Every week, you can find security clearance advice and answers to common questions through the Ask CJ Series on ClearanceJobs. This week, someone was asking about a contractor background investigation to upgrade to SCI with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
“Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone has experience in the NRO BI process and timelines to adjudicate my TS/SCI? I have had a TS, but my current contract required I be upgraded on the intel side for an SCI. I already had an SCI approved a while back on the DOD side, but the NRO client said they needed one on the intel side according to my company’s security department. They initiated a BI and had me take a CI Poly which was already a requirement for my contract. They just submitted my BI to the client, and it is now in adjudication according to security. I expect there to be some delays as my wife and her family while US citizens are formerly from an adversary country, however I completed all the required foreign contact discloser forms they asked me to fill out and they already interviewed me and others as well as the normal BI stuff (financials, criminal checks etc…) so it’s now just a waiting game. I was advised I passed my poly which is great. I didn’t have any experience with NRO in the past so not sure if they are like most other agencies I have worked with or not. Anyone here who has any insight – would appreciate the feedback if any.”
CJ Says: Welcome to the Hardest Part — Waiting
First, the good news: if your security team is telling you the investigation has been completed and the case is now with the customer for adjudication, you’ve made it through a significant portion of the process.
But if you’re hoping we can tell you that means you’re two weeks, 30 days, or even 90 days away from SCI access, unfortunately, we don’t have a crystal ball. And neither does the person on an internet forum who tells you, “Mine took exactly six weeks.”
The original poster in this ClearanceJobs discussion already holds a TS clearance and previously had SCI access through DoD. His new contract, however, requires SCI access associated with an Intelligence Community customer, which resulted in additional processing, a background investigation and a CI polygraph. His security department says the investigation has now been submitted for adjudication.
That’s an important distinction because clearance eligibility, SCI eligibility and actual access are related, but they’re not interchangeable.
ODNI policy states that eligibility for SCI access is contingent on meeting Intelligence Community personnel security standards, including the required investigative activities and application of the national security adjudicative guidelines. Intelligence Community policy also addresses reciprocity and what are commonly called “crossover” cases when clearance or access sponsorship moves from one agency to another.
So having held SCI previously is certainly relevant, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a new customer will simply flip a switch and grant access.
What Happens During Adjudication?
An investigation gathers information. An adjudication determines what that information means from a national security perspective. Under the federal adjudicative process, adjudicators evaluate the information developed during the investigation using the national security adjudicative guidelines and the whole-person concept. That means both favorable and potentially unfavorable information is considered rather than treating one fact in someone’s background as an automatic yes or no.
That’s also why comparing your timeline to someone else can quickly become an exercise in frustration. Two people could submit paperwork on the same day, work for the same contractor and support the same customer and still move through the process differently.
One case might be relatively straightforward. Another could require clarification, additional records, review of foreign contacts or connections, or some other follow-up before an adjudicator is comfortable making a determination.
What About the Foreign Family Connections?
The poster specifically mentioned that his wife and her family are originally from a country considered a U.S. adversary, although they are now U.S. citizens. He also said he disclosed the relationships, completed the requested foreign contact paperwork and participated in interviews about them. Foreign connections can receive additional scrutiny, particularly at the SCI level, but the existence of foreign-born relatives isn’t itself enough for us to predict the outcome of an individual case.
Foreign connections are evaluated under the national security adjudicative guidelines, particularly when the circumstances could create a potential conflict of interest or vulnerability to foreign influence, pressure or coercion. But being foreign-born, or having family members who were born abroad, does not by itself determine the outcome. Adjudicators consider the nature of the relationships, the country involved, the individual’s ties and loyalties to the United States, reporting and disclosure, and the circumstances of the case.
More broadly, the adjudicative guidelines emphasize considering the totality of the available information. Full and accurate disclosure matters. Trying to predict how much additional time a particular foreign connection might add, however, isn’t something anyone outside the adjudicative process can reliably do.
Does Passing the Poly Mean You’re Almost Done?
It’s certainly one less unknown in the process, particularly when the polygraph is required for the position. But passing a CI polygraph shouldn’t be interpreted as a countdown clock to SCI access.
The polygraph is one component of the security process. The adjudicator still has to review the investigative record and determine whether the individual meets the applicable personnel security standards.
And even after an eligibility determination, access to classified information still depends on the appropriate clearance or eligibility and a legitimate need-to-know. DCSA similarly distinguishes between the eligibility determination and the granting of access.
So, How Long Will It Take?
That’s the million-dollar question, and unfortunately there isn’t a useful universal answer.
Once your investigation reaches adjudication, the timeline can depend on the agency, workload, complexity of the case, whether additional information is needed, and the customer’s own security and access requirements.
We don’t have a crystal ball that can give you an actual timeline, because the final eligibility determination rests with the appropriate adjudicative authority based on the completed investigation and applicable security standards. Access itself is ultimately controlled by the sponsoring organization.
That’s why anecdotal timelines should be taken for exactly what they are: anecdotes.
Someone telling you their NRO processing took three weeks doesn’t mean yours will. Someone else saying theirs took six months doesn’t mean you’re headed for the same wait.
At this stage, stay responsive to your security office, provide anything additional that’s requested promptly, continue meeting your reporting obligations, and try not to read too much into periods of silence.
In the clearance world, sometimes “no news” really does just mean your file is sitting somewhere in the process waiting for the next set of eyes. And unfortunately, that’s one part of the process even Ask CJ can’t put a date on.
Much about the clearance process resembles the Pirate’s Code: “more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” For this reason, we maintain ClearanceJobsBlog.com – a forum where clearance seekers can ask the cleared community for advice on their specific security concerns. Ask CJ explores questions posed on the ClearanceJobs Blog forum, emails received, and comments from this site. This article is intended as general information only and should not be construed as legal advice. Consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.
