|  | Public Health Safety | Emergency Preparedness

National Security Clearance Travel Restrictions

The 21st century produced some prominent concerns regarding the safety of air travel, intelligence possession and protection of the U.S. population. To promote travelers' safety, several security contingencies have been either amplified or created. Perhaps one of the most critical of these is national security clearance processes, validation and restrictions.

  1. General Restriction

    • The most general restriction connected to national security clearance is who may obtain the clearance. Such approved documentation is usually reserved for federal or state employees performing jobs of a sensitive nature. Sensitive, in this context, refers to individuals in possession of intelligence, documentation or other materials that must be kept confidential or classified. Therefore, to be admitted into the application process, your job description must fall into one of the categories governed by these conditions.

    Types of Clearance

    • Three types of security clearance include confidential, secret and top secret. Each ascending level presents further restrictions and discrimination. Confidential clearance requires that you are employed overseas or have extremely close family or other ties abroad. Secret clearance requires an inquiry by a national agency, full credit and background checks and a survey of overseas activities and criminal records. Top-secret clearance stipulates an even more extensive study of every aspect of your public, financial and personal life, possibly including the same checks and inquiries into your close relatives, friends and associates. The government calls this a single-scope background investigation.

    Revocation

    • The government can remove or revoke your security travel clearance at its discretion. If authorities believe someone lied or presented false information in any document, interview or forum, they will likely restrict further cleared travel. Likewise, if the individual comes into any serious credit trouble or default, the government will probably consider revocation. Finally, any hint that the individual cannot continue to safely protect privileged or sensitive information will cause restriction of further clearance.

    Considerations

    • Travel clearance restrictions have affected more positions in the government since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Even if an individual acquires and maintains travel clearance, her status is consistently re-investigated. For confidential clearance, this occurs every 15 years; it's every 10 for secret clearance and every five for top-secret clearance. Proof of drug or alcohol abuse or gambling addiction also could negatively affect someone's security clearance. Not all debt is cause for rejection or dismissal; this just applies to those circumstances the government deems as negatively reflecting the character, responsibility or capacity of that person to be cleared.

Emergency Preparedness - Related Articles