Accepting a Job Offer Contingent on Obtaining an Interim Secret Security Clearance

Landing a job offer should be cause for celebration, but when it hinges on an interim security clearance, the waiting game can bring plenty of “what ifs.” For one ClearanceJobsBlog subscriber, the biggest question is whether living with foreign-national in-laws could put that offer at risk. With one in-law holding a green card, another awaiting approval, and additional relatives seen casually at family gatherings, the reader wants to know: How might these relationships affect interim Secret eligibility, and does sharing a home make a difference?

“I’ve accepted a job offer that is contingent on me getting an Interim secret security clearance. My main red flags are foreign contacts. I live with my parents-in-law who are citizens of a country that is mid-tier as far as friendliness with the US. They own the house, we pay rent. They were granted military PIP, so my MIL is now a green card holder and my FIL’s green card is still pending. They are both working towards US citizenship. I’ve also listed some of my wife’s aunts and uncles as foreign contacts as we see them at family gatherings, but my communication with them is very casual.

So, my questions are:

• Does living with my in-laws make it highly likely that my interim will be denied?
• Has anybody been in a similar situation when applying for an interim clearance, and is so, what was the outcome?”

Living with foreign-national in-laws does not automatically disqualify you, and the information here is not enough to say an interim Secret clearance is “highly likely” to be withheld. Under Guideline B ie Foreign Influence, shared living arrangements become a concern when the relationship creates a heightened risk of foreign pressure, manipulation, or coercion. Citizenship alone does not determine the outcome.

Your in-laws’ residence in the United States, immigration status, and plans for citizenship provide relevant context, but they don’t guarantee approval. Adjudicators would also consider their foreign government connections, ties abroad, and your emotional or financial obligations to them. Paying rent is useful context to explain accurately; it does not, by itself, resolve any potential concern. Casual contact with extended family may be mitigating when it is also infrequent and presents little risk of foreign influence.

An interim determination is based on an initial review before the full investigation is complete and adjudicated. If DCSA cannot grant it, the case may be marked “Eligibility Pending” and await the completed investigation. That is not a final clearance denial. Your circumstances could require further investigation, but that is a possibility—not a prediction about your case.

Your most useful next steps are to:

• Give your employer’s Facility Security Officer accurate details about the household, rent arrangement, immigration status, and foreign relationships.
• Follow the SF-86’s reporting instructions and describe the actual frequency and nature of contact.
• Ask whether the employer can keep the offer open or provide unclassified work if interim eligibility is not granted.

Country conditions can provide useful context when discussing foreign ties. The State Department’s travel advisories range from Level 1, “Exercise Normal Precautions,” to Level 4, “Do Not Travel,” and identify risks such as kidnapping, terrorism, and wrongful detention. Lower levels generally indicate fewer travel safety concerns, while higher levels call for greater caution. These are travel safety ratings, however, not rankings of a country’s friendliness toward the United States or a formula for clearance approval. A higher advisory level does not automatically make a foreign contact disqualifying, and a lower level does not guarantee interim eligibility. The specific relationship and potential for foreign pressure remain central to the clearance review.