DV Clearance question

**gingerjedi** · 6 July 2009, 11:40

I guess so but getting SC is hardly a pain, nothing more than filling out a form and waiting, I took a photo copy last time so I have all the info at hand.

Your client that requires DV should be more than happy to sponsor SC to keep you happy.

**b0redom** · 6 July 2009, 11:59

It's not a pain filling in the form. It IS a pain finding someone to sponsor you as a contractor in the 1st place.

**gingerjedi** · 6 July 2009, 12:05

Like I said ask the client to sponsor SC, it's in their interest to keep you happy as DV is a very expensive process in comparison with SC and they wouldn't want you to walk mid project just because you were worried your SC may expire.

**malvolio** · 6 July 2009, 12:39

SC won't just "expire". Do you think they would allow that to happen?

It's only time-limited to make sure they get the chance to check your clearance is still valid: if you've not broken any of the parameters, renewlal is largely automatic. It's a managed service, if your original 5-year term is coming to an end, DVA and the local SSO will make sure you do the form filling to get it renewed if you still need it.

Of course, if you're not working on a cleared site, you don't need it and it will drop off after 12 months.

**pmeswani** · 6 July 2009, 13:33

Originally posted by b0redom View Post

Hi,
Let's suppose that :

A contractor has SC clearance
The contractor in question's SC clearance will expire next year
The contractor in question is offered a DV cleared role

What happens to the contractors SC clearance if they then stay in that DV role until after the SC would have lapsed? Does this hypothetical contractor have to go through the pain of SC clearance again, or will DV superceed it?

All hypothetically speaking of course....

In some situations, some clients will take on the SC clearance as well as put you through DV. Maybe worth asking the clientco if they are prepared to do that in order to keep your SC clearance current.

**malvolio** · 6 July 2009, 13:36

And since when have SC and DV been needed in parallel? SC allows you to see Secret material. DV allows you to see Top Secret material. Top Secret material includes all Secret material. How hard is that to understand?

**b0redom** · 6 July 2009, 13:45

Sorry, there appears to be some misunderstanding. If a contractor already holds SC clearance, then obtains DV clearance, SC clearance is no longer necessary (as DV supercedes it right?)

DV clearance lapses when you leave a DV site, so let's say our hypothetical contractor leaves a DV site and arrives at an SC site. His SC will have lapsed, and his DV is no longer valid so that lapses too, or is it the case that the SC site will transfer his DV clearance and that will remain current - even though the site only requires SC?

**malvolio** · 6 July 2009, 14:06

Originally posted by b0redom View Post

Sorry, there appears to be some misunderstanding. If a contractor already holds SC clearance, then obtains DV clearance, SC clearance is no longer necessary (as DV supercedes it right?)

DV clearance lapses when you leave a DV site, so let's say our hypothetical contractor leaves a DV site and arrives at an SC site. His SC will have lapsed, and his DV is no longer valid so that lapses too, or is it the case that the SC site will transfer his DV clearance and that will remain current - even though the site only requires SC?

His DV lapses, but his clearance is still on record. It would be a pretty dim agent who can't see that a DV-cleared person is safe to work on an SC project.

Hang on, just spotted the basic flaw there....

Anyway, if you have just come from a DV role and haven't been anywhere else, I'm pretty sure SC wouldn't present any problems. You clearance is still on the DVA database and the project sponsor's SSO would be able to check it. The SC eexpiry is one year, and that would still be active.

**gingerjedi** · 6 July 2009, 14:39

Originally posted by malvolio View Post

SC won't just "expire". Do you think they would allow that to happen?

It's only time-limited to make sure they get the chance to check your clearance is still valid: if you've not broken any of the parameters, renewlal is largely automatic. It's a managed service, if your original 5-year term is coming to an end, DVA and the local SSO will make sure you do the form filling to get it renewed if you still need it.

Of course, if you're not working on a cleared site, you don't need it and it will drop off after 12 months.

My last role started with one month left on my SC and I had to prod the LSO to get it renewed, I would have been marched off site when it lapsed if I hadn't been proactive.

DV Clearance question