With the security clearance process continuously changing, and quality information about where you’re at in the process difficult to come by, our ClearanceJobsBlog chatter is constant. A visitor to the ClearanceJobsBlog – an online forum and discussion site for security officers, background investigators, and security cleared professionals – recently asked:
How close is the T4 to the T5 background investigation? T4 being the new SF85P and the SF86. If you completed a T4 6 months ago and now need a T5, will they interview employers and references again?
Some government positions don’t require a security clearance, but do involve access to sensitive information. These positions are deemed positions of public trust. While frequently referred to as public trust security clearances, public trust codifies a level of eligibility to access sensitive information. Individuals applying to public trust positions will fill out an SF-85P.
While the Tier 4 Investigation uses Standard Form 85P, the Tier 5 Investigation for TS/SCI level positions utilizes Standard Form 86. With the implementation of the Personnel Vetting Questionnaire (PVQ) and the shift from five to three tiers under Trusted Workforce 2.0, the transition between a High Risk Public Trust and Top Secret security clearance will become more seamless.
The implementation timeline for the shift remains unclear. For now, with different investigative forms required, reciprocity between a High Risk Public Trust and Top Secret clearance requires more complicated, and most agencies will require a completely new form an investigation process.
Here are the new tiers under Trusted Workforce 2.0:
High Tier (formerly Tiers 4 & 5): High Risk-Public Trust, DOE Q, Top Secret, SCI, Critical Sensitive, Special Sensitive.
Moderate Tier (formerly Tiers 2 & 3): Moderate Risk-Public Trust, DOE L, Non-Critical Sensitive, Confidential and Secret Information.
Low Tier (formerly Tier 1): Nonsensitive-Low Risk, Physical/Logical Access, HSPD-12 Credentialing.
Until the PVQ is fully in place and NBIS is more operational, however, candidates are likely to experience a delay in the transfer of trust between the two positions.
