Security Clearance Levels in the United States
Secret or Level 2 Clearance
A secret clearance (also known as ‘collateral secret’ or ‘ordinary secret’) is broadly similar to the UK SC clearance. There are a number of things that can complicate obtaining secret clearance:
- Residences in foreign countries
- Relatives outside the United States
- Significant ties with non-US citizens
- Bankruptcy and unpaid bills
- Criminal charges of any kind.
Poor financial history is the number-one cause of rejection and foreign activities and criminal records are also common causes for disqualification. A secret clearance requires an NACLC check. It must also be reinvestigated every 10 years (though, in practice, it tends to happen more often).
Top Secret or Level 3 Clearance
As you would expect, ‘Top Secret’ is the most stringent clearance. A top secret (TS) clearance is usually only given following a singlescope background investigation (SSBI). This will include independent investigation into the following:
- Citizenship;
- Education;
- Employment;
- References;
- Neighborhood and friends;
- Credit;
- Local agency checks;
- Public records.
Top secret clearances, in general, afford one access to data that directly affects national security or other highly sensitive data. There are far fewer individuals with TS clearances than secret clearances. A TS clearance can ake as few as 3-6 months to obtain, but more often it takes between six and 18 months and sometimes even up to three years. The SSBI must be renewed every five years.
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