Hi all,

I moved to the US last month and finally got my greencard a week ago but am after a job as a network manager for the moment as it's what I did in the UK, unfortunately where I live everything seems to need US Government Security clearance so I'm wondering if I am actually able to get it or am I just wasting their time by sending a resume to them? I worked for the British Ministry of Defence up until I moved so had security clearance there but I know I'll inevitably have to do all the checks here too if I can even apply.

So to summarize can a permanent resident get US government security clearance or is it a citizens only thing?

Thanks for any help.

It all depends on the job. Some vacancies may say Permanent Residents are elgible. There are different levels of clearance and this is reflected in who's eligible to apply.

Working for the MOD in the UK will be of no benefit in the US either.

Do you live around Washington DC then?

Thanks. I live in southern Tennessee so I'm guessing most of the jobs advertised are to do with the Red Stone Arsenal or possibly even NASA.

There is a poster here who I think works for a defence contractor; do a forum search and you'll probably find some info, he did post some info here on the subject once.

It depends on who the clearance is issued by (i.e., which branch of government), and how much clearance you need. Often it is not worth the trouble for everyone involved.

You won't be able to work for the US government at any level unless you're a citizen, but you might be able to work for a contractor at a low clearance level. I worked for a couple of NASA contractors on a green card, but never needed clearance.

I believe that under exceptional circumstances you can be granted some level of security clearance on a Green Card.

I've been working for a defense contractor for the last 4 years - the last year on a Green Card (H1-B before that) and I've not tried to apply for clearance because of all the trouble involved.

However, when I was on an H1-B visa I had a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) which effectively meant that any (unclassified) technical information shared with me was being exported by my company to me, a foreign individual, under license. I was not allowed to take part in, or have any knowledge of, classified projects.

Since getting my Green Card, a TAA is no longer necessary because a Permanent Resident is classed as a "US Person" by the State Department, and can work on any projects that do not require security clearance, just like a US Citizen. I still don't expect to be able to work on Classified projects until I'm a Citizen.

of course it depends, not everyone can get it

Gosh, that's a useful response.

Without pretty niche skills I can't see any organisation taking a PR through the process even to the limited levels that are available.

Also bear in mind, security clearance investigations can take anything up to two years (depending on level and area) - and that's when they are dealing with USC's.

This is an important point. They don't just have you sitting around 'working while waiting for a clearance' so unless you have a spare 6 months or so....

I live in DC and used to work on Capitol Hill where probably 25% of my friends have had to go through the checks, some even at the polygraph level. It's not a pleasant ordeal and they do find out a ton of stuff about you. I was getting interviewed probably every two months for this person or that (they talk to all your friends, colleagues, family and enemies).

I should also note that there are different levels of clearances, and if you are lucky enough to get one as a PR (very very rare) it will likely be extremely limited such that if a project moves to another level where higher clearances are required, you'll be out of luck.

Yup, remember, this is a family undertaking. Should you go down this route at any point, make sure everyone is okay with it.

Thanks very much all. I've managed to find some other jobs to apply for now that aren't network management so hopefully I won't need the clearance for a while

Having been mucked around on this clearance score for quite some time when I first got here, by and large, No Citizenship = No Clearance. End of Story. As some of the others have said, there are one or two very rare (and low level clearance) exceptions that can be made; but generally these are reserved for persons of exceptionally special talent who can do something a citizen can't.

Your Brit clearance is pretty much worthless here - the only time its valid is when you come across as a representative of HMG at the behest of the US - then your clearance is translated across with no problems. But as a free agent - this doesn't apply.

Are you at Raytheon or GD Dan? Just I notice Tampa.