To work at the FBI, you need at least a Top Secret clearance. You may
also be required to obtain a Sensitive Compartmented Information
clearance. Although having a foreign national spouse would not
inherently prevent you from obtaining these clearances, the background
investigation would most likely take considerably longer and there
would be a greater risk of you not receiving the clearance.
I was unable to find a specific statement from the FBI regarding your
situation, but I was able to locate material for the Department of
Defense and the Department of State regarding the granting of security
clearances and foreign national spouses. While the FBI will have its
own adjudicative body that makes the final decision, the basic
guidelines for granting security clearances should be similar. Most
importantly, it appears unlikely that having a foreign national spouse
would inherently preclude you from obtaining the security clearance
you need to be employed by the FBI. Moreover, a German spouse is
probably among the nationalities that will not cause you significant
problems, unless she is from or has ties to the former East German
intelligence apparatus.
I would suggest discussing your situation with the persons conducting
your background clearance so that you do not encounter problems if you
decide to get engaged/married after you have become employed. They
can best advise you how to proceed and what notifications would be
required in that event. Your relationship with this person will
almost certainly be investigated anyway as a social acquaintance,
especially because she is a foreign national. According to my
research, you would be investigated again after five years, so you
would not want your foreign national spouse to be a surprise.
Sincerely,
Wonko
"14. What level clearance will I need to work at the FBI?
All FBI employees receive a Top Secret clearance. Depending on your
position, you also may be granted a Sensitive Compartmented
Information (SCI) clearance."
"Federal Bureau of Investigation Honors Internship Program Handbook"
Federal Bureau of Investigation
https://www.fbijobs.com/employment/HIPhandbook.doc
"What about a background investigation?
Applicants are thoroughly investigated for FBI employment. The
background investigation takes from one to four months and encompasses
contacting former and current employers, references, social
acquaintances, and neighbors, as well as reviewing school, credit,
arrest, medical and military records. The complete background
investigation is assessed before a final decision on employment is
rendered."
"Employment Questions" Federal Bureau of Investigation
https://www.fbijobs.com/Faq.asp
"QUESTION: I am interested in finding out if being married to a
foreign national will automatically disqualify me from receiving a
security clearance in the future. I am not currently in the process of
obtaining a clearance, however I am interested in a career path that
will likely require one. I am also engaged to be married to a woman
who is a national of a foreign country. How will this effect my
ability to obtain a clearance in the future? Will it make a difference
if she opts to become a U.S. citizen?
ANSWER: The Defense Security Service conducts background
investigations on persons whose employment requires them to be cleared
as eligible to have access to Confidential, Secret, Top Secret (TS)
and/or Special Compartmented Information (SCI). DSS does not make the
decision whether a person meets the eligibility requirements and
should be given access. This decision is made by various adjudicative
bodies, depending on the applicant?s employer (i.e., DoD contractor,
Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.). Each adjudicative body follows uniform
regulatory guidelines in making clearance eligibility determinations,
however, and these guidelines do not necessarily disqualify an
individual based on their having a foreign national spouse. Each case
is investigated and evaluated on its own merits. If it is determined
that the spouse would not constitute a security risk, a clearance will
be granted assuming no other disqualifying factors. It should be
noted, however, that anyone requiring SCI eligibility is also subject
to some additional requirements beyond those for Confidential, Secret
and TS."
"Frequently Asked Questions" Defense Security Service (August 15,
2003) http://www.dss.mil/aboutdss/faq.htm
"Security Clearance Process
Students tentatively selected for the internship program must undergo
a background investigation and receive either a Secret or Top Secret
security clearance. The clearance process takes approximately 90-120
days to complete from the time the forms are received by the Bureau of
Diplomatic Security (DS). Investigations may take substantially longer
than 120 days if you have had extensive travel, education, residence
and/or employment overseas, or if you have dual citizenship, foreign
contacts, immediate family or relatives who are not citizens of the
United States and/or a foreign born spouse or if there is a security,
suitability, or medical issue to resolve. These issues could include a
current or past history of drugs or alcohol abuse, as well as a recent
history of credit problems. Further information regarding issues of
dual citizenship and foreign influence is available at
www.careers.state.gov. Although these problems will not necessarily
preclude you from receiving a security clearance, they will lengthen
the time required to complete the clearance process."
"The Selection and Clearance Process" Department of State (February 4,
2005) http://careers.state.gov/student/programs/intern_clearance.html
The following source gives you information about the types of
background checks that are conducted:
"CHAPTER 2. INVESTIGATIONS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY POSITIONS " United
States Geological Survey (May 28, 2004)
http://www.usgs.gov/usgs-manual/handbook/hb/440-7-h/440-7-h-ch2.html
The following source provides an example of how foreign national
spouses are viewed when security clearances are being considered:
"Decision of Administrative Judge" by Paul J. Mason (May 11, 2001)
http://www.defenselink.mil/dodgc/doha/industrial/00-0485.h1.html |
