AGSVA SECURITY CLEARANCES
THE INS & OUTS OF AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SECURITY CLEARANCES
As the Australian Government invests in cyber security to improve our ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyberattacks, the number of roles with Federal Government security clearance requirements increases.
SECURITY CLEARANCES EXPLAINED
Security clearances are used by the Australian Government to ensure that only people who have been successfully vetted can work in Australian Government departments.
The four levels of security clearance in Australian Federal Government are:
- Baseline
- Negative Vetting Level 1 (NV1)
- Negative Vetting Level 2 (NV2)
- Positive Vetting (PV)
These levels reflect the level of sensitivity of the information that will be handled by the individual employee, with Baseline being least sensitive (PROTECTED information) and PV being most sensitive (TOP SECRET information).
WHO IS THE AGSVA?
The Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) is the Federal Government body responsible for conducting security clearance vetting on behalf of all government departments.
The only way to gain a security clearance is to be vetted by the AGSVA and you must be sponsored by a government department or official to apply. This means that you cannot apply and pay for the security clearance yourself.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The base requirement for being eligible for a security clearance is that you must be an Australian Citizen.
A security clearance is not just a criminal history police check. It is usually far more comprehensive and detailed and will require you to submit information on addresses you have lived at, referee details of people who have known you for a long time, tax return details, signed statutory declarations, and more.
The purpose of the security clearance process is to determine that you are a person who displays all of the following qualities: honesty, trustworthiness, maturity, tolerance, resilience and loyalty. The information you provide will therefore be used to assess whether you are a person who displays all of these traits.
SECURITY CLEARANCE TIMEFRAMES
The timeframes for processing of security clearances vary depending on the level of the security clearance with Baseline taking the shortest time (usually several weeks) and PV taking much longer (often up to 12 months or even longer).
Unfortunately, you and your potential employer have no control over these timeframes and there is no process for requesting urgent approval.
It is therefore very important that you triple check all the details on your application as the AGSVA will reject it if there are any errors, and this will cause delays in the assessment process.
HOW CAN E2 CYBER ASSIST?
At e2 Cyber, we have provided advice to hundreds of candidates on the Federal Government security clearance process.
While we are not allowed to sponsor you for a security clearance, we can help you navigate the tricky process and provide you with other assistance and support. Have some questions? Chat to the team about Federal Government clearances and how we can assist.
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