Clearance transfer question

[pm410]

Hey guys, so I just left from one company to another on WPS contracts. My security clearance was issued on March of this year, and my old company FSO told me he’s already released it. Several people told me it should only be a quick form to fill out for the swap from one company to another, and the wait period should be the clearance being released by the original company. However, the individual handling my clearance for the new company had me fill out a whole new SF86 packet and said it would be about 180 to 250 days.

I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the process, and if this is how’s its supposed to go. When I decided to make the switch I was told the wait would only be for the 30-45 days for my original company to release my clearance.

Thanks for your help fellas, it’s greatly appreciated.

[275RLTW]

Search the WPS clearance threads.

[pm410]

Originally Posted by 275RLTW

Search the WPS clearance threads.

I did, and I found several references towards trying to transfer clearances between agencies, and some discussion on transferring a clearance between companies, but I couldn’t find anything that described the process of it as I was wondering. I’m just a little stressed cause I wasn’t expecting a 180 day wait. I knew probably 60 days since they kept telling me it wouldn’t be more than 45 and we know how that goes.

[275RLTW]

The FSOs between the companies should be handling it. Timeframes with ANYTHING clearance related is always speculation. Since you just got a clearance and then jumped ship (they spent lots of money to process your clearance) then don’t expect them to jump through hoops to help you out. You fucked them, suffer the consequences.

[pm410]

not really. You cut pay, you can expect people to walk.

[Silverbullet]

Regardless, they invested money in you and you obviously got value from that investment, or you wouldn't have a clearance to broker at the place you're trying to jump to.

They have no incentive to make things easy.

[pm410]

Originally Posted by Silverbullet

Regardless, they invested money in you and you obviously got value from that investment, or you wouldn't have a clearance to broker at the place you're trying to jump to.

They have no incentive to make things easy.

I’m tracking on that, but the company I left isn’t making it difficult, they released it within two weeks. My question is do you have to complete an entire background packet and start the process over to get the clearance transferred?

[pm410]

Originally Posted by 275RLTW

The FSOs between the companies should be handling it. Timeframes with ANYTHING clearance related is always speculation. Since you just got a clearance and then jumped ship (they spent lots of money to process your clearance) then don’t expect them to jump through hoops to help you out. You fucked them, suffer the consequences.

Just a question to that since you brought it up. My understanding is once you get boots on ground State reimburses the company for all training and BI costs. Is that true? Because they pushed to make sure we got over there, but honestly a bunch of people left at the same time and they didn’t give any issues whatsoever. Someone had said it was because it didn’t matter once they got reimbursed on the training costs.

[Mangorilla83]

Originally Posted by pm410

I’m tracking on that, but the company I left isn’t making it difficult, they released it within two weeks. My question is do you have to complete an entire background packet and start the process over to get the clearance transferred?

Very familiar as I went through this same deal recently. If you were on a WPS II contract with a granted clearance AND you deployed then they can slide your clearance over without a complete re investigation. You will fill out an SF86c that updates anything new. If you did not deploy, like I did, then you will have an completely new investigation.

I can also confirm that the company "releasing" you will draaaag their feet. I was told for 3 weeks "we released it and they should have it". They did spend a crap ton on it and will try and do what they can to keep you around. That's my opinion anyways.

[pm410]

Originally Posted by Mangorilla83

Very familiar as I went through this same deal recently. If you were on a WPS II contract with a granted clearance AND you deployed then they can slide your clearance over without a complete re investigation. You will fill out an SF86c that updates anything new. If you did not deploy, like I did, then you will have an completely new investigation.

I can also confirm that the company "releasing" you will draaaag their feet. I was told for 3 weeks "we released it and they should have it". They did spend a crap ton on it and will try and do what they can to keep you around. That's my opinion anyways.

Thanks I appreciate it. From what I’m hearing now it may have been a miscommunication somewhere.

[275RLTW]

Originally Posted by pm410

I’m tracking on that, but the company I left isn’t making it difficult, they released it within two weeks. My question is do you have to complete an entire background packet and start the process over to get the clearance transferred?

Appearently the answer to that is YES for your prostepctive employer. You can always refuse and see how long they ignore you.

Originally Posted by pm410

Just a question to that since you brought it up. My understanding is once you get boots on ground State reimburses the company for all training and BI costs. Is that true? Because they pushed to make sure we got over there, but honestly a bunch of people left at the same time and they didn’t give any issues whatsoever. Someone had said it was because it didn’t matter once they got reimbursed on the training costs.

Depends on the contract. You may have had to complete an entire rotation/year/etc.. for the company to be able to claim training and hiring costs.

[pm410]

Originally Posted by 275RLTW

Appearently the answer to that is YES for your prostepctive employer. You can always refuse and see how long they ignore you.



Depends on the contract. You may have had to complete an entire rotation/year/etc.. for the company to be able to claim training and hiring costs.

Got ya. Yeah we were told they only need BOG for 30 days, that’s why the push is to get you there, but they don’t get angry with guys not coming back after a rotation. The company treated us great, just with certain deductions we took mid rotation I could make the same at my job back home.

[Dangercon]

Depends on if you are a "short-form" or "long-form" SF86. If you're a short-form then it could be fairly quick, if you're a long-form then it will likely be the maximum of the window they gave you.

Also, just because the company told you they released it does NOT mean they actually did. I served out the 1 year promised to my last company and then moved on and they still screwed me. Said they released it (I even had a paper trail), new company initiates the transfer and state kicks it back after waiting for x months so we had to re-initiate and wait again. Obviously this cost me a ton of time off project.

Be ready for the long haul off project. I was told 3 months, ended up being 10. Some advice I got here really helped; don't count on anything until you've got your plane tickets in your hand. Prepare accordingly.

[pm410]

Originally Posted by Dangercon

Depends on if you are a "short-form" or "long-form" SF86. If you're a short-form then it could be fairly quick, if you're a long-form then it will likely be the maximum of the window they gave you.

Also, just because the company told you they released it does NOT mean they actually did. I served out the 1 year promised to my last company and then moved on and they still screwed me. Said they released it (I even had a paper trail), new company initiates the transfer and state kicks it back after waiting for x months so we had to re-initiate and wait again. Obviously this cost me a ton of time off project.

Be ready for the long haul off project. I was told 3 months, ended up being 10. Some advice I got here really helped; don't count on anything until you've got your plane tickets in your hand. Prepare accordingly.

Thanks, you’re definitely right about banking on anything without a plane ticket in hand. Thankfully they looked into it and found that I’m the short form and not the long, so I have that going for me. We had a meeting recently with management on project and someone brought this question up, they said that State is now telling companies they have to release within 30 days unless they have an explicit reason not to, such as equipment not accounted for, etc. don’t know how true it is, just what we were told.