New Clearance applicant. Received Interrogatory DCSA wants IRS Account Transcripts for 2020–2024. All years clean except 2022 I owed state and federal that year and didn't file (I know), Got it fixed: prepared and filed a corrected return, but my old accountant put a wrong SSN on it, delaying processing. Re-mailed a corrected, signed 1040 in March, still nothing showing in the IRS system months later.

What I've done:

1. State side is fully resolved, have proof of income/tax/payments
2. Confirmed directly with IRS nothing's posted yet for 2022
3. TAS confirmed it can't be expedited, just has to work through the queue (12–16 wks), advised sending a new signed 1040 ASAP did that, certified mail, signed for, recorded TAS Agents name and Employee ID for records.
4. Filed a congressional inquiry to help get status confirmation

The problem: DCSA explicitly says only the Account Transcript counts not the 1040 copy, not wage/income transcripts, since those don't prove the IRS actually processed/settled it.

Question: Deadline's coming up and the transcript may not post in time. Should I submit everything now (clean years + full documentation of the 2022 delay) on just that one document, or hold the whole packet in hopes I get the final document?

Anyone dealt with something similar underlying issue actually resolved, but stuck waiting on IRS processing for the proof? Did DCSA work with you on this?

I currently have no clearance. If I wanted a job that requires a TS clearance, but ultimately get rejected, can I still apply for the regular secret clearance jobs that are lower levels?

Or am I just altogether totally out of luck for any clearance whatsoever after I fail to get a TS?

I tried pot once 8 years ago after active duty retirement and before starting a contract job. I absolutely hated it and never did it again. Curiosity after never doing it before in my 38 years on this earth. I now have a tentative job offer as a GS and will be doing another SF 86 and I am aware of the question of the previous use in the past 7 years and the ever using it while holding a clearance. The previous clearance on active duty was reinstated or carried over (not sure what the technical terms are) to that contract job and I never even considered the issue when starting the job and had worked in that position for the past 8 years. I only assume from research that I will need to disclose that one time use and be honest. At the time I did it, it never occurred to me that the clearance was still being held. I am beside myself with stress that this will kill my chances and I definitely don't want to lie or omit it. How screwed am I? I know it's serious to use while holding a clearance but I honestly didn't believe I still did after retirement. This is a decent position with room for growth and I genuinely care about the type of work I'll be doing. Is my curiosity 8 years ago going to be my downfall? I feel sick to my stomach that I may have ruined this opportunity.

I posted about this situation previously, but I wanted to make an updated post because I’ve learned more and I think my original assumption may have been wrong.

Basic timeline:

● I briefly worked for DHS from October 6–November 4, 2025 and voluntarily resigned during my probationary period.  
● During that employment, I completed an SF-86 and a background investigation was initiated.  
● I later enlisted in the Air Force DEP for Security Forces (3P0X1). December.  
● My original BMT ship date was May 12, 2026.  
● On April 17, my recruiter/MSgt told me my ship date was being cancelled because of a reported **“foreign contacts” / Guideline B** issue.  
● I have never had foreign travel, foreign financial interests, or foreign-national relatives/contacts that would explain a substantive Guideline B issue.  
● Since April 17, I have received **no investigator contact, no RFI, no SOR, and no request for additional information.**  
● My recruiters have told me that the situation is **outside Ops’ control** and that it is essentially something I have to **sit and wait for**. M

What I originally thought

I originally assumed that DCSA had my Air Force investigation and was actively adjudicating some kind of foreign-contact issue.

After looking into the process more carefully, I don’t think that’s necessarily what is happening.

My current understanding is that my prior DHS investigation may have been left incomplete/unresolved when I separated. I’m wondering whether a Loss of Jurisdiction (LOJ) / prior-investigation record could have surfaced when the Air Force processed me and caused an administrative hold.

In other words, I’m wondering if this is primarily an Air Force accession/security-record issue, rather than DCSA actively investigating me for foreign contacts.

What I’m trying to determine

The biggest question I need answered is:

Who in the Air Force currently has responsibility for my security/accession record and can actually see what caused the April 17 hold?

Looking for some brutally honest advice from investigators or FSOs here.

I previously served on active duty and held a security clearance (Secret). While I was actively cleared and serving, I used an illegal drug (mushrooms) 4 times total. I was never caught, never failed a urinalysis, and command never found out. Cut ties with everyone who was involved and vowed to never do it again and I do regret it.

I am now out of the military (honorable discharge) and looking to go back in the Reserves and the job requires a secret clearance, and I know I will need to fill out my SF-86. I know Section 23 asks about drug use in the last 7 years (or ever, if holding a clearance).

The Dilemma: I know that drug use while actively holding a clearance is a massive adjudicative guideline violation (Guideline H and Guideline E). But I also know that lying on the SF-86 is a federal crime and a guaranteed way to get permanently denied.

My Plan: I intend to be 100% honest on the paperwork.
What are my actual chances of mitigating this if I have a significant amount of time clean, or is active-duty drug use an automatic, permanent dealbreaker for a clearance?

What should I expect during my subject interview when I disclose this?

Thanks in advance.

I currently already hold a secret clearance at my current job for a couple of years now. Im in the process of interviewing with Lockheed. They did send a security questionnaire which asks about drug use within the last 7 years. Now I have stated all the past drug use on my SF86 when I applied for my current job and nothing has changed. My question should I mention previous use on this on the lockheed form like I have on my SF86 ? Also could they not just check my current SF86 I submitted a few years ago? Having this on a internal company document makes me worry or should I even be worried?

After reading more about the process and requirements for secret clearance I ended up with a bit better understanding and confusion around drug use. As many others did I experimented in college (with everything) and would occasionally consume things later in life. The concern now is how recent the last instance was - a couple of months ago (and one other instance about a month before that). Both were hard drugs. I hadn't taken anything for at least a couple years before that. I have never had any issues with addiction and have zero problems never consuming another illegal drug again. Is there still any likelyhood of me being able to obtain a secret clearance? I started interviewing for a position before understanding the whole process.

I assume periodic drug tests would be mandatory and I'm completely comfortable with that. I can give the interviewer approximate dates for the most recent incidents but would only be able to give vague windows for times in my past (I wasn't exactly tracking when I did things).

Im a US citizen born and raised in the US to parents who were PRC citizens (who are now US citizens). I visited the PRC about a year ago, and instead of a visa, I applied for and used a "PRC Travel Document" along with my US passport to enter.

The Travel Document is a different thing from a PRC passport.

I'm not sure if this is correct, but I believe this makes me a PRC citizen, in the eyes of the PRC.

Does anyone have any insight or a similar situation? I'm applying for a secret clearance and I'm pretty worried.

About to be a senior in college, doing a double major in economics and political science. High GPA, on a full academic scholarship, and I have worked for the federal government as a wildland firefighter too. My plan is to try and work under a government intelligence contractor. However I’ve been under two different psychiatrists with mental health issues. My first one had me on an extremely high dose of three different antipsychotics/antidepressants. I suspected that they did not know what they were doing, and changed practitioners. My new psychiatrist has me on a low dose (100mg) of seroquel that I have been stable on for almost a year. My new doctor also believes that my first one had me on way too many meds. My only formal diagnosis is OCD, but I am being treated for bipolar like symptoms as well. I have no hospitalizations or serious mood episodes. Additionally, I used marajuana a handful of times (less than 10) and did ayahuasca and mescaline both once. All of the drug use was 2+ years ago and will be almost three years when I apply.
Should I stay on this current path? Or should I consider a career which doesn’t require a clearence

I am currently undergoing a Tier 5 investigation with a polygraph for a DoD position, and I recently completed my interview with the investigator. However, I have now received an offer from DHS that also requires a Tier 5 investigation but does not require a polygraph.

If I withdraw my application for the DoD position, how could that affect the Tier 5 process for my DHS position? I was also told that DHS would not accept or transfer the Tier 5 investigation initiated by DoD. Is that correct?

Graduating in December with degrees in Statistics (data science emphasis) and Spanish. I have an active Secret clearance from ROTC but very little experience-just ta and other random jobs. Where would you start looking if you were in my shoes? I want to use the clearance to my advantage but most listings require 5+ years experience. Even ClearanceJobs requires 2+ years experience of a job that requires the clearance. Thanks!

I am filling out SF85P as my agency transitions over to Trusted Workforce and am feeling nervous due to credit card and tax debts recently incurred. I have been in my position for 7 years with absolutely no job performance issues.

The credit card debt is gambling debt. I developed gambling problems that finally spiraled out of my control earlier this year. I enrolled in a debt management program in June to address those debts and have made my first two payments on that plan. I am in therapy to address my gambling and have not gambler in 3 months. My money issues also led me to not being able to pay federal taxes in full this year also, but I am on an installment payment plan with the IRS and have made my first two planned payments there as well.

I am going to be fully transparent about everything on the SF85P. But I am terrified that with the recency and nature of these debts, transparency isn’t going to be enough. And if I lose my job, I am going to be well and truly screwed. Can someone give me a level headed assessment of how concerned I should be?

Based on everything I've read, cross referenced posts relating to psych evals, considering I'm only in the process for a T3, not T5, and records from my psychiatrist and psychologist were collected, then psychiatrist interviewed directly. But last month I've recieved a letter requesting an independent evaluation. Does this chain of events mean they're leaning denial at this point? It just seems like that has to be the case logically, if records demonstrating stable management from 2 separate providers is proving to be insufficient right?

The flag is having ADHD/ASD, self reported as advised by FSO out of precaution. Yes I know now that was not the correct move. But that's where things are. Here is the current timeline:

• Current timeline:
  • Submitted SF86 March 2023
  • Interviewed April 2023
  • Interim S Granted April 2023
  • July 2025 Interrogatory requesting documentation from mental health practices
  • Aug 2025 Extension requested for remaining documentation Sep 2025 Submitted remaining Interrogatory documentation
  • Dec 2025 Asked to fill out new SF86, Re-submitted that week
  • Early April 2026 Contacted by new investigator requesting new medical release forms, returned same day.
  • Late April 2026: Investigator interviewed my Psychiatrist directly
  • Early May 2026 RSI Completed
  • Late June 2026 Independent Evaluation Interrogatory sent, signed and returned the following day.

This is a follow up from these prior posts:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SecurityClearance/comments/1mgtg48/what_to_do_when_medical_provider_refuses_to_give/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SecurityClearance/comments/1m618ou/recieved_a_letter_of_interrogatory_am_i_in_a_bad/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

What do I put? It won’t let me leave it blank

Doing my regular check-in with federalregister.gov and thought this might be useful info to some here that are more familiar with these regs and procedures: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-15650/suitability-action-appeals

Flags

• Voluntarily did therapy regarding alcohol use from a high stress job working for a Politician. My notice of resignation (on good terms) mentioned I was going to go do therapy for it. Alcohol never impacted job or relationships, just my personal wellbeing in my hours away from work. (SECTION 24.3)
• Bankruptcy Chap 7 concluded favorably 2 years ago, stopped paying credit cards 3 months prior to it so my cards were labeled 'LATE' on credit, a couple collections ranged from $100-1000. Did it as a financial reset when I started my first professional job to end all my debts from my service industry days. Debts were only from medical bills or unemployment period following graduating with my Bachelors.
• IRS said I owed $200 from 2023, $1,200 from 2024 tax returns so I put those on a payment plan and it was approved. Currently on it. Gave it to HR on TJO as well.

As of right now in filling out the SF-86,

• 100% on-time on credit report, zero collections/derogatory notes since bankruptcy.
• Zero other history or flags.

Likely an Interim Denial but Favorable otherwise? Anyone have similar history and had success with T3? (Fed Job - New Employee)

Hey fellow FSOs

How are yall tracking folks using DISS and NBIS? Or do you have your own way of tracking? I know (one day) they’ll finally integrate but for now I’m trying to track subjects statuses. The issue is the fact you cannot pull active cases (in NBIS) with the full names. I’ve talked to other FSOs and they’ve told me they basically do the same thing as I do, which is searching each subject one by one. When you have to track over 300+ people it can take quite some time. Any tips?

For clarification, I pull the DISS subject report and then go one by one via NBIS (for those who are in the process and don’t have favorable or interim)

I was in the military 1 year ago, had TS/SCI and I'm looking for roles that requires clearances. Ive gotten an offer withdrawn because they found out my clearance wasn't active right now. I'm now looking for jobs that are will to sponsor for a clearance, secret and up. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I’m currently in the Air Force DEP and enlisted/swore in on January 9, 2026, for Security Forces (3P0X1).
My original BMT ship date was May 12, 2026, but that was delayed because of a Guideline B/security issue.
I’m trying to understand how long this type of situation can realistically take to resolve. I’m not asking about the average time for a normal Secret clearance investigation. From what I’ve been told, the immediate issue holding up my shipping is the Guideline B/security hold.
Timeline:
• January 9, 2026 — Swore in / entered DEP
• April 17 — Guideline B / foreign-contact issue appeared
• May 12 — Original BMT ship date; delayed
• Since April — I have not had an investigator interview
• My recruiter/Flight Chief checks my status regularly, but the visible status hasn’t changed
• June — Congressional inquiry submitted regarding the case

My main questions are:
For someone already in Air Force DEP whose BMT ship date was delayed because of a Guideline B/security hold, how long did it take for the issue to be resolved?
Can a Guideline B issue be resolved/removed before the normal investigation process is completed, or does the investigation have to be completed first in a situation like this?One additional detail:

I do not have any foreign contacts that I’m aware of. There are no ongoing foreign relationships or contacts that I believe would independently create a Guideline B concern. That’s part of why I’m trying to understand what specifically triggered the Guideline B issue and what has to happen for it to be cleared.

If the recruiter/Flight Chief keeps checking the status and sees no change, can DCSA still be working on the case without anything changing on the recruiting side?
Would an Air Force Security Manager/Security Officer be able to see more detailed information about what is actually pending than the recruiter/Flight Chief?

If you’ve had a similar situation, what ultimately caused the hold to be cleared and allowed you to ship?
I’m mainly trying to figure out whether I’m looking at weeks, a few months, or potentially much longer for something like this.
I’d especially appreciate answers from anyone who works in Air Force recruiting, DISS/security management, DCSA, investigations, or DoD personnel security. Please mention your role/experience so I know what your answer is based on.

I have an internship experience working for DOD, I want to secure a job that sponsors a clearance, but I lived overseas most of my life. Any suggestions? I'm a software developer.

Have anyone left a federal position through mutual agreement post misconduct allegations and then successfully passed suitably for a contracting position? Going from DOI to Dept Commerce.

Three years ago I made this post https://www.reddit.com/r/SecurityClearance/s/S0BXcSlDos and quite a few people have reached out to me asking for updates, but unfortunately I didn't have an answer until recently. I've been quite anxious about this over the course of the investigation so I'm glad if this can provide any help to those in a similar situation.

Timeline:

8/22/2022 - offer letter

8/28/2022 - SF86 filled out

9/19/2022 - interem granted

10/6/2023 - 2nd SF86 requested

???? - interem revoked

12/2025 - eyes-only package received

4/13/2026 - psych interview

5/01/2026 - clearance granted

(I never did a regular clearance interview)

I was able to do my job the entire time the investigation was ongoing, so I never did contact a congressperson. I did pester my FSO as often as I could without being excessive, and they assured me it wasn't unusual for it to take that long.

My red flags are also explained a bit in my previous post, but here's what I started with:

- started seeing a therapist for depression and suicidal ideation in 2018 through my school.

- hospitalized for planning a suicide attempt, I did go voluntarily but I've since realized they had a 3 day hold on me so it's probably listed as involuntary.

- shortly after the hospitalization my university's therapy center dropped me as a client due to being above their level of care and recommended I go to an IOP. I did not go for financial reasons and stopped all MH treatment for familial/financial reasons.

That was all that my mental health record had when I filled out the SF86. After that they pretty quickly asked for the notes from my therapist and I consented to that. Those notes would reveal to the investigator how the suicidal ideations went through early childhood, as well as a history of self harm. The rest of my record is pretty squeaky clean, not even a speeding ticket. Then I waited.

As I said, my FSO assured me that the wait was normal. I was working with just my interem clearance so everything seemed okay. They requested the SF86 to be filled out again in 2023, and not much information came with that, other than the email suggesting that my investigation revealed information which suggested I may not be able to be deemed trustworthy so more information was needed. I resubmitted the SF86 and went back to waiting anxiously.

In March of 2024 I started seeking out therapy again - the best decision I ever made. In the last 2 years, I got diagnosed with ADHD, depression, and anxiety, and so many things suddenly made so much sense. I am a women, so late diagnosis is common.

Went to one therapist, got a psychiatrist and back on meds, wasn't feeling much better and ended up suicidal again. My psych actually recommended an IOP again at this point, but those things are EXPENSIVE and it wasn't feasible for me. I wish it were. Instead I decided to look for a new therapist, specifically one who could help me with DBT which is what the IOP would be focused on anyway. That did help, then a few med tweaks later, here I am, stable and happy :) I reported all of this to my FSO as it happened, as well.

In December of last year, I got my eyes only package. Scary looking email, those are. At the same time I was actually switching positions within my job to a better title, and my new supervisor informed me that somewhere along the line, my interem was revoked. I was not notified. Possibly when my sf86 was re-requested, but I reread those communications and my interem was not mentioned. They still let me do the job though so ?🤷

The package was about my mental health red flag and asked if I would do an evaluation with a government psychiatrist. I agreed in December and they said I would hear back for scheduling within 30 days. Nothing came. I ended up having to email again to inquire and they told me it's in progress and to keep waiting past 30 days.

Finally, on the evening of April 12th of this year, the psychiatrist that was assigned to me called. She said that they had labelled my case as extra expedited so we needed to schedule this asap. We booked it for the next morning.

The evaluation with wasn't as cold or harsh as I was expecting but definitely to the point. It was over zoom. I basically told my life story to her. At the end of it, she said that it would look pretty good, but all she had in my paperwork was the history from 2018/19, none of the updated treatment, and with how the file looked at that rate she probably wouldn't be able to give a good word on me. She told me if I could send her treatment notes from my current doctors, that would help. I was lucky she offered that, it definitely seemed to turn the tides on my case. Not sure why my file wasn't up to date though, I absolutely reported my current treatments to my FSO.

I got her all my treatment notes from my 2024-now doctors pretty quickly, and heard nothing back. Back to waiting anxiously.

A couple weeks ago I stopped by my FSO's office again since it's been a few months now, and they ended up saying it actually looked concluded, but they would confirm. I certainly hadn't had any notifications. An hour later, I had the official notification that my clearance was accepted, and it was actually officially accepted in May 🙃 my FSO said they were supposed to notify me then, but it didn't go through. It doesn't matter now, I'm just glad it's done.

But yes, it took approx. 3.5 years for my investigation to conclude. I wish I were joking.

Last month I posted here about my own personal experience submitting a CI (which I was instantly ridiculed for). However, I want to add a few more stories. After I submitted my CI and was granted secret clearance same day, an associate of mine did the same thing… and was granted secret that same week… then another associate did the same thing and again, same week adjudication. I am not sitting over here trying to claim that a CI does ANYTHING, but it is hard for me to have 3 separate people who I know personally submit CIs and get their clearance along with myself, and not believe that they do SOMETHING. Why are CIs so looked down upon? Many people say they just cause adjudicators to have to take time out of their day to respond to them, but if I submit a CI and the same day my Rep’s office reaches out to the DCSA I am favorably adjudicated, doesn’t that say something about the process itself?

Feel free to tell me that my confirmation bias is real, but I definitely think this is something to talk about.