• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) - Merged

  • Thread starter Thread starter geofftheref
  • Start date Start date
Lan said:
It is the long security clearance form.   I was out of the country for over a year so they said I had to fill in the long form which could take up to 6 months to process.  

The so-called long security clearance form is in fact a pre-security clearance form and it clearly stat that the process can take up to 2 years to be completed. Because it's outside of Canada, DND can't tell you how long it will be, because they don't do this part of the process, but ask to the foreign governent to verify this and that info.

Fideo said:
Is it because you went to a country longer than 6 months that has security sensitivity issues with Canada ?

The pre-security form is mandatory for applicants who resided outside of Canada more than 6 months in the last 10 years, which is considered as a leave from Canada from various federal departments.


Here's some info from CSIS, the government agency processing all screenings (http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/operat/ss_e.html):
Government Screening

The Government Screening Program provides security assessments for all government departments and institutions, with the exception of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Service also has a site access program for airports, the Parliamentary Precinct and nuclear power stations. These programs assist in enhancing security and reducing the potential threat from terrorist groups and foreign governments which seek advantage from gaining access to classified information or other assets and materiel. Since September 11, the demand for CSIS advice has risen dramatically.

The majority of Government Screening resources are devoted to federal government departments. Under the Government Security Policy (GSP), federal employees, members of the Armed Forces or persons under contract to a government department who in the performance of their duties have access to classified government assets or information, are required to hold security clearances.

There are three levels of security clearance as defined by the GSP: Confidential (Level I), Secret (Level II) and Top Secret (Level III). The level of security clearance required is determined by the need for access to classified information or assets in the performance of duties associated with an individual's employment.

Level I and II security clearance requests, which are conducted electronically, require checks in CSIS data banks. Most result in a recommendation to grant the clearance being made to the Departmental or Agency Security Officer (DSO/ASO). Further enquiries including an interview with the subject or a full field investigation may be required at times, if the process reveals questionable information. A full field investigation is required for all Level III security clearances.

A field investigation includes CSIS records checks, the interview of friends, neighbours and employers, local police checks and possibly an interview of the applicant. During the course of the enquiries, every effort is made to explain the purpose of the questions being posed and participation in the interviews is voluntary.

The security screening process may reveal significant information which would lead CSIS to recommend that the requested clearance be denied. In other cases, CSIS may advise the DSO/ASO of information which, while being of concern, may be insufficient to warrant a recommendation to deny, but would nevertheless require departmental attention and appropriate action. While the Service assists the originating department by providing an assessment of the individual's reliability and loyalty to Canada, under the GSP, all departments have exclusive authority to grant or deny security clearances.

In 2003-2004, CSIS received 37,327 requests for site and airport access. A total of 37,508 security clearance requests were received for government departments and agencies including the Department of National Defence (DND). For areas of the federal government, other than DND, the median time required to process Level I applications was seven days. Level II applications required 11 days to process while Level III took 82 days. Times required for DND were 20, 18 and 96 days respectively.

Foreign Screening

CSIS has reciprocal screening agreements with the governments of foreign states, foreign agencies and international organizations which provide them with security assessments. These agreements are all approved by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness after consultation with Foreign Affairs Canada.

All persons affected by this procedure provide their agreement in advance. The requests for foreign screening typically fall within two categories: database checks and enquiries on Canadian residents wishing to take up residence in another country; or field checks and enquiries on former and current Canadian residents who are being considered for classified access in another country.

In 2003-2004, the Service received and processed 1,208 requests for security assessments in its Foreign Screening Program.
 
The pre-security form is mandatory for applicants who resided outside of Canada more than 6 months in the last 10 years

Actually if you leave the country to work or study for any length of time then a pre-sec is required.  If you are out of the country on vacation longer than six months then a pre-sec is required.
 
How in-depth does the military check you out? I know they do the backround check/ security check. DO they contact any of the people from your letter of refrences, or if you put down cadet experience do they check with your former CO's or anything of the sort. Thiis is all out of curriosity so its not that important.

Thanks
 
Blunt Object said:
How in-depth does the military check you out?
Depends on the trade you are applying for. Each trade has a different requirement.

Blunt Object said:
Do they contact any of the people from your letter of references, or if you put down cadet experience do they check with your former CO's or anything of the sort.
Yes. When I joined they visited all my references, my old CO, my family members and neighbors.

They must complete a thourough check and normally always do.

 
Actually, according to the French "Formulaire d'Autorisation de Securite":
Les personnes mentionnées aux fins de références doivent être des collègues, des pairs et des amis qui vous connaissent bien depuis plus de trois ans (...)
Les personnes mentionnées aux fins de références Ne peuvent PAS être des parents (...)

SO, friends can count as references, but not your family. And it's three years, not five. I'd assume, however, that putting in only your friends might be a bad idea, but that's just a guess.
 
I'm a 17-year-old recruit, & I'm trying to join the reserves, & eventually the regular forces after finishing school. The application process requires a Pre-Enrolment Security Clearance for applicants who havent been in Canada for 10 years straight. It seems a bit strange that the Federal Government would need to investigate my past before entry to Canada - I was 10 when I came to Toronto from Sydney, Australia. Like many other I'm required to go through this lengthy process (6 months to 3 years) even though we were just kids when we came to Canada. It doesnt really seem fair to the high school kids who've adopted Canada as their home, and who want to make a career for themselves in the Canadian military. Personally I'd like to see reform in the recruiting process; many of my colleagues who were in the same boat eventually got turned off by this road block & lost interest in joining up. I'll soon be visiting my M.P. (member of parliament :P ) to see what can be done about this. I'd like to get some feedback from the Army.ca community about this matter.

Thanks for contributing.

Capt. Crunchy (wanna-be pte.) :)
 
You bring up a good point.

Just an observation - my regiment has a Sergeant who is on loan from the Brits (at least I assume so, as I haven't had a chance to talk to him).  However, if he decided to emigrate to Canada, no doubt if he wanted to resume his position with the regiment, he would need to become a Canadian citizen and undergo a thorough background check first despite having already served with the unit.

Such is the way of bureaucracy. :)
 
I empathise with your predicament, but, the screenings are a necessary evil for the foreign born.

Look at it this way. What if you were born in oh, say, country X, where you were a torture chamber technician/drug lord/really bad dude, and you moved to Canada and joined our army. How embarrasing and problematic for the army would it be, and the government in general, to find out that such a person was on the government payroll in the defence of our nation? Or that perhaps you were a war criminal in our military?

Some nations don't allow foreigners to join at all or only certain units - so count yourself lucky you can still follow your career path of choice!

and dont give up, a career in the army is worth it!
 
meh, don't sweat it. Everybody gets some level of security check done on them. It gets worse once you're actually in, and are going to certain courses or units. Roll with it. As GO!! put it, imagine the consequences if the Gov't didn't do this. Luck with your enlistment.
 
Before I even start, I would like to say I just finished searching for answer's I was looking for on FAQ and Searching about Relability Checks, needless to say I couldn't find them.

What processes actually happening when all this is being done? saying it takes (3months-onwards...and I know it's a lot of work) But what actually makes it take so long. I'm a Canadian Citzen born and raised.

I don't understand how it TAKES that long to pull your name up on the computer and see no past "record" on you and it still manages to make you WAIT and WAIT and WAIT. There has to be something else too it.

Please don't flame me  :'( haha.
 
The Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) if you are clean (no credit or criminal hits) takes two to three business days.
 
just skimming on through this article and thought id ask here, cfrc is about to do my background check and well I'm in debt like 1000$ Ive worked it out with the credit beaurue company's and managed to arrange monthly payments, is this going to affect my chances of "clearing" the CF's minimum requirements for background checks??  :o

lame question indeed yes, but maybe this has happend to someone else while going through the recruiting stages?
 
Mike F said:
just skimming on through this article and thought id ask here, cfrc is about to do my background check and well I'm in debt like 1000$ Ive worked it out with the credit beaurue company's and managed to arrange monthly payments, is this going to affect my chances of "clearing" the CF's minimum requirements for background checks??   :o

lame question indeed yes, but maybe this has happend to someone else while going through the recruiting stages?

I have alot more debt than that and it wasnt an issue. if you are owning up to your debts and making payments its not an issue.. Unless they determine that you cant afford to join the military...1000 bucks is nothing.
 
Thanks BeadWindow,

im going to actually ask the recruiting officer later on in my interview the same question, explain to them before i head on in and let them know ahead of time, and well 1000$ is pretty big for me considering im 19 live on my own, car insurance and payments etc. since ive quit smoking though i roughly save 130$ a month!!!!

but anyways thanks again for the reply
 
Thanks for the replies guys;

GO!!!, of course there should be an effective screening process, its just that right now it includes the youngest age bracket, making it very, very difficult for forgein born high school guys to join up. I read somewhere that up to the end of last year, the applicants who were under 16 when they arrived in Canada were exempt from the Pre-Sec. Is this true? If so, why was the policy eradicated?

I'm not asking for much of a change or elimination of the security clearance, just some leniance for high school recruits who want to go army for a living.
 
Some good news.

There are some significant changes coming to the National Defence Security Policy and in the meantime CFRG has decided to adopt some interim policies with regards to pre-secs.   If you are a Canadian citizen and have lived in Canada for a ten year continuous period or to the age of 16, whichever comes first then you will not require a pre-sec, unless you come from a scheduled country or have immediate relatives living in a scheduled country.

The big change is for Canadians who decide to leave the country to study or work.   If you are out of the country for less than 180 consecutive days then you do not require a pre-sec.   For example if you leave the country to work and you are gone for 3 months and you return to Canada you don't need a pre-sec and if you leave the country again the 180 days starts over again.   If you are out of country for 180 consecutive days or more than a pre-sec is required unless you worked in Canadian government job such as an Embassy.

Now if you have already been submitted for a pre-sec and you fall under the aforementioned changes then your CFRC/D will be sending your information to CFRG for review and your pre-sec may be ceased and you will be allowed to continue processing.   If you want me to review your particular situation, just PM me with the details.   Cheers.
 
I was talking to someone at CFRC Vancouver today and they were saying that the CF's policy with respect to background/security checks has recently changed for those applicants who went overseas to study.  The person was saying that if an applicant was out of the country at university then they may not have to fill out the "long" security form.  They have to clear it with the powers that be, so I am guessing this is done on a case by case basis.  The reason I say this is because I was in the UK at uni for a year and I was told that I might not have to fill out the "long form."  They said they had to clear it with their superiors first but hinted that since I was there for university that it may not be that big of a deal.

Can anyone shed some light on this?  Is this some new policy like they said?
 
Hey ReadyAyeReady,

I believe Kincanucks made a post about that not too long ago. From what I recall, the stipulation was that you had to have been outside the country for no more than 180 days at a time. Either way, check into it and see if you qualify.

EDIT:  Found it.  http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/31113/post-221799.html#msg221799
 
So let me get this straight when kincanucks says,

"If you are a Canadian citizen and have lived in Canada for a ten year continuous period or to the age of 16, whichever comes first then you will not require a pre-sec, unless you come from a scheduled country or have immediate relatives living in a scheduled country."

Does that mean I could have lived in Canada from when i was born, to says 14 years old, then moved to say the USA, then moved back to Canada when i was 18 and I won't have to have the Pre-sec done any further(seeing as I've been waiting for it to be processed since last October), because I was in Canada for 10+ years at one time.

What I'm trying to say is, can the 10 consecutive years be at any time, or do that have to be from now to 10 years ago?

Or did I misunderstand something?
 
invno1 said:
So let me get this straight when kincanucks says,

"If you are a Canadian citizen and have lived in Canada for a ten year continuous period or to the age of 16, whichever comes first then you will not require a pre-sec, unless you come from a scheduled country or have immediate relatives living in a scheduled country."

Does that mean I could have lived in Canada from when i was born, to says 14 years old, then moved to say the USA, then moved back to Canada when i was 18 and I won't have to have the Pre-sec done any further(seeing as I've been waiting for it to be processed since last October), because I was in Canada for 10+ years at one time.

What I'm trying to say is, can the 10 consecutive years be at any time, or do that have to be from now to 10 years ago?

Or did I misunderstand something?

My fault for not writing it properly.

You have not lived in Canada for ten-year continuous period immediately prior to applying and you have not lived in Canada since you were 16.  Based on that you would require a pre-sec.

Now my question to you would be why did you move to the USA because that could have a bearing on what happens to you.
 
Back
Top