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Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) - Merged

  • Thread starter Thread starter geofftheref
  • Start date Start date
Mileender said:
Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but I'm in that situation. I had to fill out a 330-60E because I've spent a lot of time working outside of Canada. They told me it would take up to 2 years. Does that sound right?

Quite possibly.
 
I actually had a question about that form.

I was just looking it over trying to remember what I wrote (I had to fill one out over a year ago for my security clearance) and noticed that the form is slightly different then the one I filled out. I filled out a long paper with alot of orange writing, and then I believe they changed something to do everything electronically cause the clerks in my OR then moved all the info onto a similar looking paper as the one in the link.

However, there are several sections in that form which I don't remember filling out. Would this be a major problem, or would it be enough that I filled out the old form?

(BTW, my security clearance check should be almost completed, as my referances have already been interviewed etc., so I would think that if it was a problem they would've have sent it back right away.) Just wondering though.
 
I am curious......I did the enhanced reliability check when you first apply.   Now I got offered a position as DEO infantry officer and accepted.   There was a long application(330-60) I had to fill out with previous employers, 3 references, and a neighbourhood reference.   It was 4 pages long, I assume this is for my level of security clearance???   What level do infantry officers require????
 
DrSize said:
I am curious......I did the enhanced reliability check when you first apply.   Now I got offered a position as DEO infantry officer and accepted.   There was a long application(330-60) I had to fill out with previous employers, 3 references, and a neighbourhood reference.   It was 4 pages long, I assume this is for my level of security clearance???   What level do infantry officers require????

Level II - Secret
 
Just my two cents on how long it takes. I am a sig op and as such I have to have a level 3 clearance, and some of my compatriots are about to start their second 3 year contract and still havent recieved their clearance. In some trades it will not hold you back or keep you from joining. We had sig ops in Kabul who had'nt gotten their clearance yet and they still were doing their jobs.

:salute:
 
Two different things here:

1. Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) - covers the last five years in Canada only.   Internal checks (CFRC/D): Verification of personal data (including date of birth and address), Verification of relevant education and professional qualifications, and Verification of employment data.; external checks (DPM Sec 2 and RCMP): Criminal Records Name Check (CRNC) and Credit Check.   If everything is clean it takes 3-4 business days.   If there is a criminal hit then fingerprints are required to be taken and sent to RCMP through DPM Sec 2 and that can take 3-8 months depending on volume.   Credit hits will be addressed by the MCC and the time taken to clear up any hits depends solely on the applicant.   If the applicant has not lived in Canada for the last five years then the CFRC/D can request out of country checks and this requires fingerprints to be sent to RCMP through DPM Sec 2.   If the country(ies) that the checks are needed in have an agreement with the RCMP then everything goes smoothly (3-18 months) and if not (3-12 months) the RCMP through DPM Sec 2 will tell the CFRC/D that it can't be done and the applicant will have to wait until they have been in Canada for five years. FYI: the USA, South Africa and South Korea are examples of countries that don't have an agreement with the RCMP.

2. Pre-Enrolment Security Clearance Check (Pre-Sec) - Will be conducted in the following cases:
a. An applicant has not resided in Canada for a continuous 10-year period immediately
prior to application. Applicants who were accompanying their parents while they were
employed outside Canada are not to be considered in this category.
b. The immediate relatives of applicants are currently residing in a country of security
concern or in a country with which Canada has non-amicable relations. An immediate
relative in this case includes a parent, sibling, spouse or parent-in-law.

(Pre-Enrolment) Security Clearance Pre-Assessment: The Security Clearance Pre-
Assessment is the actual processing of a security clearance when there are foreign implications that
relate to a CF applicant. To complete the Pre-Assessment all of the mandatory checks/procedures are
conducted to the security clearance level identified IAW the established requirements for the MOC for
which the applicant is being considered. The purpose of the Pre-Assessment is to minimize the threat
to security and at the same time improve the CF's effectiveness through the prevention of the human
resource losses which result when a member cannot subsequently be effectively employed because of
security clearance limitations.

It is important to note that an applicant must be granted Enhanced Reliability Status prior to the submission of a Pre-Sec.

Interpretation of Canadian Residency â “ Continuous 10 year Period: Defining Canadian residency has been a contentious issue for the past several years. Recent emails from DPM Sec 2 have clarified
processing direction for applicant's who present foreign implication concerns by leaving
Canada. The direction to be followed with regard to the processing of applicants who have not
remained in Canada for a continuous 10 year period is:
a. Traveling out of Canada on Vacation: No Security Clearance Pre-Assessment is
required for applicants who have traveled out of Canada for a period of less than 6
months, while retaining permanent Canadian residency for a minimum of 10 years prior
to application; and
b. Working or Studying Outside of Canada: Part I (Employment/Education) of the
TBS/SCT 330-60 (long form) does not identify a minimum time period for the processing of
applicants who leave the country and live in another country for work or academic study
reasons. As a result, any applicant who undertakes a work or academic placement
outside of Canada for any period of time requires a Security Clearance Pre-Assessment.

This process can take anywhere from 8 months to forever.   Normally the processing of an applicant who needs a Pre-Sec is as follows:

- Provides application;
- CFAT tested and if successfull, ERC is conducted;
- ERC is okay, applicant fills out long security form;
- Pre-Sec is submitted and waiting period begins.

The length of time taken depends on whether CSIS has an agreement with the country(ies) that the applicant is from or has worked in.   South Africa is an example of a country that there is no agreement with.   I don't know all of the countries we have agreements with so don't ask.   I do know that the PRe-Sec will normally (and I use that term loosely) will/may go more smoothly if the applicant is from/has worked in NATO countries.

So from above you can see that a number of things must be done and a number of things can go wrong when it comes to ERCs and Pre-Secs.   Every case is different and is applicant dependant.

If you have not been in Canada for the last ten continuous years then you are in for a long long wait.
 
For those of use who have lived outside of Canada for the last 10 years, is the longer wait a result of bureaucracy or is it just because it takes longer in an administrative sense?

I don't know...but when I hear about all these background checks and stuff I always get this picture of some CSIS employee with a stack of papers on his deask yay high who sees a clearance for someone who has lived overseas and says "oh no, not another one of these" and sticks it in the bottom of the pile.
 
I have been thinking about joining and doing all the research I could for that past month and I finally decided to go to the recruiter today. I've been living in Canada for 8 years now and he told me that I have to have lived in Canada for at least 10 years or an additional security clearance check is required and that would take up to 2-3 year!!! :o.......whats that all about, what could possibly take that long and don't they do all of that before you move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen....which I am. I moved here when I was 8...8!!!!I can't believe they have to check if I had some kind of criminal record or whatever they are checking. He said it would be best if I waited until I've lived here for 10 year but either way I have to wait another 2 freaking years. Has anyone heard of this before because I've looked all over and this is the first time I've heard of this, if you have, is there anyway to get through it faster.
 
from what i know.. an enhanced security check doesnt take 2 to 3 years  ???

it will take longer than the standard but from what i've heard it doesnt take nearly that long..


who did you talk to about this?
 
excuse my second consecutive post here but.. where did you live prior to moving to canada?
 
Krazy Al said:
I have been thinking about joining and doing all the research I could for that past month and I finally decided to go to the recruiter today. I've been living in Canada for 8 years now and he told me that I have to have lived in Canada for at least 10 years or an additional security clearance check is required and that would take up to 2-3 year!!! :o.......whats that all about, what could possibly take that long and don't they do all of that before you move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen....which I am. I moved here when I was 8...8!!!!I can't believe they have to check if I had some kind of criminal record or whatever they are checking. He said it would be best if I waited until I've lived here for 10 year but either way I have to wait another 2 freaking years. Has anyone heard of this before because I've looked all over and this is the first time I've heard of this, if you have, is there anyway to get through it faster.

Perhaps if you had done some searching here:

Two different things here:

1. Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) - covers the last five years in Canada only.  Internal checks (CFRC/D): Verification of personal data (including date of birth and address), Verification of relevant education and professional qualifications, and Verification of employment data.; external checks (DPM Sec 2 and RCMP): Criminal Records Name Check (CRNC) and Credit Check.  If everything is clean it takes 3-4 business days.  If there is a criminal hit then fingerprints are required to be taken and sent to RCMP through DPM Sec 2 and that can take 3-8 months depending on volume.  Credit hits will be addressed by the MCC and the time taken to clear up any hits depends solely on the applicant.  If the applicant has not lived in Canada for the last five years then the CFRC/D can request out of country checks and this requires fingerprints to be sent to RCMP through DPM Sec 2.  If the country(ies) that the checks are needed in have an agreement with the RCMP then everything goes smoothly (3-18 months) and if not (3-12 months) the RCMP through DPM Sec 2 will tell the CFRC/D that it can't be done and the applicant will have to wait until they have been in Canada for five years. FYI: the USA, South Africa and South Korea are examples of countries that don't have an agreement with the RCMP.

2. Pre-Enrolment Security Clearance Check (Pre-Sec) - Will be conducted in the following cases:
a. An applicant has not resided in Canada for a continuous 10-year period immediately
prior to application. Applicants who were accompanying their parents while they were
employed outside Canada are not to be considered in this category.
b. The immediate relatives of applicants are currently residing in a country of security
concern or in a country with which Canada has non-amicable relations. An immediate
relative in this case includes a parent, sibling, spouse or parent-in-law.

(Pre-Enrolment) Security Clearance Pre-Assessment: The Security Clearance Pre-
Assessment is the actual processing of a security clearance when there are foreign implications that
relate to a CF applicant. To complete the Pre-Assessment all of the mandatory checks/procedures are
conducted to the security clearance level identified IAW the established requirements for the MOC for
which the applicant is being considered. The purpose of the Pre-Assessment is to minimize the threat
to security and at the same time improve the CF's effectiveness through the prevention of the human
resource losses which result when a member cannot subsequently be effectively employed because of
security clearance limitations.

It is important to note that an applicant must be granted Enhanced Reliability Status prior to the submission of a Pre-Sec.

Interpretation of Canadian Residency â “ Continuous 10 year Period: Defining Canadian residency has been a contentious issue for the past several years. Recent emails from DPM Sec 2 have clarified
processing direction for applicant's who present foreign implication concerns by leaving
Canada. The direction to be followed with regard to the processing of applicants who have not
remained in Canada for a continuous 10 year period is:
a. Traveling out of Canada on Vacation: No Security Clearance Pre-Assessment is
required for applicants who have traveled out of Canada for a period of less than 6
months, while retaining permanent Canadian residency for a minimum of 10 years prior
to application; and
b. Working or Studying Outside of Canada: Part I (Employment/Education) of the
TBS/SCT 330-60 (long form) does not identify a minimum time period for the processing of
applicants who leave the country and live in another country for work or academic study
reasons. As a result, any applicant who undertakes a work or academic placement
outside of Canada for any period of time requires a Security Clearance Pre-Assessment.

This process can take anywhere from 8 months to forever.  Normally the processing of an applicant who needs a Pre-Sec is as follows:

- Provides application;
- CFAT tested and if successfull, ERC is conducted;
- ERC is okay, applicant fills out long security form;
- Pre-Sec is submitted and waiting period begins.

The length of time taken depends on whether CSIS has an agreement with the country(ies) that the applicant is from or has worked in.  South Africa is an example of a country that there is no agreement with.  I don't know all of the countries we have agreements with so don't ask.  I do know that the PRe-Sec will normally (and I use that term loosely) will/may go more smoothly if the applicant is from/has worked in NATO countries.

So from above you can see that a number of things must be done and a number of things can go wrong when it comes to ERCs and Pre-Secs.  Every case is different and is applicant dependant.

If you have not been in Canada for the last ten continuous years then you are in for a long long wait.
 
It is pretty well true.  The Security check for everyone goes back ten years.  It is simplified if you have lived in one place in Canada, all of that time.  It becomes more complicated if you lived outside of Canada, even if you are a Canadian citizen (ie. how do they send someone to the back woods of some foreign country to interview your former neighbour).  Use a little bit of common sense and think about what they are doing - A SECURITY CHECK.  
 
infamous_p said:
from what i know.. an enhanced security check doesnt take 2 to 3 years   ???

it will take longer than the standard but from what i've heard it doesnt take nearly that long..


who did you talk to about this?

He is not talking about the ERC he is referring to the Pre-Sec requirement.
 
You are what is called a Pre Security Check.

If you haven't lived in canada as a citizen for the past 10 years you are put on the pre security list. This means that there will be a minimum of a 2 year secuirty background check in to you history. This came into effect since September 11.
 
CFN. Orange said:
You are what is called a Pre Security Check.

If you haven't lived in canada as a citizen for the past 10 years you are put on the pre security list. This means that there will be a minimum of a 2 year secuirty background check in to you history. This came into effect since September 11.

Actually that's incorrect. I applied for ROTP last year and at that time I lived in Canada for 8 years and they didn't have to do the Pre-Sec check. I got a Level II Secret Clearance within 1 month of submitting my paperwork.
 
ROTP Applicant, it took me 6 months to receive my level II  after getting shipped to Saint-Jean and I have lived in Canada all my life. I find it hard to believe you got it in one month. Your application might have started being processed after one month, but I assure you, you will not have received your level II by now. From the time i finished putting paperwork into the time i got my level II was 11 months. Just to clarify things.
 
ROTP Applicant said:
Actually that's incorrect. I applied for ROTP last year and at that time I lived in Canada for 8 years and they didn't have to do the Pre-Sec check. I got a Level II Secret Clearance within 1 month of submitting my paperwork.

You have me wondering what you are talking about if you posted this a couple of weeks ago:

ROTP Applicant said:
Say anything you want at the ROTP interview, BUT DO NOT LIE (not even a tiny bit). This is my second year applying to ROTP. I got into RMC Engineering last year as a MARE. I declined cause I'll go in only if i'm offered a pilot slot. So I'm reapplying this year as an undergraduate applicant. I've already done everything at the CFRC; now all I have to do is Aircrew Selection which is booked for March 7-11. So if you guys have any questions on the ROTP application process just PM me or post here and I'll try answer them.  

If you come from a family that was serving overseas as part of the CF or Diplomatic Corps, your processing would be different.  However, as you claim in your post, you are not a current member of the CF, so I am wondering how you got your Level II Clearance?  Or is it because of your Father's/Mother's current Clearance?
 
ROTP Applicant said:
Actually that's incorrect. I applied for ROTP last year and at that time I lived in Canada for 8 years and they didn't have to do the Pre-Sec check. I got a Level II Secret Clearance within 1 month of submitting my paperwork.

a. An applicant has not resided in Canada for a continuous 10-year period immediately
prior to application. Applicants who were accompanying their parents while they were
employed outside Canada are not to be considered in this category.


Level II = hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
 
I was under the impression that all officer candidates get a Level II Clearance. If not, then my mistake I guess i got Level I Clearance. But that's not the point. I got throught the check in one month and it wasn't 2-3 years years. I didn't even have to fill out the long Pre-Sec form and my parents were not originally from Canada either. I believe that the process was so short for me was because I arrived to Canada when I was under 16 and up until the end of last year the Pre-Sec form did not have to be completed if one arrived before the age of 16 and was a Canadian citizen.
 
ROTP Applicant, there is a big difference between security check and a security clearance. Security clearance allows you site access and the ability to read documents up to your level of clearance in certain situations where the information actually pertains to you.
ROTP Applicant said:
I was under the impression that all officer candidates get a Level II Clearance. If not, then my mistake I guess i got Level I Clearance. But that's not the point. I got throught the check in one month and it wasn't 2-3 years years.
As I said, it was simply a check. All officer cadets get their security clearance, however you do not have one since you were not sworn in and as a result, have yet to do IAP/BOTP. Your actual security clearance, from what I understand, begins processing after you get sent out for your initial posting, be it in St-Jean at the Mega or at prep year. The background check is to make sure that you're fine for them to continue processing and once you get accepted, they look into your background even more so as to give you your security clearance.
 
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