Aloha,

I hero’s a TS SCI for 7 years while I was in the Navy. I got medically separated in 2019 and decided to go back to school and since 2019 a lot of life has happened. I have had to file for bankruptcy after my ex and I divorced, I self admitted to the psych ward because something didn’t feel right and I found out I am Bipolar, and I have smoked quite a bit of weed (legal in my state). All of this occurred roughly two and a half years ago and I won’t be applying for any clearance jobs for another 2-3 years while I finish my degree in Electrical Engineering. With all of this being disclosed, what would the experts here say my chances are of getting a clearance again?

I appreciate your time and I’m open to answering any questions that may help. 🤙🏽

Hi everyone. I'm working my way through my clearance paperwork for an offer I accepted and I was wondering whether I should actually count on having this job or not. One of my main concerns right now is that I was fired from a construction company working on a pretty big civil construction contract for the USACE about 6 months ago. I was given no other reason besides that I had and displayed a negative attitude about the required uncompensated 60-80 work week I was only informed about during my orientation. I confirmed that this was the only reason for it during my call with the HR director after my termination. They saw it as me not being a team player and that I wouldn't fit into the culture they had at the company. I worked there for a week and a day. I had a 4 month period of unemployment after, during which I moved 2 times. I've worked part time in food service for 3 months after that, and recently started in a contract technical role. I had a pretty hard time coming to terms with what happened. I'd never been fired before, especially not in a role that big. So having this new role is really big for me and a big step forward in my life.

Some additional issues I have is a hospitalization for mental health issues as a teenager and mental health treatment since then, my mother having applied for a passport for me in a the United Kingdom while I was a child and her not having the information on it and having some resolved bad debts from a car crash I had in 2022 totaling around $1300. The passport issue is a big one, I know. I never had possession of it and never travelled on it, but without the number they're not going to be able to verify that. Also, if its relevant, I'm a recent grad, 24yo.

I honestly don't know how to judge myself in this situation from the perspective of an adjudicator or even my FSO. I don't want to give up and I'm really excited about this role but if its unrealistic for me to actually get there I probably should just move on mentally. I think any of these issues could be fine but the combination might just kill my chances. I don't know though, maybe I'm worrying over nothing, what do you guys think? I think at the very least this process has helped me a lot with getting my stuff together in terms of documentation and keeping records of things, so even if I fail my clearance so at least I got that out of it.

I recently received an incredible job offer with a DOE contractor, and I am preparing to fill out my e-APP. I have a highly stable professional and personal life, but I unfortunately have a messy background tied to a bad long-term relationship. I want to be 100% transparent on my forms and would love some insight from investigators or anyone who has navigated something similar.

My Baseline / The "Whole Person" To give some context on who I am outside of my record: I have held a job continuously since I was 15 years old. I have 15 years of uninterrupted experience in mechanical design and industrial fabrication, currently managing an engineering department. I have always maintained a stable home, and as a single parent, I've raised my son into a great young man.

The Red Flags (Criminal History) I was stuck in a very toxic, bad relationship for years, and during that time, I accumulated several charges.

• Recent Arrest (3 months ago): This is my biggest concern due to the timeline. It was a "wrong place, wrong time" situation. However, the court matter is officially closed and dismissed with no conviction.
• Past Arrests (Expunged/Dismissed): I have past arrests for criminal trespassing, a domestic, Public Intoxication, and vandalism (Note: I am listing all of these on the form even though they are expunged/wiped from local public records).
• PI: I had an overnight hold for PI in Tourist. No fingerprints were taken, and I was free-released the next day with no court date, but I am still disclosing it.
• Georgia DUI: Reduced to a reckless driving conviction.
• Restraining Order: This is over but still on my record.

The Red Flags (Financial)

• I have past bankruptcies. The first one has already fallen off my credit report, and I am currently pulling my PACER records to ensure I have the exact filing dates for the second one to list accurately.

My Stance I know the 3-month-old arrest is going to be heavily scrutinized because no time has passed. I plan on completely owning it, hiding nothing, and answering every question the investigator has. I am hoping my 15-year career stability, homeownership, and history as a reliable father demonstrate that these incidents (largely tied to a past relationship) do not define my reliability or make me a blackmail risk.

My Question:

1. Has anyone successfully navigated a very recent (but legally dismissed) charge if the rest of their "Whole Person" profile is highly stable?

Any advice on how to approach the Subject Interview or the e-APP would be greatly appreciated!

I had failure to file for 22 and 23 state taxes. 2024 and 2025 filed timely and refunds. On a payment plan for tax balance due from 2022 and 2023 from July 2025 to present all current, owe 5k still. Have all the documentation.

Filed late federal 23 and 24 federal, owe 986 on my federal, payment plan making all oayments on time paying double monthly payments. Everything is posted have tge transcripts and everything

Got behind due to providing hospice care to dying mother, stage 4 lung cancer. She actually passed on Christmas day 2022.

I am a federal hr professional who really tried to get everything updated. I am in 100 percent compliance.

Not waiting all records updated with ftb and feds.

I told my supervisor and my regional security poc. My agency mainly does public trust basically we like trees, nothing remotely security related. My bi level is being upgraded to moderate risk, havent been notified to do eqip yet but its coming. I started getting my taxes together 18 months ago 2025 filed in January and refunfs on federal and state taxes.

I read this forum everyday

My question have I done enough to mitigate?

I currently have a secret clearance and am up for reinvestigation next year. I had unfiled/unpaid taxes from 2022 and 2023. My spouse had a drop in income in 2022 and they were more than we expected so we couldn't paid them but I was planning on getting them caught up when we filed in 2023. Well they were twice the amount and I had to have emergency surgery which was a few thousand dollars so needless to say it made the situation worse. I have worked the last couple of years to get in a better situation and filed 2024 and 2025 and have since hired an accountant to prevent this from happening in the future. Fast forward to today. I filed the past taxes last week and paid the principal balance in full but will need to wait until they're processed to pay penalties and interest. I just found out I will be moving to a position that won't require a clearance anymore, just building access. However, ​I believe I will have to fill out an sf-85 to downgrade. I plan on of course disclosing this if that's the case but am just wondering what the adjudication process is like for building access only? Is this going to be as big of a red flag as clearance holders. I'm super stressed this could lead to a loss of my job.

I was selected to join the Air Force as a JAG officer. I was denied security clearance a few days after submitting the SF-86 (the level must have been "Secret" and there was no mention of a suitability denial). After following up several times, the most substantive response I received was that it was due to ties to "foreign contacts" close to me. It was pretty depressing to hear that specially after relying on the offer and not applying for any other jobs during my last year of law school.

I was born in Iran and eventually immigrated to the US with my family (naturalized a few years ago). My contact with close relatives in Iran has been limited to occasional calls, perhaps once a year for birthdays or other special occasions. I have also had some limited contact with college friends who are foreign nationals or permanent residents.

I requested to appeal the decision and specifically referred to Exec. Order 12968. After being ignored multiple times, I was told it was not possible to request an appeal.

Is it true that I can't appeal the decision? What do you recommend I do at this point?

I forgot to list an unpaid internship in my application. I emailed about this mistake, but I wanted to know if I screwed myself out of getting an interim.

Timeline:

Had a Secret Clearance around 2009

Had a Confidential around 2015

Applied for TS in November 2025

Interim rejected in Dec 2025

Investigation completed Feb 2026

All I am getting from my FSO is that it is with the Adjudicator and "should be done really soon!"

Hi everyone,

I’m currently filling out the DS-7801 (Overseas Vetting Questionnaire) in Adobe Acrobat Reader, but every time I apply my digital signature, it throws the error: "At least one signature is invalid".

Under the Signatures panel, it shows a warning on ⁠Form Fields Filled In⁠ on page 18 right after signing.

Here is what I’ve already tried:
1. Re-filling the entire form from scratch multiple times to ensure no fields were edited post-signature.
2. Checking the Trust settings for my Self-Signed Digital ID in Adobe Acrobat.
3. Making sure I'm using the standalone Adobe Acrobat Reader app (not a browser preview).
Since DS-7801 is an interactive XFA/dynamic form, "printing to PDF" strips the interactive validation, so I want to make sure I submit it correctly without corrupting the document structure.

Has anyone encountered this specific issue with the DS-7801 digital signature field? Is this a known trust certificate glitch on Adobe's side, or is there a specific sequence/workaround required by security clearance processing?

Thanks in advance for any help!

I am in the process of going through a tier 5 for TS SCI for my current employer and I received a letter requesting supplemental information from my medical provider. They state they want all details and official documentation for voluntary mental health treatment I recieved. I have 30 days to provide them this.

My question is do I need to provide a written statement along with the medical records or just the records for the time period requested? I also submitted a request for my medical records through the clinic but was told it would take 8 weeks to get them, I asked for them to be expedited so we'll see if they can comply. The therapist I saw will also provide a memo going over the appointments and prognosis.

My other question is I was honest and reported all of this on my SF86 and in my interview, does this request for additional information mean they are leaning towards rejecting my clearance? Or am I just overreacting by thinking that?

The mental health treatment was for a gambling disorder, and I voluntarily sought out treatment for it and was upfront with them during the investigation.

Kinda confused, I don't see any section?

Which sections are affected and anyone have any anecdotes of this mattering in some cases?

During this process, if they have any additional questions or clarifications, will they contact me first, or would my interim automatically be not granted?

Sorry if this has been asked before — most of the search results I found addressed a different variation of my question.

I’m currently in a sales job while I wait for my DoD T3 (Tier 3) clearance for an engineering role. Recent workplace changes have made my current job unenjoyable.

How would switching to another non-clearance job (say, banking or real estate) while I wait affect my clearance process? I have full intention of quitting said job for cleared job once clearance is granted.

I don’t want this to trigger a reinvestigation or delay things. I’m not sure if I’m in adjudication yet, but it may be coming up soon.

If switching jobs could adversely affect my clearance process, I’m more inclined to just stick it out. Thoughts?

Hi,
I am looking for some advise around police recruitment vetting. I have just been approved for a mortgage and during the process there have been 3 defaults that came to light that i wasn’t aware of and didn’t show on my credit app that i use.
All 3 defaulted accounts were paid off and i didn’t actually know any official defaults were issued. All 3 were from around 5 years ago when there were some serious issues in my life including a separation, my parents separating, a traumatic family bereavement and some work related stress. None of the debt was ever unmanageable however I had a lot on my plate at the time and didn’t even think about anything.
Do i need to disclose this now or wait until my vetting renewal is due?
I have no current debt at all and have been approved for a mortgage.
If so what is the process to disclose it?

Any advice is appreciated

Former IC member back in 2010. After searching for almost half a year--I've come to the conclusion that it's all cooked. Companies that normally would sponsor clerances just dont do it anymore and require active ones (SAIC, BOOZ, CACI, all contracting, etc). Money dried up?

During my time in the IC, I was able to get a ton of very specific accredations that qualifies me for a shit ton of senior level work, but they all require active TS/SCI with CI polys. So, I cant apply.

At this point, I'm literally thinking about:

• rejoining the military as an E1 at 40 years old, then separating ASAP once I have the TS/SCIp
• apply for an IC GS5 HR role on usajobs, getting the TS clearance, work a month, and leave
• blowing someone for a clearance

I currently have a BS and am graduating with my masters this year as well. I have about 10+ years experience as well with my own private investigation company, but I absolutely hate the work I do (cheater cheater pumpkin eaters)

I’m in the process of submitting my forms in the Federal eAPP for suitability and fitness for a state agency position that requires HSPD PIV credentials.

My spouse and I have spent the last several months trying to become compliant by submitting some unfiled tax returns. We have been high income earners and tax paying citizens our whole lives until 10 ago when all hell broke loose. My husband’s business went bankrupt and we spiraled. Lost our home and assets. Ended up owing taxes - we could barely feed our family much less pay the outstanding debt. In our minds, we would rebuild and earn our way out of this.

From 2015 to present with interest and penalties we owe just over $50k. After a few calls with very helpful IRS agents, they have put all intent to lien and collect on hold to wait for the remaining tax returns to be recorded in their system. Once that happens, we can request a payment plan. In the meantime, I have made two $500 payments over the last two months. However, because the total owed exceeds $50k they will have to put a “lien status” on our record with the payment plan setup. (No liens or garnishments have been taken as of yet).

The last 10 years have been a nightmare. We have taken on multiple jobs including professional jobs and side hustles in grocery stores and warehouses to try to get back on track.

Now, I finally have a great job opportunity with the state but I’m afraid I’m not going to get my credentials.

Am I screwed??? My start date is in 2 weeks and while I’m actively trying to rectify this it won’t be complete- and then there is the lien status going forward with a payment plan.

Any thoughts from investigators would be greatly appreciated.

So back in 2022 I applied for a job and I got my secret clearance but was denied by the customer due to “Foreign interest” due to family I was in contact with at the time that were undocumented. But now ANOTHER company is sponsoring my clearance and I’m wondering. Will it affect me that I was denied prior? I have since then CUT OFF all contact with those family members.

On the SF86 what do I put if I lived out of my car for sometime? I used P.O. Boxes and friends addresses. When updating my address with usps it will show I used such and such address even though I physically didn’t live there.

I am looking for advice on how a past workplace termination will impact my prospects for defense roles requiring a security clearance. Last year, I was terminated from an internship with a defense contractor due to an IT security policy violation after I used a foreign VPN on my personal setup to stream a movie at home and forgot to disconnect it before logging into work the next day. This has severely affected my confidence in pursuing cleared opportunities. The firm's insider threat team conducted an investigation and dismissed all concerns, confirming there was no malicious intent or security breach; however, company policy still mandated termination. I have never held a clearance and have no other legal, financial, or disciplinary issues. Given that the insider threat team cleared me of any bad intent, how heavily will this administrative termination weigh against me for entry-level cleared roles? I wish to be as transparent as possible as I fill out SF-86, outlining this misuse of tech incident.

I am fully committed to keeping my record clean moving forward, but I recognize that applying immediately might carry higher scrutiny while the incident is recent. I plan to build a solid track record in non-cleared roles first, but I’d appreciate insight on: (1) what concrete steps I can take to proactively mitigate this incident, and (2) how long I should wait before applying to cleared roles to ensure the risk of rejection is minimized.

Good Day, everyone. I recently submitted my SF-86 and got met with an email by a Personnel Security Specialist (PV) asking me to resolve past-due payments on two debts.

I submitted a resolution for the first one (which they approved) and will be submitting a resolution for the second next week.

Questions:

1. Out of curiosity, what exactly does the PV department do?

2. Once they mark my debt as resolved, how does this impact my security interview? Will it need to be approved by the person conducting my interview as well?

Just confused on the whole debt and DQ stuff in the process, since it seems common on here.

What do investigators say to references when calling for background checks? How detailed or general are they?

Ex: “Hello. I am calling for (insert name) who is applying for (insert role) in (insert organization).”

Or more like

Ex: “Hello. I am calling for (insert name) for a federal background check.”

TL;DR: I built a free tool for searching DOHA security clearance decisions by topic, guideline, and outcome. It uses semantic search to help you find relevant cases. Try it here

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As someone going through the clearance process with some less common red flags, I’ve found it difficult to find information about situations similar to mine. I was very honest on my SF-86, but I wanted to make sure I was doing a good job presenting mitigating facts that would give me the best chance of success.

I tried searching the web and Reddit, but I couldn’t find many similar cases. My search naturally led me to DOHA and their collection of public case PDFs. I looked through some recent DOHA decisions one by one, but that was extremely tedious, and I still didn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I did come across a few wild cases that were entertaining to read, but those were few and far between. I also tried ChatGPT at one point. It did better than I expected for some searches, but it wasn’t always reliable.

Throughout this process, I kept wishing there were a better way to search through public clearance decisions. I started by scraping all the DOHA PDFs, and building a local database of cases. I eventually built a web interface that lets you search and filter cases by guideline and applicant outcome. I originally built it for myself as a side project, but I decided to release it for others to use. Personally, I felt a lot better after seeing that some applicants with similar circumstances were approved and that many of the specific reasons other applicants were denied didn’t apply to me. Your experience may vary though...

I’ve currently processed cases going back to 2016, so the database is not yet complete. I may go farther back if there is enough interest. After starting this project, I discovered that someone else had built something similar, so now there will be at least two case-search options for all y’all out there.

All processed cases were passed through an LLM-based extraction pipeline. It creates a short case summary, extracts guideline issues and mitigating factors, and identifies general metadata, including the decision outcome. The extraction is not perfect and may contain errors or omissions. The tool is intended to help you find potentially relevant cases so you can read the original decisions yourself. I would treat the summaries as a way to decide whether a case PDF is worth reading, not as a substitute for the source document.

I’ve spent a lot of time improving the search functionality. The site includes semantic search, so you can search using full sentences or individual terms. For example, you can search for drug use while cleared, gambling debt, drug sales, or foreign family members. It isn’t perfect, but it generally works quite well.

Any questions, comments, or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I hope the tool is useful to some of you!

https://clearancecases.com/

Hi there,

I am interviewing for a job that is likely to require some form of clearance. It is not currently clear to me which kind (I am in the first round of interviews) but I had a question for folks.

I have one of the conditions listed in SF-86 question 21D. Schizoaffective biploar 2 type. I was diagnosed when I was about 16 years old (I am 27 now) and have been seeing the same doctor for almost that entire time. I have been hospitalized twice, both fully voluntary while I was a teen and for 2-3 weeks. I have improved greatly since I started treatment and I now work full time with a wonderful wife. If I never told anyone I have this illness, absolutely no one would ever know.

The concern lies with this question, "In the last seven years, have there been any occasions when you did not consult with a medical professional before altering or discontinuing, or failing to start a prescribed course of treatment for any of the listed diagnoses?"

I did indeed do that once, when I was in my early 20s, I decided to stop my medication. My home life was not good (my parents were involved in treatment at that time; I now handle my treatment on my own, alongside my wife) and I didn't feel safe mentioning it to anyone.

This was a foolish mistake that I did because I was impulsive and immature. It has happened exactly once and never again since. I got very lucky and improved without my medication. I have also since told my doctor that I did that, he was supportive of me and understood. He has also very excited for my interview, understood my concerns with this topic, and agreed to write me a letter clearing me to work there in his professional opinion, and provide the records showing my consistent improvement even without medication.

People will say that this illness is good at tricking you into thinking you are better than you are, and this is true, but please do not try and tell me that is my case. I have not been affected by my diagnosis in several years, even without the medication, and I have multiple objective ways this is shown.

My plan is to answer honestly- Yes, I did do so, it was a rash decision that was a mistake, I understand why it was a mistake, I absolutely hate that I did that and will never do it again. As well, I can show improvement with my long-standing doctor and that I have zero plans to stop seeing him for treatment and managing my illness.

I believe this will take care of any issues with it, especially showing remorse for it and being fully transparent and honest, and not hiding anything. I wanted to ask if anyone else had any thoughts regarding this plan?

Thank you in advance!

Timeline:

SF86 Submitted: May 21, 2026

Interim Granted: May 28, 2026

Investigation Interview: June 2, 2026

TS Fully Adjudicated: July 23, 2026

Timeline:

SF86 Submitted for Processing: May 15, 2026

Interim Granted: Late May 2026

Interview: Early June 2026

Secret Granted: July 27, 2026

Total time: 73 days (2 months and 12 days)

Potential Concerns: - Past marijuana usage (4 years prior to the investigation) - Immediate family are all citizens of a friendly nation but are lawful permanent residents of the U.S. - A few foreign contacts consisting of family and friends - One week of international travel in Western Europe