SC Clearance - Lived abroad?

[rob s]

I spent some time living in Gibraltar and Spain. For those parts, they had to obtain police references to evidence that you hadn't committed crimes in those countries. However this seemed to be too problematic for the sponsor so they just left me at BC and didn't tell me until 2 weeks before the end of the contract. I did find that the person I called at the vetting agency was quite helpful within the remits of what she was allowed to tell me, might be worth giving them a call?

[b0redom]

Yeah, I had been in the UK for 29 years previously though.

[up4it]

Odd. I got mine the 1st time having just spent 18 months travelling around the world - including Africa (Zimbabwe etc), China, south east Asia, and S. America (Chile, Mexico, Belize etc). It did take a while. Renewal I recently did took around 8 weeks I think after a previous ClientCo let it lapse.

Boredom - That is very interesting! Maybe the must have lived in the UK for 3 of the last 5 years guideline has more clout than I thought! I suppose if someone has held clearance previously they would be more lenient.

[b0redom]

Odd. I got mine the 1st time having just spent 18 months travelling around the world - including Africa (Zimbabwe etc), China, south east Asia, and S. America (Chile, Mexico, Belize etc). It did take a while. Renewal I recently did took around 8 weeks I think after a previous ClientCo let it lapse.

[Netraider]

Anyone applied for SC recently and give us an idea of the wait time nowadays?

SC applied for at the Beginning of December 2011. Granted beginning of February 2012. I have been DV and SC cleared in the past.

DV applied for Beginning of March 2012, granted mid July 2012.

As with all of security clearances, the harder it is for the vetting agency to verify information the longer clearance takes. Being abroad for any amount of time is no bar so long as you can prove what you were doing and where you were.

HTH

[Normie]

It used to be quicker to get through the process if you had previously held it but a) am not sure that is the case any more and b) quicker is still a very long time, too long for most contracts to wait so still holds no water with the agents.

Anyone applied for SC recently and give us an idea of the wait time nowadays?

Not sure about SC, but DV clearances seem to be coming through more quickly now. Guy next me had his clearance come through in less than 3 months. When I was vetted DVA told me that most of the delays are due to the slow response times from referees, previous managers, etc.

[up4it]

I once worked with a Muslim convert who asked for a 3 month sabbatical from a large UK defence company because he wanted to go to a Islamic training camp in Afghanistan. 100% true! The Manager did not know he was going there but his request was rejected anyway. That was before 9/11 when the Afghans were fighting the Russians instead of NATO.

[JoJoGabor]

Last year mine took 5 months to come back with a fail, because I had been backpacking in India for two months within the last five years. So I guess I could have been at a terrorist training camp as far as they were concerned

[herman_g]

I applied for SC clearance in 2007 after only 7 months in the UK.

It was granted in about 4 or 5 months - about the same as other contractors that started the same time as me. However, since they were unable to do credit checks in Germany and Canada ( I was quite surprised as they gave the impression they could research everything ) where I had spent 6.5 of the previous 7 years. My SC clearance was limited to 1 year as a result.

One contractor never did get his clearance back ( he worked right through ). The budget was slashed and we all walked at about 11 months anyway.

[up4it]

In 2011 I got mine in 8 weeks. If you have moved around a lot it will take longer as there are more addresses to check out!

[northernladuk]

The guy I sit next to had his completed in about 6 weeks. I doubt he'd lived abroad for any time though.

Bloody hell! Really. They have certainly cleaned their act up. 6 months wasn't uncommon last I was involved.

[bless 'em all]

Anyone applied for SC recently and give us an idea of the wait time nowadays?

The guy I sit next to had his completed in about 6 weeks. I doubt he'd lived abroad for any time though.

[northernladuk]

It used to be quicker to get through the process if you had previously held it but a) am not sure that is the case any more and b) quicker is still a very long time, too long for most contracts to wait so still holds no water with the agents.

Anyone applied for SC recently and give us an idea of the wait time nowadays?

[stek]

SC Clearance - Lived abroad?

My mate had two years in CH, got his, only a five year one and took ages.....

Was a permie role.

There's no chance as a contractor tho I reckon.

[up4it]

Has anyone ever managed to obtain SC clearance after having spent 6 months living abroad in an EU/NATO country or anywhere else for that matter?

Also, would it make a difference if the person had held SC previously?