Federal Government Security Clearances

Federal Government Security Clearances

A security clearance is a background check done by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). It will enable Fuze HR candidates to work in positions for the Federal Government and the various agencies, that may entail accessing secure and confidential information. Without a security clearance, candidates cannot apply for government positions that require them.

There are different levels of security clearances, depending on the role, responsibilities, and the type of information the contractor will be accessing. 

Levels of Security Clearances

The most common security clearance levels for personnel (contractors and temporary workers placed in the Federal Government) are:

  • Reliability: requires a 5-year background check, required when accessing Protected A, B or C information, assets, or work sites.
  • Secret: requires a 10-year background check, required when accessing information Classified as Secret.
  • Top Secret: requires a 10-year background check, required when accessing information Classified as Top Secret.

Requirements for Federal Government Security:

  • Lived in Canada without having travelled out of country for longer than 6 months during the last 5 years for Reliability Clearances.
  • Lived in Canada without having travelled out of country for longer than 6 months during the last 10 years for Secret/Top Secret Clearances.
  • The applicant must demonstrate their status in Canada through valid identification.

In order to obtain a Federal Government security clearance, you first need a sponsor. Fuze HR will act as your sponsor and complete applications for security clearances on behalf of our candidates. The application is then processed by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the RCMP.

We only sponsor candidates we are actively working with. To be qualified for a government role, please contact us at the email address provided below and we will schedule a phone call to determine your skills set and if it meets the requirements for security cleared positions within the Federal Government.

The next step is to have fingerprinting taken by an accredited RCMP fingerprinting company. The results will be sent electronically to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) for processing.

Fuze HR does not cover the cost of fingerprinting, it is the applicant’s responsibility to pay for this service.

Once the fingerprints have been taken, Fuze HR will provide you with detailed instructions on how to complete the online secure application form. Once you complete it, both candidate and agency will sign digitally, and submit the security clearance for processing. Please note that additional documentation may be required to support the original security clearance form.  

Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the RCMP process your application for a security clearance. The application process takes time, sometimes months, sometimes years and the approvals are outside of Fuze HR’s control.

The processing time for the clearance depends on the level of clearance and the background check. Processing times can vary. Please note that a security clearance can be denied, at which point you will not be able to work on government positions.

Generally, the processing times are as follows, given there is no complexity with the application:

  • Reliability: 4 to 8 weeks’ processing time.
  • Secret: 4 to 6 months’ processing time.
  • Top Secret: Over 1 year processing time.

Reliability Clearance is valid for 10 years.

Secret Clearances are valid for 5 years and are subject to termination by the government if the clearance is not in use or if an issue arises that compromises the clearance.

To process a renewal, Fuze HR will need to duplicate your clearance (if we were not the original sponsor of it). For details, see below.

The agency or organization that originally sponsored your application holds the Federal Government security clearances, enabling them to place you in Federal Government roles. In order for Fuze HR to place you in a Federal Government role, we will need to duplicate your security clearance (a much quicker process than applying for a new one) through our agency.

For more information on how to obtain, duplicate or check the validity of your security clearance, contact [email protected] today.

 

Sign in

Sign Up

Forgotten Password