How long does it take for NSA pre-employment screening to be conducted? That depends on the nature of the position you are applying to and your background. There is no hard and fast timeline on how quickly their HR function can screen your application, interview you for the position, get out a conditional job offer and let the background investigation process unfold.
However, recent timelines shared on the ClearanceJobsBlog could give you some insight or allow you to take a breath if you are patiently awaiting those golden words: “Your clearance is adjudicated” with a firm job offer in hand:
“Here is my timeline of the NSA Application Process.
Nov 22 – Interview for NSA
Feb 23 – Received CJO
Feb 23 – Completed SF-86
July 23 – Information requested about SF-86
Aug 23 – Background Investigation InterviewI am trying to understand when the polygraph test and psychological processing occurs. Do these two occur concurrently while the Background check is underway? Or will the polygraph and psychological examination occur once the background investigation is complete? Still waiting to hear back from HR on the timeline process.”
POLYGRAPH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
These two processes can happen concurrently and are not dependent upon each other…though they do depend on the agency’s backlog and where you are in the docket. For example, you can have a psych eval scheduled before your security interview, but they may not have a position available for you for months.
Sometimes reference interviews happen before the polygraph exam/psych eval. Or they could happen before and after these processes. There is no set rule or guideline.
Another subscriber notes, “I had security interview, poly, and psych all within three or four days in a row. Reference interviews for me were almost all in the few weeks before I arrived for my appts.”
That may be the best case scenario – other applicants note there could be months of lag between interview, security reviews, and pre-employment processing.
