What can you do with your interim PCL or FCL?
When seeking a Personnel Clearance (PCL) or Facility Clearance (FCL), you may be granted an interim clearance before receiving your final clearance. While interim clearances can be a convenient way to get to work as quickly as possible, there’s no guarantee they will be granted, and the lack of an interim clearance doesn’t mean that a final clearance will be denied.
Agencies can grant an interim clearance before they finish their full investigation if they don’t find any red flags in initial background checks, though what’s considered a red flag can vary depending on who is performing the investigation and the type of clearance.
The Purpose of an Interim Clearance
An interim clearance allows a facility or individual to begin classified work if they find no evidence of adverse information during their initial investigation. This allows for greater agility, especially for critical work. There may be some limitations placed on what information a person with an interim clearance can accessor what work that can be done in a facility with an interim clearance.
All personnel seeking a clearance will be considered for an interim clearance. These clearances are handled by the Vetting Risk Operations Center within DCSA.
Interim clearances can be withdrawn if there is sufficient adverse information discovered during the investigation.
Interim Personnel Clearances
An interim PCL can be granted as quickly as five to seven days for lower level clearances, though they may take several weeks for clearances at a top secret level. Final clearance timelines vary based on the level of clearance. A secret clearance may take between one to two months, while a secret clearance can take between six to eight months, or up to 15 if you’re also seeking Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) or Special Access Program (SAP) access.
You can still receive a final clearance if your interim clearance is denied. Interim clearances are denied at a significantly higher rate than final clearances, so don’t worry too much if you have to wait for final adjudication. Higher level clearances are also denied more frequently. If you are getting access to SCI or SAP, it is rare that you will be granted an interim clearance.
This is also great for the employee if they’re waiting for their clearance to be able to start work. While some companies will find work for you to do or start your training while you wait for your clearance, this isn’t always the case. Rather than having to wait months for their clearance to be processed, they can begin within a few days of submitting their SF-86 and other paperwork.
Interim Facility Clearances
Final FCLs can take anywhere from a month to more than a year to be granted, but an interim clearance can be granted as quickly as a month after the submission of the FCL package. Access to SCI or SAP will be determined by the authority granting the access. All Key Management Personnel (KMPs) need to hold an interim or final clearance in order for the interim FCL to be granted. As with PCLs, interim clearances will only be granted if there is no evidence of adverse information that calls into question the ability for the facility and its personnel to protect classified information.
There are some restrictions to the information that can be accessed with an interim facility clearance depending on your clearance level. For example, an interim top secret FCL can allow you to access NATO, Restricted Data (RD) or Communications Security (COMSEC) information, but only at the secret or confidential level of classification. Access to SCI or SAP is determined by the authority granting the access.
If you are an FSO looking to obtain an FCL or initial PCL and feel intimidated by the process, you don’t have to go through it alone. Adamo’s FSO support services can help guide you through every step of the process and ensure everything is as simple as possible. We can also help with managing your facility’s PCLs after clearance, running annual briefings, or preparing for inspections. Contact us today to learn how Adamo can make your FSO job easier and free you up to focus on your primary responsibilities.
