Security clearance = don't talk to foreigners?

[bonbonfay]

Check out the SF86. You fill out this form for both a TS and Secret level clearance. You are required to report foreign nationals on the form by whom you have been bound to by affection, obligation or close and continuing contact in the past 7 years. Foreigners who you casually meet and do not maintain contact with do not need to be reported unless they exhibited a suspicious interest in you, your job, or what you have access to. After your clearance is granted, you must report any new relationships with foreign nationals to your security officer, as well as any foreign travel. Plenty of people with clearance travel all over the world. The most important factor is that you honestly report what is required and follow all security protocol.

[boxus]

Originally Posted by Ml123

Would it affect the clearance process negatively if I exchange contact info such as email or Facebook info with foreigners while traveling?

No.

Originally Posted by Ml123

Would it be bad if I accept an invitation with a foreigner to have dinner together at a restaurant?

No.

Originally Posted by Ml123

Or go around some tourist sites?

No.

Originally Posted by Ml123

In general, is it bad to keep in touch with foreigners? (Assuming they do not ask me about anything that would tigger security flags).

No.

Originally Posted by Ml123

I thought about making a policy for myself to make no foreign contacts. But life is long and who knows whether I will work as a federal contractor forever. International connections might become useful career wise someday. It seems overly shortsighted/restrictive that I should not make any foreign Facebook friends just because of the possibility of security clearance issues? What do you guys think?

Go ahead and talk to foreigners and have fun, heck, I even married a foreigner while having my TS SCI in the military, and went on to obtain my TS in the fed gov. I know more foreigners than Americans, and have traveled extensively and still do.

They key with obtaining and maintain a security clearance is not who you know or where you go, it is your;

- finances.
- conflicting data on your clearance forms.

[Mr.Z]

As long as your finances are good you are good

[joe from dayton]

We've been waiting 8 years for that sage advice. Hope it worked out for him.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by bonbonfay

Check out the SF86. You fill out this form for both a TS and Secret level clearance. You are required to report foreign nationals on the form by whom you have been bound to by affection, obligation or close and continuing contact in the past 7 years. Foreigners who you casually meet and do not maintain contact with do not need to be reported unless they exhibited a suspicious interest in you, your job, or what you have access to. After your clearance is granted, you must report any new relationships with foreign nationals to your security officer, as well as any foreign travel. Plenty of people with clearance travel all over the world. The most important factor is that you honestly report what is required and follow all security protocol.

Technically on the e-QIP form the question is as follows:

Do you have, or have you had, close and/or continuing contact with a foreign national within the last seven (7) years with whom you, or your spouse, or cohabitant are bound by affection, influence, common interests, and/or obligation? Include associates as well as relatives, not previously listed in Section 18.

Now if you have in-laws from your marriage that are foreign-nationals, then list their names, addresses, and frequency of contact below.

Note the underlined part, ONLY REPORT those "you, or your spouse, or cohabitant are bound by affection, influence, common interests, and/or obligation". So NO NEED TO REPORT those with casual contacts including professional associations.

To use an extreme example, I am in California and every time I go into a fast-food store I come in contact with a Foreign National, even perhaps an ILLEGAL ALIENT. I used this example to ask my Security Officer and watch them quickly back-track their statement to "Report EVERY TIME when you're in contact with a Foreign National".

After you receive your clearance, there's common sense on when to report to your Security Officer on anything unusual activity. For example, if a professional contact asks you about the particular of your jobs that is sensitive in nature, you should evade the question with generalities. But if he/she is persistent in asking further questions, then an alarm should set off in your head that this person has an unusual interest in my classified work. That's when you should report them.

Also, do not be a potential subject for blackmails. So don't get into debt, don't be seduced to have an extramarital affairs, and don't associate with known criminal elements. Another word - Common Sense.

[HB2HSV]

To answer your specific questions in your OP

Originally Posted by Ml123

I travel for vacation internationally from time to time. Sometimes while on vacation, I meet foreigners. For example, I might meet someone from China or Japan or Germany.

Would it affect the clearance process negatively if I exchange contact info such as email or Facebook info with foreigners while traveling? Would it be bad if I accept an invitation with a foreigner to have dinner together at a restaurant? Or go around some tourist sites?

The short answer is "NO". See my post above, unless it's those "you, or your spouse, or cohabitant are bound by affection, influence, common interests, and/or obligation".

I meet foreign nationals through work, vacations, family, and through online professional networking. You DO NOT need to report them, but only if an attractive person tried to have sex with you and you ENDED UP having sex with that person (Not that it makes a difference but I'd imagine it's worse if both of you are of the SAME SEX). That would fall into "bounded by affection", not to mention potential for blackmail.

Another example, suppose your wife is from China and her parents still lives in China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) knows that your work involved in a classified area. You would be subject to a high probability of "influence... and/or obligation". That would make you a higher risk but that is for the Agency to decide if they would grant you a clearance with this information. You do, however; need to disclose this information. It's not a category denial either, I have a co-worker who was born & raised in China but she has a security clearance because the nature of her work, for example.

In general, is it bad to keep in touch with foreigners? (Assuming they do not ask me about anything that would tigger security flags). I thought about making a policy for myself to make no foreign contacts. But life is long and who knows whether I will work as a federal contractor forever. International connections might become useful career wise someday. It seems overly shortsighted/restrictive that I should not make any foreign Facebook friends just because of the possibility of security clearance issues? What do you guys think?

It's not bad to maintain professional contacts as long as they don't ask "funny questions" that triggers alarms in your head. For example, I would be alarm if someone ask me "how do you build a bomb?" and I would report this person regardless whether a foreign national or a U.S. citizen.

[Tencent]

So net-net.... Pre-Clearance required to drink a Margarita in Cancun with an Instagram model from Brazil?

[prospectheightsresident]

Your organization/agency/government agency that has granted you a clearance should have additional guidance. Some agencies may require you to provide foreign contact reports on any foreign nationals that you have a close or continuing relationship with. Yes, this can include hookups.