Hey - does anyone know if you can obtain level 1 security clearance as a British citizen on a PR visa?

Thanks!

Cant answer the question 100% but i was refused security clearance to Bruce Power in Ontario a few years (9 years) back while on pr

Not sure what you mean by level 1 clearance? Is it a federal government job, Canadian Forces or something else?

If it is for federal government jobs, I've been able to obtain enhanced reliability (minimal clearance) and secret clearance as a British PR. I got secret after being here 3 years and it was touch and go whether they'd give it, although Canadians who've lived here all their lives get it very easily generally.

Top Secret, no chance. I'm also not allowed to see stuff which is 'For Canadian Eyes Only' as my eyes are not Canadian enough yet. Luckily, my job isn't very cool, so I'd never come across such stuff anyway.

Also depends on where you've lived previously. Anywhere without good access to police certificates of whatever type showing you didn't do any crime (e.g. developing countries) is not good.

Seems like experiences of others vary though, depending on whether you work for the feds (I do), are a contractor working at a firm with govt contracts or are going individually through an agency. There are also differences between how individual fed govt departments do their security clearances, which probably explains some of this variation.

Level I is confidential. This requires enhanced realiability to be obtained as well.

As other posters have said it is possible but it takes time. To get enhanced realiability the hard work will be done by you, in that they want 5 years of police certificates for every country you have lived in (for more than 6 months). The Canadian police certificate is done via RCMP, in the UK the police certificate is done via Disclosure Scotland (DS). Do you not get DS confused with a police certificate used for emigrating they are different things completly. DS are crap at providing certificates to british nationals living abroad. Especially where certificates must show a non-uk address.

To get security clearance (level I or II) the hard work is done by the Canadian government in that they will do the background checks etc. All you do is apply then wait, wait and keep on waiting. There is a resolution of doubt interview which happens if they want to know anything more about you. The whole security clearance can take 6 months to 2 years. I am 7 months into it....I should point out there is a bi-lateral agreement between UK and Canada to pass background check information on each others nationals for this process.

Enhanced relibility is very quick to obtain provided you can get the police certificates. The Canadians took three days to grant this to me, but it took something like 10 weeks to get DS to give me the police certificate with my canadian address shown on it.

Security Clearance depends on the nature of your job. For born and bred Canadians, some have to wait ages to get secret. I am not a born and bred Canadian, having come from the UK, and lived in other countries in the past, but I got my top-secret when I got posted to where I am now within a month.

I interviewed with the spy-agency downtown, they did the usual drill of questions and digging, and 3 weeks later I had it.

After that, I had another interview for "special access", which allows me to get into restricted areas. Oh....I also travel on a Govt passport for work

My point.....if the nature of your job demands that you need a certain level of clearance to do your job, it can be expedited

Can you just clarify a few things, you are a Canadian citizen now hence being eligible for TS? Did you have Secret before TS?

I do agree it depends on who is doing the clearance, I base mine on public works department.

I'm assuming you're in some kind of Canadian Forces role?

For a regular govt job, would be surprised if CSIS proceeded so quickly with your application for Top Secret? They interview friends, neighbours, relatives etc, and that's just for born and bred Canadians. However experiences seem to vary a lot.

Secret clearance doesn't have to take ages BTW - I got mine in a couple of months.

Not only am I a Canadian now, I also have another citizenship thru parentage, which means with my Govt passport, I have 4 different passports in total

Enhanced reliability----------> Secret-----> Top Secret-----> Special Access

See my avatar...I am a commissioned officer

You seem to talk a lot about it, coming across to me like bragging. The military personal I knew only ever spoke about it amongst themselves. SF never spoke about their role outside of the regiment.

New avatar for you Shhh....

Same can be said for the aviators I know...

Sorry if it sounds like a brag, I just love my work that's all. Hopefully you don't lose sleep over it

Many things I might lose sleep over, that won't be one of them.

Cheers for all the replies - yes it is the level 1 - Confidential clearence I wish to obtain. I work in IT Security and some of the jobs my company are getting involved with are federal government work which requries all people who work on the project to be Level 1 cleared. So the above advice looks most appropriate and I will follow this path.

I have had dealings with DS in the past and will bear those comments in mind

The DS application forms are a pain to get your hands on and can delay the process. I think I have a spare form at home, so let me know if you are asked for a DS certificate and I'll send you the application form. This will help speed up the process. DS use Surface Mail route for all overseas mail which takes 6 - 7 weeks to get to Canada so please keep that in mind. If you ask DS to send the certificate to a UK address, that address appears on the certificate not the one in the applicaton form.

JB

That clinches it.
I couldn't decide if you were Andy MacNab or Captain Darling.
So Captain Darling it is.