How long does public trust clearance really take?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I accepted a job offer and I am expected to report pretty much as soon as I have gotten this low level clearance.
I've seen conflicting information - some say 4-5 weeks, others say it could be a few days. I'd like to give adequate notice to my current employer, but I don't want to give notice right now if I'm going to be working there for a few more weeks. It's a pretty low paying job with a lot of turnover. I really don't want a gap because I need to keep my son in daycare and I don't want to pay for weeks when I'm not working. Any suggestions? FWIW, I have good credit, DH and I defaulted on our mortgage a few years ago after the crash but have no other blemishes, and he was able to be cleared at a much higher level, relatively quickly. |
Anonymous
|
Took me a week or so
Don't stress about notice period to old employer your focus is on new one. |
Anonymous
|
Can you share the agency - different agencies have different processes.
|
Anonymous
|
Meaning an interim clearance or the actual final clearance?
If there's an interim clearance thru your agency that can be quick -- I got one earlier this year in like 2-3 weeks and that allowed me to start my job. My final public trust clearance involved an interview with OPM (their contractors), them visiting a few of my references etc. -- and that has been pending for 4 months and counting. |
Anonymous
| Public trust is low level clearance but there is no way it takes only a few weeks. What you get in a few weeks is the interim, the actual PT clearance will take longer, probably 4-6 months (based on heresay, so take it with a grain of salt). It can depend on things like how busy are the investigators, whether an issue is discovered, whether your references get back to the investigator in a timely manner etc. |
Anonymous
| and pray that there is not a govt shut down! |
Anonymous
|
You aren't going to get an answer on here. There's so much variation. A lot depends on who is doing the clearance and what your history is and what turns up.
Don't say anything to your current employer. Until you have the clearance, you don't have a concrete job offer because it is contingent on the clearance. So there's no real basis to put in notice. For all you know, you could be denied the clearance (you just never know). When the clearance comes through, you sincerely explain to your current employer that you would prefer to give longer notice, but it just isn't possible in this case because they need you to start right away, and you didn't know until now that it was a go. Put this in writing so you have a record of it. If your employer is reasonable, they'll understand. If they're not reasonable, then they'll be irritated and, at worst, they'll say you quit without notice to any future employer who calls for a reference. But you'll know that, so if you are ever up for another job and know they'll call, you explain ahead of time, "when you call employer X, they're going to say I didn't give notice, which is true, but there were extenuating circumstances." Most employers actually understand the uncertainty surrounding clearance-contingent jobs. They don't expect you to give notice before the clearance comes through because they know that there is no guarantee it will come through. Until you get a written notice that your clearance was granted, don't say anything to your current employer. If they contact your current employer in the process of investigating for the clearance, then you deal with it at that time. But they may not even contact the current employer directly. If you want, you can ask the hiring manager at the new place if they will let you know before contacting your current employer. I would assume that will be the last call they make. |
Anonymous
|
With the China hack, OPM has been taking an extremely long time to validate all the clearances (from every agency). So your agency may clear you in 2 weeks but it can sit for weeks.
DOJ has been taking 6 weeks on average. |
Anonymous
I believe public trust is all done by OPM, the clearance from your agency is just the interim. Is that not correct?
This won't work in many cases. It seems for many public trust positions, your agency will do a quick interim screening to clear you to start the job, the actual public trust investigation isn't started until after EOD. |
Anonymous
| Anywhere from 1-4 weeks on the fast end for initial checks to 3+months. I'm taking about the initial check, not the full. |
Anonymous
| Public trust clearance process is how secret clearance process was pre 2001. |
Anonymous
| OPM-FIS shouldn't be affected by a shutdown. They are essentially self funded so will work through a shutdown that impacts the rest of the government. |
Anonymous
Not applicable. The report is about security clearance. Public trust is a lower standard, it doesn't give the person any clearance. |
Anonymous
PP you are quoting. There still is no need for OP to tell her employer she is leaving. They might just call to verify employment, in which case they will be referred to HR (the same way mortgage companies verify employment). If they do contact OP's work and actually speak to her manager/supervisor, then she can explain. She still won't have any idea when she will actually be leaving, so there still is no notice to give. Again, there's no job without the clearance. So OP is not under any obligation to tell her current employer she *might* have a job at some unexpected future date and have to leave. There's nothing duplicitous about it. And it sounds like OP's current job is a high turnover job. Now if OP is using a manager at the current job as a character reference, then she should probably talk to them. But my guess is that if they've already offered her the job and she has agreed to the investigation, then they have already checked her professional references. At this point, I still think that there is nothing to say to the current employer. It could take 6 weeks for OP's investigation to clear. Or OP could be denied the clearance. I see it as akin to telling an employer you are going to take maternity leave when you are 6 weeks pregnant: It's too soon. Better off waiting. If they contact employer, then you explain. I'm not suggesting OP lie to her current employer. I just think it is highly presumptuous to put in notice at this point. They may not even BEGIN the clearance process for a few weeks. Perhaps OP could wait until some of her personal references or past employers are actually contacted, so that she knows the investigation is at least underway. Then she could tell her current employer. I imagine OP will be interviewed for her clearance. That would be a good time to ask the investigator about how long these things are taking and whether or not she should notify her current employer. I would take their lead. |