1 year SC inactivity period ??

[Darren_Test]

I understand there is maximum 1 year SC inactivity period ( working on non-SC roles) between 2 SC roles. That is if you are in a Non-SC role you need to come back to a SC role within a year to keep your SC valid.
After my last SC role in May 2012 I was in Non-SC roles till recently & now I am back in a SC role. But my current employer is not yet applied for transfer as they were going through my Basic Clearance. Now they fear DBS (Defence Business Service) is taking lot of time to complete transfer & encourages me to opt for a fresh SC as they feel that’s easier option & transfer might not be completed transfer process within 1 year gap.
Can anyone confirm once SC transfer is applied will it be considered as end of SC inactivity period & thus time taken for SC transfer will not affect the validity?

[northernladuk]

You did see the SC clearance thread sticky ??

https://www.gov.uk/security-vetting-and-clearance

About a third of the way down...

Counter Terrorist Check, Security Check and Developed Vetting – common criteria
e. No more than 12 months has elapsed since the individual left the organisation for which the clearance was originally granted or subsequently transferred to and joining the one applying for latest transfer.

[northernladuk]

Or the whole lot..

Transfer of a NSV clearance within MOD organisations and defence contractors
When a person holding a NSV clearance transfers or moves to a new employing organisation, there may be a continuing requirement for them to hold a security clearance either at the same or lower level. For example, a serviceman or woman leaves one branch of HMF and transfers to another service or moves on to a role in defence industry or as a MOD civilian. Similarly an employee of a defence contractor moves to another job and is employed by a different contractor.

In these situations the new employing sponsor submits a request to DBS NSV for the security clearance to be transferred. The ‘Transfer’ request allows DBS NSV to assess the individual’s suitability for transfer of the security clearance and enables the outcome to be recorded against the correct sponsor. The request can be for the security clearance to be at the same level issued to the original sponsor or at a lower level, based on the needs of the new sponsor. An example of this would be when the SC element of a DV clearance is needed by the new sponsor. It is for the sponsor to set out what is required and for DBS NSV to consider whether the request for transfer can be met.

Criteria for transfer
Before a transfer can take place the following criteria will need to be met.

Security Check and Counter Terrorist Check
a. The security clearance must not be more than 10 years old for directly employed MOD, HMF or List X contractor’s personnel, or for an employee of a Non List X contractor, more than 5 years old (for SC) or 3 years old (for CTC). If a direct employee of MOD, HMF or LX transfers to a NLX contractor, the security clearance can be issued for the remaining duration of the extant clearance or 5 years (SC) or 3 years (CTC), from the date of the transfer, whichever is the lesser.

Developed Vetting
b. The DV security clearance must not be more than 10 years old for directly employed MOD or HMF (excluding reservists) personnel or 7 years for LX and NLX contractors’ staff. If a direct employee of MOD or HMF (excluding reservists) transfers to LX or NLX, the DV can be issued for 7 years from the original start date.

c. The expiry date of the security clearance must not have been exceeded. However, if it is established that the vetting subject has remained in continuous employment an extension of up to 6 months may be permitted to allow time for a review to be actioned. In this instance the extended DV clearance may be transferred.

d. The vetting subject must have taken up the post for which they were originally DV cleared within 12 months of the clearance being issued and they must not have been out of a post, for which they required DV clearance for more than 12 months.

Counter Terrorist Check, Security Check and Developed Vetting – common criteria
e. No more than 12 months has elapsed since the individual left the organisation for which the clearance was originally granted or subsequently transferred to and joining the one applying for latest transfer.

f. No more than 6 months of a 12-month period between leaving one employment and joining another has been spent living overseas.

g. The vetting subject must not have undergone any of the following changes in their personal circumstances since the application for the security clearance for which a transfer is under consideration was made: marrying, remarrying, entering into a civil partnership, setting up a stable unmarried relationship which includes living with someone as a couple.

However, if a change of personal circumstances (CPC) questionnaire has already been completed and has been satisfactorily processed, the transfer should still be able to go ahead. Otherwise, it may be possible for the transfer process to be paused while the vetting subject completes a CPC form.

Procedure
Once a prospective sponsor has satisfied themselves that a transfer of clearance is feasible they should submit a Transfer Request Form to DBS NSV by emailing DBS NSV directly using the phrase ‘Transfer Request’ in the subject line, to [email protected].

[TheFaQQer]

Not all SC is transferable - some departments only trust themselves to do it.

[Darren_Test]

Sorry, that's not actually correct. As someone who (working in a government department security unit) has lots of contractors manage to locate us and phone asking for transfers (we've sponsored a few thousand through SC) I can categorically state that the previous sponsor of the clearance cannot 'push' the clearance. When we get phoned up, we just send the caller back to their new employer.

The process can only happen by the new employer sending a transfer form to DBS-NSV (assuming List X) and they will then make the arrangements to change the sponsor. There may be decisions on whether or not to accept the SC or DV when they get the full details of the file including the assessed risk level and any caveats.

Incidentally, the 12 months is not a hard-and-fast rule, and can be flexed slightly based on individual circumstances. It is formed around the risks of not knowing what a cleared invididual was doing over that time - given that sometimes transfers can take a while to complete, generally if you were known to the new sponsor before the 12 months were up there is no reason for there to be a problem if the transfer isn't completed until a while later - the file isn't automatically closed by DBS-NSV on the day the twelth month expires.

There are slight variations depending on whether the individual is employed by a public body or a List X (either before or after transfer) as (to put it loosely) the public bodies just get a report by DBS, and are responsible for making their own risk decisions on whether to grant the clearance or vetting (so, potentially, anything goes), whereas for List X the risk is ultimately owned by MoD and hence DBS-NSV apply their guidelines to what activities or history (and level of risk) are acceptable before a clearance can be granted. Therefore a clearance might have been granted with things that a public body were happy about in the individual circumstances, but that DBS-NSV find don't comply with their baselines for List X clearances.

Everything for FCOS is broadly the same, some differences for the Agencies due to their particular operating environments - there is no nobody else allowed to do the casework for SC or DV, but as stated it is the risk owner who makes the ultimate decision on what is acceptable in each case.

Understanding the system is a struggle, given that it is more broad rules than tight definitions, and consequently it is dangerous to look at any one individual's experiences (in terms of time overseas, financial or conviction history) and try to draw conclusions about what would be accepted from others - the decision is made on a whole picture, including the role and location to be worked in. I also couldn't claim that the whole thing always make conherent sense - it is partly a product of a long history, and could possibly do with a 'from scratch' rethink in terms of some elements of the policy, but that appears to be too painful an area for Cabinet Office and MoD to want to get in to, as it could have implications on the many already working with it.

Finally, I should of course say that the above is based on the policy and theory, but individual mileage may vary! There are certainly some odd practices out there.

Thanks very much for the details into the SC process. Good to know that there is no 12 months' hard-and-fast rule.

But in my case my new employer already sent transfer form to DBS-NSV. Before sending the transfer form they mentioned its better to apply for a fresh SC clearance (they didn't insist for that) than transfer as DBS is taking too much time to transfer. Since new employer applied within 12 months will that be enough to negate 12 months inactivity rule or DBS need to complete transfer within 12 months.? Thanks.

[SueEllen]

What's the difference between transferring and starting afresh?

Did you have anything on your initial application that made SC clearance take a long time?

[Darren_Test]

What's the difference between transferring and starting afresh?

Did you have anything on your initial application that made SC clearance take a long time?

Ok..

I got SC cleared in 2009 worked there till mid 2012, then joined a non-SC role & was with them till couple of months back. Now I took a temporary SC role just to keep my SC active. I want to leave my current SC role as soon as SC transfer is completed.

My understanding was time taken for SC transfer from one company to another is less compared to new SC clearance application process where I need to submit fresh SC forms etc..

[malvolio]

Ok..

I got SC cleared in 2009 worked there till mid 2012, then joined a non-SC role & was with them till couple of months back. Now I took a temporary SC role just to keep my SC active. I want to leave my current SC role as soon as SC transfer is completed.

My understanding was time taken for SC transfer from one company to another is less compared to new SC clearance application process where I need to submit fresh SC forms etc..

If I untangled your English correctly, you're going to ditch your current role in the vague hope it will keep your SC alive for a bit longer...? Why not stay in the role and guarantee it is?

How cooperative do you expect your current client to be about transferring the clearance of an unreliable worker?

And have you not read the bit that says the clearance goes with the role, not the worker?

And that SC clearance is less than two weeks across the board these days? Quicker if thre is a genuine need.

The time to be clever is when you fully understand what you're talking about.