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Originally Posted by Eric Westby
(Post 21035748)
our working theory is that some combination of being two single males living together combined with our moving a lot -- the worst stretch was five moves in five years just after Kevin returned from Peace Corps -- triggered some algorithm that thinks we're too shifty for GE.
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Originally Posted by lovely15
(Post 21035775)
And I'm not sure they even know who you're living with? Although being gay used to be cause for denying a security clearance, so who knows.
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Originally Posted by Eric Westby
(Post 21034813)
No response to the ombudsman request; apparently those take 4-6 months.
We may write our Congressperson, especially given Kevin's status as a former federal employee, returned Peace Corps volunteer, and member of the clergy. I got a response to the FOIA request after a month asking for a sworn, notarized statement attesting to my identity. Of course I would gladly have provided it at the outset, but nowhere on the form I filled in was that listed as a requirement. One can begin to see how they use attrition to limit the number of incoming requests. I'm gonna go read some Kafka now.... |
I know this is upsetting to those who are denied
Please refrain from making snide or rude personal comments to each other. Thanks.
squeakr co Mod TS/S |
Originally Posted by DeaconFlyer
(Post 21036865)
There are many former and current federal employees, Peace Corps volunteers, and religious officials who have been involved in illegal activities. Those attributes do not prove or disprove anything.
This is what's wrong with an opaque, unaccountable bureaucracy. There's nothing I can do or say to prove otherwise, so I'm stuck. Presumed guilty. Oh well, in the grand scheme of things it's still a #firstworldproblem. :) |
Frankly, it's not worth wasting your angst about IMO - merely filel your appeal to the proper folks and get it done. Any mindless, faceless and enormous bureaucracy with diverse employees (even the occasional "Hah! Thus guy's GAY! Well..." or, in my case, "WHY did you visit Egypt, Jordan, etc.?" an nauseam) will have a certain percentage of failures and misdeterminations.
Acknowledge yourself for doing the right thing, file for reconsideration and good luck.
Originally Posted by Eric Westby
(Post 20800726)
No and no. No money parked in foreign countries, and my family is of very modest means.
I'm so paranoid about customs crossings that when I was traveling a lot, I was ridiculously careful about declaring even the smallest thing I'd bought abroad. Meanwhile, guys in my singing group were stashing half a dozen bespoke suits they'd acquired in Hong Kong in their bags without a second thought! That's what rankles most: that a lifetime of scrupulous honesty is ignored in favor of an unaccountable bureaucracy. |
I do hope the OP updates us on the FOIA request and is able to find out what the denial is based on. I went through the Nexus process which is the same except I also had to be interviewed by a Canadian agent and even though I had only traveled overseas once in the last 10 years had no problem.
You may be tempted to give up fighting the faceless bureaucracy but I hope you keep pounding away until you get your clearance. Good luck and keep us informed. |
It seems that people are being denied for no reason at all-- we know this because plenty of these people are approved after an appeal or talking to a supervisor. Personally, I'd file a complaint with the DHS OIG in addition to a FOIA request and an appeal. I'd also file a TRIP application. You might drum up more attention by raising the concern that your interviewer's demeanor changed when he found out you are gay. It probably isn't the reason for your denial, but it might make them look into it faster because it has a discrimination aspect to it.
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Interesting thread.
What a pain. Our experience was just the opposite. My same -sex spouse and I made back to back appointments in Seattle. When we arrived the officer asked if we were together. We said yes....and he said why don't you both come on back to my desk and we can do you together instead of separately. He was completely professional, friendly, and we never felt judged or guarded. We were both approved before we reached the parking lot. edited to add: I would not be surprised if you didn't get a homophobic agent and if it was me I would play that card in my appeal. |
Originally Posted by Eric Westby
(Post 21037955)
I wondered how long it would take for someone to imply that we probably deserved it.
This is what's wrong with an opaque, unaccountable bureaucracy. There's nothing I can do or say to prove otherwise, so I'm stuck. Presumed guilty. Oh well, in the grand scheme of things it's still a #firstworldproblem. :) |
Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 20799065)
Leaving out a county isn't an automatic disqualification. On my application form I left off Canada. The interviewer just asked me "what about Canada" and my repsonse of "oh, yes, I fogot that one" was satisfactory.
/approved |
Originally Posted by Eric Westby
(Post 21034516)
Again, he had a basic security clearance as a full-time Peace Corps recruiter, since he had to go digging into the lives of potential volunteers.
Originally Posted by wetrat0
(Post 21061886)
My interviewer asked me if I had left anything out, and I replied "Canada", to which he said "Canada doesn't count".
"Didn't you go to Canada a few years ago?" "Oops, yeah, I did." |
Originally Posted by Eric Westby
(Post 21035865)
As I mentioned earlier in the thread, they asked my fiancé's name and DOB after my interview so they could "flag his application." At the time I didn't know what to make of it, thought maybe they were being helpful. In hindsight, I suppose it was so they could deny him too. Still seems odd that they'd be so blatant about it, yet be unwilling to tell us why we were denied.
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Originally Posted by lovely15
(Post 21062755)
Out of curiosity, did he actually have a security clearance, or just a background check by the Peace Corps? I'd imagine lying or exaggerating about one's security credentials might be grounds for denial.
And in any event, it didn't come up. The interviewer instead focused on an imagined "gap" in his previous residences, which flustered Kevin so much that he got nervous. |
Originally Posted by drewguy
(Post 21072581)
Was it the same interviewer as you had?
Having said that, in hindsight it's inconceivable to me that this was an instance of individual discrimination on his part. Something in my file flagged me before I'd even arrived for my interview. Whether it's a mistake or a misunderstanding, I still have no idea. |
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