Denied a Security Clearance? You Can Appeal

Security clearances are like an ace in your hand. But many job seekers do not understand the process of getting one, such as the fact that you have to be sponsored by a company or government agency in order to even apply for one.

And what happens when you get turned down? That's what this anxious parent is trying to find out.

My daughter was turned down for a security clearance. Is it possible to find out why and appeal? I am not sure why she was turned down; she is just out of college. Is it possible that skipping a question on the form could get you rejected?

Evan Lesser, director of Clearancejobs.com, says that "you do have the right to know why you got turned down and the right to appeal."

He says any rejected clearance applicant should contact the facility security officer where they applied.

"That person would know why she was turned down and would look at a government database of candidates" for the details, he says.

Lesser said that numerous lawyers specialize in handling appeals for rejected applicants, at their cost, of course, but that "occasionally they do win on appeal."

He says "it's really not possible to skip a question these days" because almost all of them are filled out online and the software program does not allow an applicant to leave a question unanswered. He says that even if the applicant filled out a paper application it likely would have been reviewed by the facility security officer who in turn would have demanded any unanswered question be answered before the paperwork was turned over the government for processing.

"It's much more likely that she was turned down because of her finances, foreign travels or her relatives," he says.

Kenneth Bredemeier has six years of experience writing about the workplace. On the Job, a column addressing real worker questions about office relationships, corporate policies and workplace law, is written exclusively for washingtonpost.com.

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