Will having parents with foreign citizenship and who live overseas, and my having lived overseas for 9 years, disqualify me for top secret?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 22:37:24 -0500

To add on, I signed up for army reserve, qualified for intel jobs 35G but both my parents are chinese and live oversea, I spent 9 years there, I am a natural born citizen and can help my parents get green card, but it takes time, meanwhile will this prevent me from getting top secret clearance? (No official foreign ties, just friends etc)

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Jan 21 at 2018 10:45 PM

SFC Greg Bruorton — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 22:45:55 -0500

That's a tough call, Cherie. It takes three months or so for the TS clearance to come down, but with your background, it might take longer--if you're considered. Expect some long interviews with agents and be up-front with them. Your DD Form 398 will have to be packed with information to assist you, so be detailed as possible when filling in the information. Your birth certificate will be key for starters.

I wish you success. I held a TS clearance for almost 20 years and my ethnicity as a Southern boy never got in the way.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Jan 22 at 2018 11:30 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:30:24 -0500

Not necessarily, I had several folks that were 1st generation American, from 0O-6 , down. It will be a tedious experience and take time, but it is doable.

Response by SSG Dale London made Jan 24 at 2018 11:58 PM

SSG Dale London — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 23:58:11 -0500

The intricacies of the Special Background Investigation (SBI) are wide and varied and way to deep to go into here in detail. But to put it at its simplest, there are three main considerations your situation will raise with the agents doing your SBI: 1 - are you loyal to the US; 2 - are you likely to be a security risk, either through vulnerability to blackmail & coercion or through close ties to subversives; and 3 - are you of good moral character.
Items 1 and 3 are up to you and are entirely dependent upon your behavior in the past as an indicator of trustworthiness. Item 2 is your problem area -- especially as you have close personal ties to people who (if they are in China at present) are vulnerable to victimization by a state that has traditionally been less than friendly to the US.
I cannot say for sure this will prevent you getting your clearance but I can definitively say that each SBI is taken on its own merits and that if you pass muster you will be cleared.
Keep working to get your parents over and be absolutely up-front with security personnel. There are elements of your training that you will not be able to engage with until you get at least an interim clearance so this might delay your training -- you may find yourself on casual duty for a while before it comes in. (I hope you like floor buffers!)
Conversely you might be denied your clearance outright - at which point they may offer you another MOS.
In any case, thank you for your willingness to serve. I hope you make it.

Response by SSgt David Marks made Jan 25 at 2018 1:53 AM

SSgt David Marks — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 01:53:27 -0500

It shouldn't, however do expect the background check to take an extended amount of time. Believe it or not they will send someone to speak to your parents and also some of their friends. My son ran into a similar thing because he was born in Spain.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2018 7:11 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:11:26 -0500

Top Secret, means to keep a Secret, now that your Secret is out after telling all of us. Hummm!

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Feb 14 at 2018 10:24 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 22:24:31 -0500

Good luck, it will slow you down but if/when you get it you'll be in a good position.I'm a little afraid my advise might be badly outdated. Once upon a time I was in an Army Intel Unit. It was supposed to have Czech and Slovak interrogators. I would send them to DLI and they would like California better. On drills three Puerto Ricans and a Chinese Girl was what showed up. Please don't take offense but I used to joke that if we wound up in Czechoslovakia and least we could send out for dinner.

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made Feb 15 at 2018 9:11 PM

MSG John Duchesneau — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 21:11:02 -0500

You will probably have to answer a lot of questions. If the Army doesn't want you - the CIA probably will.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2018 3:51 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 03:51:35 -0500

No not at face value but you will have a much longer and more complicated vetting process. Certainly the infiltration and persistent attempts to spy by China will also raise concern. The fact that your parents still live there is a concern because China has demonstrated they are not above threatening family members in order to "turn you" or make you a spy. It presents a significant danger of blackmail and cohesion.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Aug 29 at 2019 6:52 PM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 18:52:25 -0400

How did this turn out? Please do not be specific, good or not good suffices considering your line of work.