We Have a Very Good Reason Why We Are So Careful About Whom We Select

A career with the Intelligence Community (IC) can be enormously rewarding. It also demands the very best of the men and women who make up our workforce. To meet the requirements of the work itself, you must be highly competent in your field. You must also be highly reliable and trustworthy to safeguard some of the nation’s most sensitive information. Woven through all aspects of your performance with the IC will be the imperative to adhere to the highest standards of integrity.

It’s important to note that isolated incidents of illegal or illicit behavior won’t immediately disqualify you for an intelligence position. Being up front about them will go a long way in your favor.

Obtaining a Security Clearance

The security clearance process is strictly governed by rules and regulations derived from Federal statute and executive orders. It begins when you accept a conditional offer of employment, and the hiring process cannot be finalized until you are granted clearance.

The government considers many factors when granting security clearances including citizenship, drug use, and personal integrity and conduct. You may also be subjected to a polygraph exam and an examination of your mental and physical wellbeing.

Different positions and different agencies often require their own specified level of clearance. The granting of a security clearance means you have successfully met the required standards of reliability, trustworthiness, and integrity for your position.

The Clearance Process

The clearance process begins when you accept a conditional offer of employment from an IC member. It can involve a thorough examination of your life history and fitness to safeguard the nation’s secrets. Think of this process as the first step in building a bridge of trust between you and the IC. Candor is an essential ingredient in the establishment of that trust.

During the investigation, we examine your loyalty to the United States, strength of character, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, discretion, and soundness of judgment. In addition, we want to sure make you are free from conflicting allegiances; are not a potential risk for coercion; and are willing and able to abide by regulations governing the use, handling and protection of sensitive information.

The background investigation will verify where you have lived, studied, and worked since age 18 or the past ten years if you are over the age of 25. Friends, neighbors, supervisors and co-workers will be interviewed as references. In addition, credit, police, employer, educational, and national agency records checks will be conducted.

The clearance process can be lengthy. Each applicant is unique in terms of life experience and background and some investigations will take longer than others. Individuals with more than one residence or more than one employer will require more investigative interviews than individuals with only one residence or employer.

Since the IC actively recruits people who have expert knowledge of foreign languages and cultures, it is not unusual for our applicants to have numerous foreign contacts and overseas travel. In these cases, the investigation must cover more ground and usually takes more time.

Citizenship

You must be a citizen of the United States when you apply to work for the IC. Being a U.S. citizen and a citizen of another country will not automatically disqualify you as long as we can determine you do not pose a heightened risk related to national security. However, dual citizenship may raise questions about foreign preference or loyalty that must be resolved favorably before a clearance can be granted. Similarly, having family members who are not U.S. citizens will not automatically disqualify you as long as we can determine they do not pose a heightened risk. The concerns can vary from case to case and must be addressed on an individual basis.

Drug Use

Recent and/or frequent use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, could raise a security concern and may be disqualifying. It is important to know that the IC is a drug-free workplace. During the application process, a urine test may be required to detect the presence of illegal or controlled substances in an applicant’s system. Positive test results or refusal to be tested may be the basis for denial of employment. Similarly, background investigators will ask questions regarding current and past drug use, and failure to be candid with your investigator and security officials could similarly impact your security clearance eligibility. Once hired, IC employees are subject to random urinalysis testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564 "Drug-Free Federal Workplace."

Personal Integrity and Conduct

Many applicants wonder if they can pass the scrutiny of a comprehensive background investigation. The IC recognizes that no one is perfect. IC security officials consider the nature, extent, seriousness, and recency of past behavior and the likelihood of its continuation or reoccurrence. These security officials weigh the potential risk and benefit of each individual - the whole person - with utmost care. This examination of the whole person involves the careful weighing of all available information—favorable and unfavorable, both past and present, including mitigating factors—to assist in making a security clearance access determination. Although national security is always the paramount consideration, our security experts work hard to ensure that the IC does not unnecessarily turn away someone who could make important contributions to the nation’s intelligence effort.

Polygraph Examination

The IC may use a polygraph to check the veracity of information that bears upon the areas listed above. The IC’s polygraph examiners are highly trained security professionals, and are among the world's best in their field. They work closely and carefully with applicants to ensure that the information upon which clearance decisions are based is as accurate as it can be and is guarded with the strictest confidence.

Medical Fitness

The hiring process may also entail a thorough medical examination of one’s mental and physical fitness to perform essential job functions.

Your Ongoing Responsibilities

Your responsibility to adhere to high standards of personal conduct does not end on the first day of employment. IC employees undergo regular reinvestigations, which can include periodic polygraph examinations. The IC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation in granting, denying, or revoking security clearances.