Clearance with dual citizenship (Air Force, Navy, boot camp, enlisting)

[jons_wifey]

true or false, you can never get secret or TS clearance if one holds dual nationality?

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by jons_wifey

true or false, you can never get secret or TS clearance if one holds dual nationality?

Not quite as simple as "true or false." But if I had to go with one, mostly true.

Adjudicators go by "adjudicative guidelines" (DoD 5200.2-R), or written criteria of what makes you vulnerable to coercion and what helps alleviate that vulnerability to determine the 'whole person' likelihood of whether it is in the government's interest in granting you access to classified information. Foreign preference can be indicated by dual nationality.

It can be mitigated by giving up a foreign passport and renouncing that citizenship entirely. But if you hold and insist on holding a second nationality, and actively exercise it (passport, citizenship, etc.) that's a pretty clear statement you have deep and abiding ties with a country that is NOT the US.

U.S.Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G-2

"Conditions that could raise a security concern and may be disqualifying include:
1. Exercising dual citizenship,
2. Possessing and/or using a foreign passport,
3. Military service or a willingness to bear arms for a foreign country,
4. Accepting educational, medical, or other benefits, such as retirement and social welfare, from a foreign country,
5. Residence in a foreign country to meet citizenship requirements,
6. Using foreign citizenship to protect financial or business interests in another country,
7. Seeking or holding political office in the foreign country,
8. Voting in foreign elections, or
9. Performing or attempting to perform duties, or otherwise acting, so as to serve the interests of another government in preference to the interests of the United States.

Conditions that could mitigate security concerns include:
1. Dual citizenship is based solely on parents' citizenship or birth in a foreign country;
2. Indicators of possible foreign preference (e.g., foreign military service) occurred before obtaining United States citizenship;
3. Activity is sanctioned by the United States; or
4. Individual has expressed a willingness to renounce dual citizenship. "

[jons_wifey]

thanks for the clarification

[jons_wifey]

Can one join the military with dual nationality or no?
or is what you have already stated apply to enlisting as well?

[Peperosso]

Yes, you can join the military with dual nationality.

No, you will not be able to get a security clearance.

Yes, there are jobs in the military that doesn't require a security clearance, but do you want to do those type of jobs? The jobs differ from each and every branch of service.
If and when you go to a military recuiter make sure you tell them up front that you are a dual national, and have them tell you what can you do in the military without a security clearance.

Also wanted to add that if you speak another language other than English that would be a huge help, remember that the needs of the military comes first and foremost when recuiting and there needs change most every Month.

Is there a Branch that you are considering more than another one?

Hope this helps.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by Peperosso

No, you will not be able to get a security clearance.

Everyone in the U.S. Military can be granted a Confidential Security Clearance after the initial processing is completed (perhaps even sooner if the Commander needs it).

No one in the U.S. military has a "Secuity Clearance" unless they have a need to know...

[ArtyGuy]

You will definitely not be granted a TS clearance if you hold dual citizenship.

[Peperosso]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

Everyone in the U.S. Military can be granted a Confidential Security Clearance after the initial processing is completed (perhaps even sooner if the Commander needs it).

No one in the U.S. military has a "Secuity Clearance" unless they have a need to know...

It's been a while since I've served so you might be correct. When I was in everyone was granted UP TO a Confidential Security Clearance no more no less, if your job required it you would be sent thru the process to get the one you needed. Dual Citizens and Non U.S. Citizens with green cards could not even qualify for Confidential security clearances.

No one needs a security clearance for boot camp but the process for them starts on your first day because certain schools require certain clearances and if you don't have the correct one guess who's not going to their school of choice?

I think the OP needs to speak directly to the branch of service they want to enter and find out if they can enter their trade of choice or go to the official military website and ask the question there., if the OP wants to be a ground pounder or a cook I wouldn't worry about it, but almost everything that deals with technology or tech weapons will probably require a Secret clearance or above depending.

Also your are very correct about the need to know, just because you have a Top Secret clearance doesn't mean you have the need to know. The security clearance only clears you for your own day to day job or the operations that involve you, most of these areas are controlled by military badges with access only to the areas you need access to for your job, or with the old electronic keypad access.

I hated the electronic keypad access points, especially when there were 2 or more keypad accesses due to the fact they all have different codes to get in, the older you got the harder is was to remember. LoL

Back to the OP, good luck.

[Baldrick]

Over here you can join any branch of the Armed Forces and have exactly the same acess as anyone else with a Dual Nationality Passport as long as one of the nations is a Commonwealth country.

The only exception to this is if you wish to join the Intelligence Corps, Royal Navy Intelligence or RAF Intelligence where your required to be a British citizen and need to have resided in the UK for 5 years before enlistment.

When you join everyone signs The Official Secrets Act (OSA) which lasts for life. Sometimes before particular missions or briefings you will be required to verbally agree under a specific act (that as it happens i'm not able to tell you the name of as that's part of the act itself ) but generally the OSA covers you for pretty much everything. Which is why if you right a book or an article about your experiences your required to submit it first to have it checked for breaches of the OSA. People have received prison sentences for not doing so and the books have suddenly become very valuable as they're pulled from circulation. It is also illegal for a publisher to publish a book/article that has information that contravenes the OSA.

I've never heard of not being British limiting anyone on an operational level. It's a little different over here though as we have many different nationalities in our Armed Forces especially the Army.

By the way, I am aware that some of my posts don't actually help with regards to some of the questions asked. I hope the machinations of the military minds across the water are of interest from time to time in the same way that I have an interest in how the US does things.

[dmarie123]

I know for the Air Force, if you give up your Dual Citizenship, it is POSSIBLE to get a TS Clearance, provided everything else checks out.