AndyMan74

Hello,

I've been out of the states for 17 years and will be returning next month. Some of the jobs I’ve been looking into (aerospace manufacturing) often require US citizenship which is fine but also a background check. As I have been away for so long would providing an ACRO as an example be of any use? If not would I be able to pass a US background check (I’m squeaky clean in US and UK).

Thank You

Rete

Doubt that it would be any assistance as the employer will do their own security check on you.

tom169

You'll likely get sent some third party to handle the security checks.

BenK91

As above, it'll be a third party.

My employer used a company that handled the background check and also my drug test.

AndyMan74

I suppose a 3rd party check might ask for more information about my time in the UK and hopefully that would be enough. Thanks

scrubbedexpat091

Really depends on how in depth the background check is.

Some employers just do a simple name based FBI record search and nothing else.

Others do more extensive searches and verifications of where you lived and worked.

When I worked at airports in the US they required 10 years of employmemt, residents, where you travelled etc.

BenK91

Mine was fairly comprehensive and I work in the software industry, albeit for banks and insurance companies etc.

If I remember rightly, mine did a nationwide US check (showed results for all 50 states), sex offenders register, verification of my qualifications from the UK, including Cisco, AWS and ITIL certifications and various other things. It took about a week to complete due to them verifying employment and the above in the UK.

AndyMan74

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I will find out soon enough.

BenK91

Just be prepared to have documents ready when it comes to the UK side of things. I had to get my family back home to dig out my old GCSE certificates and things like that. In the 7 years I worked in IT (or any job) in the UK, I've never been asked to provide any certificates from high school or college so it was a bit of a surprise needing them out here.

uk_grenada

The essence of a proper security check is that they ask you nothing, just wanting a copy of your CV. The serious guys will comb your history themselves and follow leads they find. In the uk this usefully used to be known as nv and pv, negative vetting just looks for bad stuff in standard places and if it finds nothing untoward you get the job. Positive vetting on the other hand requires they can prove stuff like your financial criminal paternal and other info, and if theres a gap, no job. Everythings shades of grey though, they definitely want to know how bribeable you are, or your potential to be blackmailed, but having a login to a kinky sex websites probably ok, as they know your world better for it, and the people who know wont tell your boss, he/she just gets a yes/no.

excpomea

I went through a higher level security clearance some years ago.
A clearance agency handled it, tracked down various ex service commanding officers who thankfully remembered me.
There was no issue appart from having to hand over my UK passport for shredding.
They did not want me having a US and UK passport.
Thankfully now no longer in that role so have replaced my UK passport.

carcajou

Depends on what level of clearance you require.

Third parties will often do it.

Follow the instructions carefully - ie a big one is no time gaps in employment or residential history (not that they care that you have been unemployed or that you moved around, they just want all the time periods accounted for).

BigK

Does this touch federal government work? If so, then a Security check is way more than a check. You have to be a citizen, and then get a Secret of Top Secret clearance, which is very involved and usually takes a year. If its a simple check then they check your criminal record, credit/finances, etc, and you are good to go.

tom169

Depends on clearance needed. A friend of mine just started at NASA and while citizenship was required the clearance didn't delay anything.

civilservant

I held a TS clearance in the UK, and it seems like Developed Vetting is a little intrusive than TS/SCI here.