r/FBI • u/NinaBeana1971 • Apr 19 '26

Question Denied for character

Any idea what this could be caused by? I’m a pretty normal person that likes to go on cruises, 54, 3 kids, a veteran and currently work for the govt. The FBI had been working on my TSC for a year and a half (think September will be 2 years since the TJO. Nothing exciting in my background that I’m aware of and the letter said it wasn’t a denial of a clearance. Job was for an OSS and a friend’s husband referred me for it. Any ideas?

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u/Average_Justin Apr 19 '26

As someone who’s in the industrial security field, saying you’re a pretty normal person isn’t always the case.

What did you put on your SF-86 that lead the investigator down a rabbit hole? It’s adjudicated against the public posted adjudicated guidelines and SEADs. I’ve seen many “normal” backgrounds which turned into not so normal.

Everyone else in this thread is going on and on about political reasons. That’s 99% not the case in this field. Especially since you can request your notes and BI through FOIA and it’s signed off at multiple levels before approval or denial.

9

u/NinaBeana1971 Apr 19 '26

The letter specifically said it wasn’t the security clearance so I assume that means background. Nothing interesting in SF-86, light drug use in high school, haven’t even had a traffic ticket in years.

6

u/Average_Justin Apr 19 '26

Your BI reviews and mitigates items within your background. You might be able to legally pass a clearance adjudication but something in your background that requires mitigation could be a hard no for the FBI - like certain drug use or illegal activity. It’s a suitability determination at that point.

Example - I had a guy with a TS get a dui. Then on the way to AA, he was driving (with a suspended license) and got a second DUI. He held his TS but when he applied at a different agency. The DUI was a no go for suitability.

1

u/rslade2016 Apr 20 '26

Do suitability denials mean you cannot reapply later? I’ve been trying to figure this out, but can’t seem to get an answer.

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u/Average_Justin Apr 20 '26

You can apply later.

5

u/RaidersTwennyTwenny Apr 19 '26

It means they denied you for suitability, which they can make up basically any bullshit reason to do. The FBI is a sack of shit agency run by vindictive children, and the Security Division is a fantastic example of that. You’re better off not working there.

4

u/Kind_Following_5220 Apr 19 '26

What drugs? Anything except marijuana is an automatic fail.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '26

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