What doews getting SC security clearance involve?

[Sarah_W]

I'm currently applying for a contract where this will be required. I've looked on the DVA website but can't find a list of what it checks, so presume this isn't published.

For the basic SC check, does anyone know if the following are looked into:
Credit checks/personl finances
Applicants partner
Applicants parents
Previous jobs

[R1-Jay]

yep, all of those

i just said i didnt know the whereabouts of my ex wife and dad, took about 2 months but all went through ok

[john2443]

There is some info on the site below.

The order is (starting from lowest)

Basic checks (BC)
Basic Enhanced (or something like that)
Counter-terrorist check (CTC)
Security check (SC)
Developed vetting (DV)

I've just had CTC done and it took 4 weeks to come through and that included Christmas.
I believe DV takes months and they check if you cousins ever stole a packet of sweets from the corner shop and what their inside leg measurement is, but BC and CTC are quite straightforward.

You can only get clearance with a sponsor (the company you will work for normally). You can't just go ahead and apply for it ready for when you need it.

For CTC the form has mine and spouses details and parent details, info about convictions including driving offences. I think that was about all, it only took 10 mins to complete.

It doesn't ask anything about bank details, but whether thay can check any financial info just from your name I don't know - I guess thay can check if you are bankrupt but I'd be surprised if they could find all your bank accounts and credit cards just from a name.

http://www.securityclearedjobs.com/howtobesecurity...

Edited by john2443 on Friday 15th January 05:30

Edited by john2443 on Friday 15th January 05:40

[vz-r_dave]

I didnt think you could obtain SC clearance on your own? I obtained mine from a Government position. It is certainly not cheap either.

Edited by vz-r_dave on Friday 15th January 06:03

[iain a]

I could tell you... but then I'd have to shoot you.

[fivesixseven8]

Sarah_W said:

I'm currently applying for a contract where this will be required. I've looked on the DVA website but can't find a list of what it checks, so presume this isn't published.

For the basic SC check, does anyone know if the following are looked into:
Credit checks/personl finances
Applicants partner
Applicants parents
Previous jobs

Good luck, but Contract work needing clearance tends to be a catch 22 situation. You won't get the gig without clearance, but can't get clearance without a gig! I gave up trying to get into it after a while, I didn't try that much admittedly though!

vz-r_dave said:

I didnt think you could obtain SC clearance on your own? I obtained mine from a Government position. It is certainly not cheap either.

Edited by vz-r_dave on Friday 15th January 06:03

You cannot. You have to be "sponsored" by an employer from the list.

[Fats25]

fivesixseven8 said:

Good luck, but Contract work needing clearance tends to be a catch 22 situation. You won't get the gig without clearance, but can't get clearance without a gig! I gave up trying to get into it after a while, I didn't try that much admittedly though!

I know you are correct as I looked into this last year.

I do have a couple of questions though if anyone knows the answers.

1) Once SC is obtained - is it retained by the person, or does it need to be a combination of the person and the company. i.e. if I worked for Company A and obtained SC, and then left to contract for company B would I retain the SC?

2) If above is possible - how long does SC remain? Does it have an expiry date?

[vz-r_dave]

Fats25 said:

fivesixseven8 said:

Good luck, but Contract work needing clearance tends to be a catch 22 situation. You won't get the gig without clearance, but can't get clearance without a gig! I gave up trying to get into it after a while, I didn't try that much admittedly though!

I know you are correct as I looked into this last year.

I do have a couple of questions though if anyone knows the answers.

1) Once SC is obtained - is it retained by the person, or does it need to be a combination of the person and the company. i.e. if I worked for Company A and obtained SC, and then left to contract for company B would I retain the SC?

2) If above is possible - how long does SC remain? Does it have an expiry date?

It is retained for a certain time frame and then requires renewal. Mine runs out shortly. As confirmed above you cant do this on your own so your new employer would have to sponser you for renewal.

[john2443]

Fats25 said:

fivesixseven8 said:

Good luck, but Contract work needing clearance tends to be a catch 22 situation. You won't get the gig without clearance, but can't get clearance without a gig! I gave up trying to get into it after a while, I didn't try that much admittedly though!

I know you are correct as I looked into this last year.

I do have a couple of questions though if anyone knows the answers.

1) Once SC is obtained - is it retained by the person, or does it need to be a combination of the person and the company. i.e. if I worked for Company A and obtained SC, and then left to contract for company B would I retain the SC?

2) If above is possible - how long does SC remain? Does it have an expiry date?

1)I have a letter from the Ministry of Justice telling me that I am cleared. I suspect that if I go somewhere else I will have to re apply, but when I had the interview for this contract they asked if I had been SC at some point, I said yes, they were happy that there wouldn't be any problem re applying.

2)CTC is 3 years. Don't know if it's the same for others.

[XJSJohn]

iain a said:

I could tell you... but then I'd have to shoot you.

ohh come on now, don't be shy ...


to OP it involves a big fat bloke with a pair of marigolds and an endescopey!!!!

[fivesixseven8]

Fats25 said:

fivesixseven8 said:

Good luck, but Contract work needing clearance tends to be a catch 22 situation. You won't get the gig without clearance, but can't get clearance without a gig! I gave up trying to get into it after a while, I didn't try that much admittedly though!

I know you are correct as I looked into this last year.

I do have a couple of questions though if anyone knows the answers.

1) Once SC is obtained - is it retained by the person, or does it need to be a combination of the person and the company. i.e. if I worked for Company A and obtained SC, and then left to contract for company B would I retain the SC?

2) If above is possible - how long does SC remain? Does it have an expiry date?

1) Yes, it stays with you.
2) Not sure, once you have it though it is easier to get a second time (as I understand it.)

Recruiters are a bit naughty as they are not allowed to discriminate against those without clearance. We all know it happens though. Having a very particular skill set is the only real way in IMO. There is a fast track approval system that costs the employer a little more too.

[cs02rm0]

Fats25 said:

2) If above is possible - how long does SC remain? Does it have an expiry date?

IIRC it's retained for 5 years, if you leave the company sponsoring you then it will expire a year later if that's earlier.

Once you've been SC cleared once though it's easier to get it again, it seems possible to transfer the clearance even after it's expired.

Apparently the cost to the company for DV clearance is £15k.

[DJC]

A pain in the fking arse these days!

[DJC]

5 yrs?

It used to be 10yrs.

My initial clearence ran out last yr. Its currently being a right pain in the arris to get it sorted again due to the new system and my moving houses.

I wouldnt mind but Im not even working anything MOD, DOD, British or American sodding related though!

The fking French though...I might have altered industry and projects slightly but somethings still remain true...that Thales are still wkers to have to work with!

[Sarah_W]

I had SC clearance for a job I was doing in 2001 upto 2004 but was under the impression it lapses if you work for a company where it's not required for a year. It was so long ago I've completely forgotwhat it involved. We've all got skeletons in our closet and one of mine has been since 2001... no details though ;-)

[Fats25]

Thanks for the replys.

The reason for my questions is than in my current role I have no requirement for SC, but if I had it, it would be advantageous for further roles.

However I have a mate works for a company that does require it, but does not have any roles I would want to do. They often have "lesser" roles coming up though that I could do, and my thinking was I could go in there, obtain clearance, do a short contract and then be free to apply elsewhere. If it is only valid for year afterwards though, it is probably not worth it.

[plg101]

And in a bizarre bit of red tape - if you apply for a job needing SC, get the clearance, and then don't take up that job - but take up another job not needing SC, then your clearance is not maintained - you would have to reapply with a new sponsoring company.

[JD123d]

The essential reason for aquiring clearance is so that the MoD can see how trustworthy you are. The DVA while examining you do not care whether you have skeletons in your closet, within reason, but want to make sure that you don't lie to them about it. This is because if a foreign agent tries to blackmail you with certain information, they would want you to be able tell security and they could move forward accordingly, otherwise you might feel trapped and acquiesce to their demands.

DV clearance is a fairly heavy deal, multiple interviews with past employers as well as friends and family as you will have access to Top Secret information.

Last point, I would not consider it a wise to disclose personal information on here while using this as a information gathering resource for clearance matters.

[rhinochopig]

As an aside you may not need it. There are so many employers who don't understand the requirements of clearance. There is a crucial line in the detail that say something like "continuous and unsupervised access to x level information". So for example you don't need SC clearance to view Restricted information unless your going to be using it continuously. Also you can view Confidential and possibly Top Secret with only SC clearance if you don't need continuous access.

This was told to me by the government chappy that came out to assess my premises. Apparently the over-vetting of people drives them mad.

[DickyC]

SC expires after a year now. I had a contract job at Harwell on Nuclear Decommissioning a coup[le of years ago (inside loads of razor wire surrounded by alarmingly young, heavily armed coppers) but I can't get a SC job now without going through the whole shamozzle again.

So I agree with the Catch 22, chicken and egg, Equity Card thinking.

A job at AWRE came up and I was turned down on the grounds that it would take six weeks to get clearance for me. The job was still being advertised eight weeks later.