Security Clearance (SC) Q&A Read first before asking questions

[malvolio]

Am not so sure that is the employers call.

No, it's down to the local Site Security Officer or equivalent, who tracks cleared personnel. Clearance is a risk assessment; if they know you, know your status and have an idea where you've been since you left them, and assuming your original clearance is still valid (Clearances last five years for contractors as long as you need to hold it; the one year carry-over is merely an administrative convenience) then it's their decision whether or not you need to go through the system again.

[psychocandy]

So in my case if its up to original employer A then they are likely to be happy to transfer to new outsourcing company they are using i guess. Even if i left 2 years ago.

I guess then as long as i start to work for new client they now hold my reg and im ok for 12 months even if i subsequently leave?

[malvolio]

So in my case if its up to original employer A then they are likely to be happy to transfer to new outsourcing company they are using i guess. Even if i left 2 years ago.

I guess then as long as i start to work for new client they now hold my reg and im ok for 12 months even if i subsequently leave?

Perhaps. Depends on why you left. And if your clearance is acceptable to the new SSO for the role in question. And assuming you've havent' gone to some far flung foreigh land on the Home Office's list.

As I keep saying - and one day it will sink in - there are no hard and fast rules about transfer and/or retention of clearances.

[psychocandy]

Perhaps. Depends on why you left. And if your clearance is acceptable to the new SSO for the role in question. And assuming you've havent' gone to some far flung foreigh land on the Home Office's list.

As I keep saying - and one day it will sink in - there are no hard and fast rules about transfer and/or retention of clearances.

Voluntary redundancy so no bad vibes there I hope! lol.

[psychocandy]

OK. Long story but gig pulled prior to monday start.

To summarise, heres the score.

Two years ago worked as permie for company A on site X. Now company A outsource some of their stuff to company B who work on site at X. I get contract with company B who manage to resurrect my SC (presumably by speaking nicely to company A who they've got a business relationship with).

But like I said, gig is pulled. Where does this leave my SC?

1. Still lapsed as it won't transfer from A to B until I would have started to work for them on monday?
2. Possibly transferred to B a few weeks ago in readiness for gig and now, with any luck, valid for 12 months again?

Hopefully, (2). At least then there's been some positives. To be fair, I'm hoping company B will be happy to hold my SC and let me use in the next 12 months.

[malvolio]

OK. Long story but gig pulled prior to monday start.

To summarise, heres the score.

Two years ago worked as permie for company A on site X. Now company A outsource some of their stuff to company B who work on site at X. I get contract with company B who manage to resurrect my SC (presumably by speaking nicely to company A who they've got a business relationship with).

But like I said, gig is pulled. Where does this leave my SC?

1. Still lapsed as it won't transfer from A to B until I would have started to work for them on monday?
2. Possibly transferred to B a few weeks ago in readiness for gig and now, with any luck, valid for 12 months again?

Hopefully, (2). At least then there's been some positives. To be fair, I'm hoping company B will be happy to hold my SC and let me use in the next 12 months.

Read the thread properly. The clearance goes with the role, not the person. No role = no clearance. They keep your records for a year as a matter of convenience, and the new client may accept you without re-vetting, but in reality your clearance stopped when you left the last job that needed it.

[psychocandy]

Read the thread properly. The clearance goes with the role, not the person. No role = no clearance. They keep your records for a year as a matter of convenience, and the new client may accept you without re-vetting, but in reality your clearance stopped when you left the last job that needed it.

Confuses me totally. You're probably right malvy but nearly everyone goes with this 12 month thing.

As per my other thread, last gig fell through day before and now they're saying that its because my SC was not valid after all. Even though, two weeks ago they reckon they'd managed to sort it. Of course, could be bulltulip excuse to fob me off.

Got a phone interview now tomorrow which needs SC and to be honest, I don't know if its going to be a showstopper at all.

[malvolio]

Confuses me totally. You're probably right malvy but nearly everyone goes with this 12 month thing.

As per my other thread, last gig fell through day before and now they're saying that its because my SC was not valid after all. Even though, two weeks ago they reckon they'd managed to sort it. Of course, could be bulltulip excuse to fob me off.

Got a phone interview now tomorrow which needs SC and to be honest, I don't know if its going to be a showstopper at all.

You're expecting agencies and prime contractors to understand the clearance system. They don't.

Incidentally, average time for MOD-related SC is now two weeks. The old excuse about it taking months no longer holds water. But you tell the agencies that...

[psychocandy]

Incidentally, average time for MOD-related SC is now two weeks.

Where do u get this info from?

Thats a pity. Got offered it two weeks ago so they could have cleared me from scratch by now!

[malvolio]

Where do u get this info from?

The people from DVA (or whatever they're called now) at a Cabinet Office committee on security management that I belong to through PCG. So hopefully reasonably authoritative...