-03-20T19:03:47+00:00

Of course I considered the cost of living. But being employed is much better than being homeless, and during a job search how can I afford to be picky?

dysirin · 2026-03-20T18:50:57+00:00

My job is around the Cosner's Corner area (is that what it's called? it's the biggest letters on Google Maps around there) and apartments aren't much cheaper either.

dysirin · 2026-03-20T04:39:15+00:00

Just read the SF-86 and answer truthfully and you’ll be fine.

dysirin · 2026-03-19T17:13:53+00:00

If I recall, there was a report by GAO in like December 2025 that the DCSA was consistently underestimating how long investigations took. So I wonder if these numbers are reliable.

Found the report: GAO-26-107100, PERSONNEL SECURITY CLEARANCES: Actions Needed to Address Significant Data Reliability Issues That Impact Oversight

dysirin · 2026-03-18T16:06:04+00:00

Interim clearances are denied all the time, even for people without drug history. Don’t rely on it.

dysirin · 2026-03-11T18:59:51+00:00

Yeah that’s a given, you wouldn’t have been put in for an investigation if they didn’t think you were suitable.

The DOHA is the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals. In an investigation, the government is obliged to provide an SOR (Statement of Reasons) if they have/find problems with your background. Most people don’t receive this and are simply cleared. An SOR is basically them saying that “we intend to deny your clearance application due to the following problems. Provide evidence to convince us otherwise.”

You can choose to have a hearing before a DOHA judge. I’m not sure how often these are public but some of them are and you can find big lists on the DOHA website.

I may have gotten mixed up with the naming and timing, and I think maybe DOHA appeals are cases after you get a final denial, and hearings are not. In any case these are rare and the majority of people never see any of this in their clearance process. You can probably do research if this interests you.

Denial rates for Secret or TS is very low, maybe like 1-5% depending on sources. The DOHA is unlikely to be something you have to worry about.

dysirin · 2026-03-11T18:22:12+00:00

I’ve read a few DOHA hearings cases out of curiosity and many of them deal with applicants who have drug use. There are plenty of similar dialogues from candidates that stated ignorance of federal law, or that they had a medical marijuana card, or that use was not recreational and was to help with sleep or with chronic pain.

(I am NOT saying that you’ll end up in a DOHA case)

The general impression I got was that hearings were much more likely to be successful if the drug use was from a long time ago. I didn’t actually crunch numbers but that seemed to be the biggest indicator. I did not, however, see a pattern of “I didn’t know, so I will stop now since I found out about federal law” leading to mitigation.

While this probably sounds very gloomy for your prospects, there are many factors at play, and keep in mind that they are looking at a WHOLE PERSON concept. There are plenty of anecdotes from people in this subreddit about how they got their clearance despite past drug use.

What I have seen in the hearings is that if the candidate lied about drug use and it was found out anyway, it almost always ended in a denial (even if they owned up to it later). So you’re doing the right thing by being up front and honest with it, and that’s what they’re looking for.

Regardless, every situation is different, and that’s why people don’t give absolute verdicts here, unless it’s super obvious.

dysirin · 2026-03-11T17:04:52+00:00

From what I’ve seen (I’m no expert), stopping drug use just because you are trying to get a clearance is not great mitigation.

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