Frequently Asked Questions Investigations

The Office of Personnel Management has no procedure for an individual to independently apply for an investigation, positions maintained by contractor, or security clearance. Clearances are based on investigations requested by Federal agencies, appropriate to specific positions and their duties. Until a person is offered such a position, the government will not request or pay for an investigation for a clearance. Once a person has been offered a job (contingent upon satisfactory completion of an investigation), the government will require the person to complete a Standard Form 86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions, initiate the investigation, adjudicate the results, and issue the appropriate clearance. We know that some Defense Department contractors require applicants to already have a clearance, and they have the right to administer their personnel hiring procedures the way they want as long as they don't discriminate based on prohibited factors (such as race or religion). Persons who already have clearances are those who are already employed by a government contractor (or by the government itself) and are looking for other job opportunities.

Yes, you can use your personal computer - at home or at the office. e-QIP is designed to be accessible from most computers, anywhere in the world. The only requirement is that you use an internet browser capable of 128-bit encryption. Please check out our e-QIP User guide for Browser settings: http://www.opm.gov/e-QIP/reference.asp#cli

To correctly complete an e-QIP request you cannot have gaps between your dates. Validation is based on data entered and any time lapse between the end date of one record and the start date of the next record will prompt an error message. You must indicate all period of self-employment, unemployment, or vacation as appropriate. Please provide as complete a set of data as possible. Depending on the type of investigation you will receive, you may be required to provide 10 years of data for some questions. An error message will indicate if this is the case.

Enter three, click Submit. The system will then display additional lines for you to add additional degrees.

Question 9 requires one record to have an end date for which you have checked the Present box, indicating your current residence.

We talk to as many knowledgeable people as possible to get a balanced, accurate, and comprehensive picture of the person being investigated. Later, you may have an opportunity to refute any misleading or false information that was reported about you.

A "Warning" message alerts you to a potential problem with your data which may require additional explanation. An "Error" must be corrected prior to certifying your completed form.

The Reset button clears (removes) any new data recently entered on a screen that has not been previously saved