L OR Q CLEARANCE

[oldradman]

CAN ANY 1 TELL ME HOW A PERSON CAN OBTAIN   L   OR Q CLEARANCE. CAN THE PERSON PAY AND HAVE 1 DONE. OR WHO TO CONTACT TO HAVE IT DONE,ETC AND SO.  WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP WITH THIS.
THANKS

[Carolina Jethro]

You have to be employed or be requested by employer to obtain clearance through DOE. DOE performs the actual investigation.

[MajTom]

DOE/NNSA must request the clearence when the employee is determined to need the access. The OPM (Office of Personnel Management) or FBI actually performs the investigation.

[Ladyradhp39]

I have spoke to someone and it is my understanding whatever occurred before Jan. 1990 is not of any importance. This came from a very reliable source. They are interested in the past seven years. I did explain my situation. I was told if I had the proper rehab, medical reports, doctors reports, and anything else. I would need to present the information. I will have to place my background before any arrest, conviction or any other past garbage. I know I am not the only one with a past.
Can anyone tell me if I am right with my understanding of L & Q clearances?

[Rain Man]

LadyRadHP39, With DOE clearances EVERYTHING is of importance.  I would volunteer anything from your background regardless of when it happened.  They are very concerned with veracity.  They will be concerned about any problems you may have had in the past.  This does not mean you will be denied a clearance.  They are even more concerned about how truthful you are about them.  Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  They and their contractor for security background checks, the OPM (Office of Personnel Management) take clearances very seriously.  If you are up front with them you should not have any problems.  If you lie, mislead, misrepresent, or even give those impressions, getting a clearance may get a little rough and denial is a very strong possiblity.

[okiecity]

http://www.opm.gov/Forms/html/sf.asp
This is a public website for federal forms.

Go to this website and download the forms SF86 and SF86A.  This is the application you "would" need to get a L or Q clearance.  L clearances go back 7 years and Q clearances go back 10 years.  This application is just for your information.  Like a previous post stated, you cannot get a clearance unless your employer request one for you and there is a need for you to obtain a clearance.  The clearance is granted by the DOE.  Scan through the application and you will see the information you will have to provide to obtain a clearance.  The DOE may ask for additional or clarification of any information you provide on the application and they normally do ask.

[alphadude]

Yes everthing does count, but if you report it, they interview you and make you sign extra documents etc. We had someone denied because of an incident that happened 18years prior.. that was for an "L" .  He didnt report the info so DOE was not happy.  If you have "flags" on your forms, it will take the full 6months or longer to get cleared.  The "Men in Black" guys will interview your neighbors and all that may know you.    If no flags.. you never see the Men In Black.

[JassenB]

The thing I've noticed on every job posting I've seen requiring an L or Q clearance is that they want you to have an *active* clearance already. Seem like a catch-22: no job without clearance, can't get a clearance unless you get a job.

If I happen to end up with an internship at a DOE lab this summer, I'll do whatever I need to do to keep the clearance active, that's for sure.

-Jassen

[alphadude]

the day u leave a job the clearance is inactive.  the best thing u can do if u have to leave a cleared job is to keep employed, no breaks in employment. that way when it comes time to get another "L" it goes smooth.  if u know u are going to get another cleared job have the next employer "hold" your clearance.  You can't keep it active.  the employer must hold the clearance.  those jobs that request active are telling u that u have to quit one job and jump ship to another company.

[JassenB]

AlphaDude:

That makes more sense. Thanks for that information.

Does this  mean that a lot of people stick to DOE work or power plant work, without switching back and forth to much?

Thanks!
-Jassen

[alphadude]

yes they stick to DOE and you dont see a lot of jumping back and forth-however that may be changing-there is a recent influx of poweplant people-power plant work can get lean- DOE tend to be longer term

[tff986s]

also, one could not afford to obtain such a clearance even if you didn't need the employer request... various #'s thrown about, but i have consistently heard $10k to process, and substantial amt's to keep it active thereafter...

i held a "Q" from the early 80's thru the early 90's, then they downsized the # of cleared people needed... [rocky flats]... it took about a year for me, i spent a summer in france w/no perm address, and being the communist influenced country that it was at that time, sent up lots of red flags.

if one does get a clearance, you can send off to washington for your clearance paperwork. i did, and it is about 3-4" thick, and quite useful for things like old addresses, bank #'s, etc.. along with having quite interesting reading about what your friends and acquaintances said about you!!

[SloGlo]

if one does get a clearance, you can send off to washington for your clearance paperwork. i did, and it is about 3-4" thick, and quite useful for things like old addresses, bank #'s, etc.. along with having quite interesting reading about what your friends and acquaintances said about you!!

or request a copy on yer way out the door, security will send it to you.  that stacka paper will due yer next cleerence faster'n a goose will s.....  it'll work durned quick!

[oldguy]

You will lose your clearance as soon as you lose your "need to know".  Not just when you leave your job.  It is, however, easier to get one re-instated than it is to get a new one.  They will interview your childhood neighbors if they are still alive.  Hello to all my old friends who love dog stew.

[TaskJobs]

Many of the positions that I recruit for require Q & L clearances. It's very hard. As was said earlier...ppl w/active Q's are not just walking around unemployed. It's quite the catch 22. I've seen ppl that "left out" info they didn't feel was important & that is a big NO NO. Just tell the truth...all of it!

[lvmaverick]

I have currently a Top Secret Clearance now and im in the Air Force looking for a job to do on the outside. How hard is it to find on doing something Nuclear?

[Rennhack]

I have currently a Top Secret Clearance now and im in the Air Force looking for a job to do on the outside. How hard is it to find on doing something Nuclear?

Typically its easy, what do you do?

[SloGlo]

I have currently a Top Secret Clearance now and im in the Air Force looking for a job to do on the outside. How hard is it to find on doing something Nuclear?

the faster you get into a clearance required position on the outside, the more compressed the waiting time frame will be.  hint, get a copy of your clearance report and burn a copy for the group's security that you will be working for.  most often, they will take that report and stamp your civie paperwork. 
finding something nuclear isn't a whole lot different than finding something genetic, diesel, or astral-based.  it depends on what training and qualifications you bring to the table.

[lvmaverick]

Well the work I do i cant really say at the time but i have no Civilian equiviliant to it. So im only 22 and dont know a lot of people that can help me find a job that can but my celarence to use and i dont want to waste it when i get out of the military.

[shiftman]

Years ago, OPM would do clearances for "prospective" employees but 911 changed that. As was previously posted, an employer is now required to have an employment offer before the clearance process begins. Nowadays, an "L" clearance takes about as long to process as a "Q" clearance used to.

i don't use mine anymore, but a contractor that I know did keep mine active after retirement, just in case he needed an escort, derivative classifier or some other part-time function done.

[pertle2]

I can speak from experience on this one. After getting out of the Army after 22 years and of that 15 years of having a Secret upgradable to TS as need arises. I had to do the whole process just to get a "L". Doe and OPM look at military clearance as different even though I had the same investigator for my Army reinvestigation as did for my initial DOE L ( now that was funny) we both laughed.  So go figure! It always comes down to OPM making money

[Sun Dog]

I can speak from experience on this one. After getting out of the Army after 22 years and of that 15 years of having a Secret upgradable to TS as need arises. I had to do the whole process just to get a "L". Doe and OPM look at military clearance as different even though I had the same investigator for my Army reinvestigation as did for my initial DOE L ( now that was funny) we both laughed.  So go figure! It always comes down to OPM making money

Didn't Maj. Nidal Hasan have one of those expensive clearances?  They sure do help protect us. You and your 'investigator' bud may have been the only taxpayers laughing at the inept and inefficient process.  The federal loot would be better spent on the public school system.

[Chimera]

These clearances are not some universal thing the government gives you.  The clearances are granted through the Company you are working for.  If you change employers, the new clearance has to be granted through the new company.  Oft times, it's just a matter of signing a piece of paper shifting the clearance from one company to the other - assuming the new company has its FOCI paperwork completed and approved.  I ran into the same thing when I first left the Navy and went to work helping build some of the Navy's new prototypes - okay, they were new back then.  Always print out a copy of the package you filled out before you submit it so you know what all your answers were should you have to fill out a new package for a new company.  If you're going to work in the DOE world, keep excellent records of where you worked, where you lived, who your supervisor was and, perhaps, a reference or two for that job.

[KH5229]

How do I know which clearance I have if I've been in a nuke? I know when I went through the process they said after 3(I think) years I would have to get it reevaluated/checked into again. Does this means it is expired? Will this transfer to a military clearance?

[dlvoiers]

I can only speak from personal experience here.  I'm a retired MMC(SS/SW).  After 22 years of secret/confidential clearance in the "Canoe Club", I came to work at a DOE site.  No military clearance will transition, and you will have to start your clearance process from ground zero.  This can be a fairly lengthy process.  You can expect to wait anywhere from 1-2 months for your "L" to come back approved, and another month or two for your "Q".  Save all of your paperwork, you have to fill it out every 5 years.  Good luck!!