Overview
Many of the positions offered by Makwa Resourcing Inc. are contract opportunities for the Federal Government. Most of these positions will require some level of a security clearance. It validates that you are believed to be trusted to handle positions with access to sensitive information. The process typically includes fingerprinting, a look into your history, a criminal background check, a credit check, and more.
Security clearance levels
There are different levels of security screening:- Reliability status (Also known as Site Access)
- Secret (Level 2)
- Top Secret (Level 3)
- Enhanced Top Secret (Also considered Level 3)
What each level checks
- Reliability status: your identity (two pieces of ID, one with a photo), an RCMP criminal record check using electronic fingerprints, a credit check and a 5-year background check. Valid for 10 years.
- Secret and Top Secret: the same checks, plus a loyalty check by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Secret is valid for 10 years, Top Secret for 5.
If you have lived outside Canada for 6 months or more in a row, an out-of-country check is also required. You may also be asked to attend a security screening interview.
How long it takes
PSPC's service standard for reliability status is 7 business days for a simple request and 120 for a complex one. A Secret clearance adds another 75 business days (simple) or 120 (complex). A request is complex when your background needs extra verification, such as time spent outside Canada or a closer review of criminal or credit history. The clock starts once PSPC receives a complete request.
How to obtain a security clearance
You cannot apply for a security clearance on your own. The Company Security Officer (CSO) of an organization registered with the federal Contract Security Program has to request it, and only when you need access to protected or classified information for a contract or bid. If you are interested in one of our positions and do not yet hold the required security clearance level, please reach out to us. We have a designated Company Security Officer (CSO) on staff capable of processing your application.
PSPC does not charge a fee for the screening itself. You pay for your fingerprints and, if needed, police certificates from other countries.
Already have a clearance?
A valid reliability status or security clearance does not have to start over when you change employers. Our CSO can request a duplicate (when another company holds it), a transfer (when a federal department or agency holds it) or a reactivation. A reliability status can be reactivated up to 2 years after it ended, and a security clearance up to 1 year after. If it ended more than a year ago, you will need new fingerprints.
Source: Public Services and Procurement Canada, Contract Security Program. Personnel security screening