Personnel security screening processes
The type of personnel security screening that an employee needs is determined by the requirements of each contract. The Contract Security Program can help your organization’s personnel get the level of security clearance required.
On this page
- Reliability status
- Security clearance
- What to expect during the personnel security screening process
Reliability status
Reliability status is a personnel security clearance that is required before an employee can gain access to Protected A, B, or C information, assets or work sites. It is valid for 10 years.
In this section
- Obtaining a reliability status
- Updating a reliability status
- Duplicating a reliability status
- Transferring a reliability status
- Reactivating a reliability status
- More information on reliability status
Obtaining a reliability status
Security screening for reliability status requires a 5-year background check. The company security officer (CSO) or alternate company security officer (ACSO) is responsible for verifying the applicant’s identity, education and professional credentials.
To request a new reliability status, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on how to complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Completing and submitting the form electronically
Submitting applications online is a convenient and effective service that increases the accuracy of the applications and allows the program to initiate the process more quickly.
When using online security services (OLISS) to complete and submit the form, refer to the CSO guide to learn how the applicant and CSO or ACSO fill out and sign an electronic form:
- Company security officer's guide to completing and submitting personnel security screening forms: Refer to the section “Submitting forms completed online”
Information the program will need
The program will request the following:
- a law enforcement inquiry through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for:
- fingerprinting:
- submit the fingerprints applicant request form for mandatory fingerprints
- consult the list of accredited fingerprint companies
- fingerprinting:
The program may also request:
- out-of-country verifications
- these are conducted when an applicant has lived outside of Canada for an uninterrupted period of 6 months
- a subject interview with the applicant to assess eligibility for personnel screening
- a financial inquiry
- this is completed by a credit bureau and requires employee consent
- other supporting documents, as necessary
Updating a reliability status
Avoid delays by requesting an update at least 6 months before the 10-year expiry date.
To request an update to an existing reliability status, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on how to complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Duplicating a reliability status
The CSO or ACSO requests a duplicate when the employee holds a valid reliability status with one or more private sector organizations registered in the program.
When a reliability status may be duplicated
A reliability status may be duplicated only if:
- it was not terminated more than 2 years ago
- in other words, the reliability status is still active
- it is not due for updating
- it is in good standing (ex: not currently under investigation)
- the individual has stated that there has been no change of circumstance, such as a criminal conviction
Requesting a duplicate
To request a duplicate, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on properly completing sections A to D of the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Working on a contract while the duplication request is being processed
An employee may begin work on a contract only after:
- the program has noted the duplication request as “pending”
- This happens once the program verifies that the employee’s original clearance is active and in good standing
- the government procurement officer managing the contract verifies with the program that the employee is eligible to begin work on the contract
- The program provides a written verification of the original clearance to the officer
Once the duplication process is completed, the CSO or ACSO will receive a security screening certificate and briefing form for signature.
Note:
Some departments do not allow subcontractors to work on contracts with security requirements until the duplication of their personnel security clearance has been completed .
When an employee has a higher clearance than the organization they will be working for
An employee maintains their higher level security clearance, even when their clearance is being duplicated in an organization with a lower level of clearance. When the clearance is due to be updated, their security clearance level will be reassessed based on the needs at that time. Please note that this will not entitle the contractor to access a higher information level than the one required to perform their duties with the organization, nor will it entitle the organization to be awarded contracts or perform work at that level.
Transferring a reliability status
The CSO or ACSO needs to request a transfer from the program when a government department or agency holds the employee’s reliability status.
When a reliability status may be transferred
A reliability status may be transferred only if:
- it was not terminated more than two years ago
- in other words, the reliability status is still active
- the verifications conducted by the other government department are within the past 5 years
- the individual has stated that there has been no change in circumstance, such a criminal conviction
When the security clearance required by the receiving organization is at the same or lesser level as the one previously granted to an individual, the security clearance may be accepted by the receiving department or agency at par and should only be redone in the following situations:
- The results are more than five years old;
- There is evidence to suggest that the security screening was not previously done in accordance with this Standard;
- There is a security waiver attached to the status or clearance;
- Results of law enforcement inquiries or security assessments have been removed from the file; or
- There is adverse information on file that may represent a security risk to the receiving department or agency.
If the program cannot have the reliability status transferred, it will close the screening file. The CSO or ACSO will need to submit to the program:
- a new request
- the employee’s electronic fingerprints
Requesting a transfer
To request a transfer, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on properly completing sections A to D of the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- In section B, provide the name of the department, the level of security clearance and the year the screening was done
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Reactivating a reliability status
The CSO or ACSO needs to request a reactivation from the program when an employee held a reliability status with a private sector company that was terminated less than 2 years ago.
When a reliability status may be re-activated
A reliability status may be reactivated only if it was not terminated more than 2 years ago.
If a reliability status was terminated:
- between 1 and 2 years ago, the CSO or ACSO will need to submit:
- a reactivation request
- the employee’s electronic fingerprints
- Electronic fingerprints may be required for a reactivation, when the request has been inactive (terminated) for over 1 year
- more than 2 years ago, the CSO or ACSO will need to submit:
- an update request
- the employee’s electronic fingerprints
- Electronic fingerprints are mandatory for requests of more than 2 years
Requesting a reactivation
To request a reactivation, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on properly completing sections A to D of the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
More information on reliability status
Security clearance
A personnel security clearance is required before an employee may access classified information, assets or sites.
In this section
- Levels of security clearance
- Obtaining a security clearance
- Updating a security clearance
- Duplicating a security clearance
- Transferring a security clearance
- Reactivating a security clearance
- More information on security clearance
Levels of security clearance
- Secret and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secret
- These 2 security clearances require a 10-year background check and are valid for 10 years.
- Top Secret and Control of Secret Material in an International Command (COSMIC) Top Secret Footnote 1
- These 2 security clearances require a 10-year background check and are valid for 5 years.
Obtaining a security clearance
- Obtaining a Secret or North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secret clearance
- Obtaining a Top Secret or Control of Secret Material in an International Command Top Secret clearance
Obtaining a Secret or North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secret clearance
To request a new Secret or NATO Secret clearance, the CSO or ACSO and the employee must complete and submit the following forms:
- Personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E)
- Security clearance form (TBS/SCT 330-60E)
Completing the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
To complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form:
- review the instructions on how to complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Completing the security clearance form
To complete the security clearance form:
- review the instructions on how to complete the security clearance form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Information the program will need
The program will request the following:
- a law enforcement inquiry through the RCMP for:
- fingerprinting:
- submit the fingerprints applicant request form for mandatory fingerprints
- consult the list of accredited fingerprint companies
- fingerprinting:
- indices check, or loyalty check, conducted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The program may also request:
- out-of-country verifications
- a financial inquiry
- a subject interview with the applicant
- immigration documents if the applicant was not born in Canada
Obtaining a Top Secret or Control of Secret Material in an International Command Top Secret clearance
To request a new Top Secret or COSMIC Top Secret clearance, the CSO or ACSO and the employee must complete and submit the following forms:
- Personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E)
- Security clearance form (TBS/SCT 330-60E)
Completing the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
To complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form:
- review the instructions on how to complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Completing the security clearance form
To complete the security clearance form:
- review the instructions on how to complete the security clearance form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
What to include with the 2 forms
- 3 passport photos
- fingerprints applicant request form for mandatory electronic fingerprints
Information the program will need
The program will request:
- a law enforcement inquiry through the RCMP for:
- fingerprinting:
- submit the fingerprints applicant request form for mandatory fingerprints
- consult the list of accredited fingerprint companies
- fingerprinting:
- an indices check, or loyalty check, conducted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
- a financial inquiry
The program may request:
- an out-of-country verification
- a subject interview with the applicant
- immigration documents if the applicant was not born in Canada
Updating a security clearance
Avoid delays by requesting an update at least 1 year before the expiry date:
- 10 years for Secret and NATO Secret clearances
- 5 years for Top Secret or COSMIC Top Secret clearances
To request an update to an existing security clearance, the CSO or ACSO and the employee must complete and submit the following forms:
- Personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E)
- Security clearance form (TBS/SCT 330-60E)
Completing the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
To complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form:
- review the instructions on how to complete the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Completing the security clearance form
To complete the security clearance form:
- review the instructions on how to complete the security clearance form
- complete the form by:
- submit the form to the program
Duplicating a security clearance
The CSO or ACSO needs to request a duplicate from the program when the employee holds a valid security clearance with one or more private sector organizations registered in the program.
When a security clearance may be duplicated
A security clearance may be duplicated only if:
- it was not terminated more than 1 year ago
- in other words, the security clearance is still active
- it is not due for updating
- it is in good standing
- the individual has stated that there has been no change of circumstance, such as a criminal conviction
Requesting a duplicate
To request a duplicate, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on properly completing sections A to D of the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form
- submit the form to the program
Transferring a security clearance
The CSO or ACSO needs to request a transfer from the program when a government department or agency holds the employee’s security clearance.
When a security clearance may be transferred
A security clearance may be transferred only if:
- it was not terminated more than 1 year ago. In other words, the security clearance is still active
- the verifications conducted by the other government department are within the last 5 years
- the individual has stated that there has been no change of circumstance, such as a criminal conviction
When the security status or clearance required by the receiving department is at the same or lesser level as the one previously granted to an individual, the security status or clearance may be accepted by the receiving department or agency at par and should only be redone in the following situations:
- The results are more than five years old;
- There is evidence to suggest that the security screening was not previously done in accordance with this Standard;
- There is a security waiver attached to the status or clearance;
- Results of law enforcement inquiries or security assessments have been removed from the file; or
- There is adverse information on file that may represent a security risk to the receiving department or agency.
If the program cannot have the security clearance transferred, it will close the screening file. The CSO or ACSO will need to submit to the program:
- a new request
- the employee’s electronic fingerprints
Requesting a transfer
To request a transfer, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on properly completing sections A to D of the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- In section B, provide the name of the department, the level of security clearance and the year the screening was done
- complete the form
- submit the form to the program
Reactivating a security clearance
The CSO or ACSO needs to request a reactivation from the program when an employee returns to work for the organization within two years of the date that their screening was terminated.
When a security clearance may be reactivated
A security clearance may be reactivated only if it was not terminated more than 1 year ago.
If a security clearance was terminated:
- less than 1 year ago, the CSO or ACSO will need to submit:
- a reactivation request
- more than 1 year ago, the CSO or ACSO will need to submit:
- an update request
- the employee’s electronic fingerprints
Requesting a reactivation
To request a reactivation, the CSO or ACSO and the employee need to complete and submit a personnel screening, consent and authorization form (TBS/SCT 330-23E):
- review the instructions on properly completing sections A to D of the personnel screening, consent and authorization form
- complete the form
- submit the form to the program
More information on security clearance
- Consult the Government of Canada Standard on Security Screening
- Learn more about personnel security clearance in the Industrial Security Manual
What to expect during the personnel security screening process
The Contract Security Program may request the following verifications during the personnel security screening process:
- Out-of-country verifications
- Law enforcement inquiries
- Financial inquiries
- Subject interviews
- Fingerprinting
Out-of-country verifications
Out-of-country verifications are required for applicants who have lived outside of Canada for at least 6 months consecutively:
- within the last 5 years for reliability status
- within the last 10 years for security clearances
To conduct an out-of-country verification, the program:
- confirms when the individual worked or lived outside of Canada
- requests additional documentation from the CSO or ACSO, such Police National Certificates
CSOs or ACSOs should advise the applicant to:
- obtain a police certificate from the country they were located in, and submit the original (and not a copy) directly to the CSO or ACSO
- get the certificate translated if it is in a language other than English or French
- get the certificate validated by the country’s embassy
Once completed, the CSO or ACSO will submit the information to the program.
For former Canadian government employees or spouses employed in a foreign country, the applicant should indicate spousal assignment in the comments section and the program will contact that Canadian government department to request confirmation.
Requests will be closed if the applicant:
- lived or worked in a country where verification cannot be done
- could not provide a full five years of verifiable background information
Law enforcement inquiries
For all personnel security screenings, the program reviews law enforcement records, databases or databanks to determine whether an individual:
- has a criminal record
- is associated with a criminal organization or known criminals
- is a dangerous offender
- is known, suspected of, or has engaged in criminality
Financial inquiries
In some cases, the program will conduct financial inquiries to determine whether an individual poses a security risk on the basis of financial pressure or history of poor financial responsibility.
At a minimum, financial inquiries involve a full consumer credit report from a credit reporting agency. The report provides information on the individual's credit history, liens, judgments and bankruptcy. It does not include a credit score.
Credit checks conducted for the purpose of security screening are "masked" so that no adverse effect is brought to the individual's credit bureau file.
Subject interviews
The program will refer a personnel security screening file to the Security Screening Investigation Unit if:
- a security concern was identified during the screening process
- personnel is applying for a Top Secret Signals intelligence (SIGINT)
The investigation`s unit will review the personnel security clearance file and may conduct a subject interview to obtain additional information from the applicant. All Top Secret SIGINT applicants must undergo a subject interview.
A subject interview helps the program determine the nature of the circumstances or activity that caused a security concern during the screening process. It also gives the applicant an opportunity to provide specific information to respond to these concerns. Any information provided by the applicant during the subject interview is protected and will not be shared with the CSO.
A subject interview will review features of the applicant, which may include:
- character
- financial situation
- time spent out of the country
- personal beliefs and associations
Some examples of security concerns include:
- unverifiable biographical history
- past criminal activity or record
- personal associations or beliefs
The findings of a subject interview help the program evaluate the results of personnel security screening assessments such as:
- criminal record name checks
- credit checks
- reliability checks
- loyalty assessments
Steps of the subject interview process
When a subject interview is required, the program will:
- notify the parties of the date, time and location of the interview
- identify the individual using a valid piece of photo identification
- provide the individual with the reason for the interview
- conduct the interview
- analyze the interview data
- formulate a recommendation to either grant, deny or revoke the reliability status or security clearance
Fingerprinting
The RCMP, the lead agency responsible for law enforcement inquiries, uses fingerprints rather than a name to positively identify an individual. Fingerprint screening has been used for many years to confirm identity, and it is an international best practice.
Mandatory electronic fingerprinting process
On February 1, 2017, the Contract Security Program implemented a mandatory electronic fingerprint requirement.