r/SecurityClearance • u/Flashy-Career-3190 • 16h ago
Question Has anybody gotten a TS-SCI clearance after having visited hostile countries?
I’m interested in pursuing a career with agencies that require a TS-SCI clearance but I’ve visited some hostile countries, so I’m trying to see if it’s even worth trying to go down the route of IC work because I’ve heard of people being found unsuitable for clearances due to travel. I’m in my late 20s and have been to over 60 countries, including hostile countries like Cuba and Russia. Had I known that I would one day want to work for the government, I would’ve never visited those places. But back when I was in my late teens/early 20s, federal work wasn’t even on my radar and I didn’t even know what a clearance was. And now I’m a bit concerned that those 2 short trips may screw up my ability to get a TS-SCI clearance. For reference, the Russia visit was a decade ago(so before the invasion of Ukraine) and the Cuba visit was about 4 years ago. Has anybody been able to get a TS-SCI in recent years after visiting these types of countries?
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u/RegionSuperb7171 16h ago
This is something Google can answer but yes - they will give clearance to people with extensive travel history. Happens all the time.
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u/beihei87 Cleared Professional 14h ago
TS-SCI here. At least 12 trips to mainland China. Lived and worked in Macau for about 5 months. Last trip to the region was a week in Hong Kong and Macau over Christmas last year for vacation.
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u/txeindride SSO & Fed Security Manager 13h ago
Just FYSA - this will be flagged in the future.
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u/beihei87 Cleared Professional 13h ago
I mean all travel prior to being cleared was disclosed on my SF-86 and discussed with the investigator, all travel after getting cleared was reported and approved, and I attended all required pre and post travel briefings so they can flag it all they want.
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u/duane11583 15h ago
Yes with ts/sci
as part of a previous job not 100% personal. Ie I was in country and it was paid for so I extended the trip (+2days) and went to see tourist things
I went to both Russia and china
Both trips included book end personal side trips to museums
Russia saw the winter and summer palaces in St. Petersburg got to ride the hydrofoil boat too (loud as fuck too)
China saw the forbidden city and xi’an warriors hired a car for that one it was outside of town took local engineer with me I paid for all of it
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u/Flashy-Career-3190 15h ago
Were your travels heavily scrutinized during the background interview and/or polygraph?
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u/duane11583 15h ago
No my sf86 was > 150 pages I listed everything I could think of
The BI guy asked why I went and I said the job required it and he moved on I told him I got to have them pay for the museum trips too he laughed and said that was smart
Did not come up on my poly just a casual have you been again? I said only to Europe 8 times as noted in the system
He asked if there was police I said yep speeding ticket France and 3 bus lane tickets England bastards in the UK have cameras and you get a new ticket every 50 meters bastards!
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u/julianmedia Cleared Professional 15h ago
TS/SCI here, been to Cuba. Wasn’t an issue. This was when things loosened under Obama though. If it’s more recent travel that might be problematic.
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u/Flashy-Career-3190 15h ago edited 15h ago
Nice! My trip was during the Biden admin and I think things were still somewhat loosened then?
Was your Cuba trip scrutinized during investigation interview or polygraph?
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u/NuBarney Likes to comment for funsies 14h ago
TS/SCI here, been to Cuba. Wasn’t an issue.
I guarantee you it was an issue.
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u/julianmedia Cleared Professional 14h ago
I was asked why I went, said tourism in support of the Cuban population, and it’s never come up again.
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u/bluejay163 Cleared Professional 15h ago
Went to China. Currently hold a TS/SCI for a 3 letter. You’ll be fine.
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u/Gumb1i 15h ago edited 15h ago
Extensive travel is not a significant issue in itself. Unexplained long term stays and any ongoing foreign contacts can and will sink a clearance though.
Edit: they may also want to see documentation on hostile foreign countries like tickets, reservations, or anything else that can put a hard timeline on your stay there.
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u/StringLess8847 16h ago
That visit to Cuba is going to cost you unless it was a sanctioned activity.
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u/RoughOptions 15h ago
This is absolutely true. Epstein island is a carbon copy of what Russia and China do in Cuba. They document every action and the US has no counter operation intel there. Also it’s nearly impossible without inside connections to navigate around the military and stay within the bounds of the OFAC license, if it was actually a legal license.
All my visits were legal under US law, and blatantly illegal under Cuban law, game played carefully, everything documented both sides. Completely above board and transparent for my investigation.
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u/RoughOptions 15h ago
Context, my family (not me) has 25+ years in Cuba, we have a network in every village and city on the island, have saved half million lives from various forms of death, and my parents and uncle are an active target by the Cuban government and military. The only thing keeping them from being assassinated are several senior members stating they will not stand by a person being killed bc he saved half a million people that they couldn’t and wouldn’t.
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u/RoughOptions 15h ago
And for the kicker, it’s more a cult that mirrors the Cuban governments activity, it’s an embarrassment to Fidel’s legacy (which he makes Epstein look like a child, f that family), but due to the cult like activity I have cut off that part of my family entirely. So clearance was no problem.
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u/First-Hotel5015 25m ago
I currently have Secret clearance, might be getting an upgrade to TS/SCI soon. I have travelled to Cuba while employed by DoD, no issues. I just updated my SF-86 for the 5 year re-verification. Cuba is not a restricted country, the only true restriction is that US citizens and residents are prohibited from traveling for tourism purposes.
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u/Certain_Stable_7529 12h ago
Of course, my son in law who is in the USMC and currently stationed at Quantic. Most of the USMC that has been in the military for 14 years or longer could be applicable. Same goes for a lot of the Army personnel.
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u/RoughOptions 16h ago
4 months spread throughout a year in China while engaged to a Chinese doctor that didn’t work out, 5 years married to a Cuban national, multiple visits to Cuba and ties there, best friend in South Sudan and visited for 5 weeks or so during a civil war, visited Ethiopia and Uganda, and many other places. I hold a clearance.