USAID security clearances: Who's eligible, and how long is the wait?

Will you have to get a security clearance when applying for a job with the U.S. Agency for International Development? How long does that process take - and, is it shorter if you already have been cleared by the U.S. government? Can dual citizens apply for staff positions? Two USAID recruiters provide answers as part of the popular Devex Career Webinar Series.

Will you have to get a security clearance when applying for a job with the U.S. Agency for International Development? How long does that process take - and, is it shorter if you already have been cleared by the U.S. government? Can those carrying dual citizenship apply for staff positions?

USAID’s rigorous clearance process for new hires can take a year or longer, said Creighton Lee Jr., outreach and marketing coordinator in USAID’s Office of Human Resources. Lee and Richard Byess, senior program advisor at the agency’s Office of Military Affairs, participated as featured guest speakers in the Devex Career Webinar Series.

This video is an excerpt from our 1-hour webinar “Ask the Recruiter: Jobs with USAID,” recorded March 23. In this fourth edition of the popular Devex Career Webinar Series, Lee and Byess discuss USAID hiring priorities, what makes an ideal job candidate, how to transition from the private sector, and many other burning questions posed directly by job seekers.