How to get sponsored for a security clearance (no clearance or a lapsed one)
You cannot apply for a clearance yourself. Here is who actually sponsors, what job-post phrases really mean, and how to present a lapsed or never-adjudicated clearance.
Reviewed by the Good to Go team · Last updated 2026-10-21 · Sources: GSA CALC+, O*NET
You can't apply for a clearance yourself. An employer with a contract that needs cleared staff has to sponsor you, so the realistic path is targeting roles that say 'ability to obtain' or 'eligible for' and showing you'd pass, or using a prior investigation to look like a faster, cheaper hire.
Why most postings say 'active clearance required'
A clearance costs a contractor money, but the bigger cost is time. Until an investigation is granted, or an interim is approved, a new hire usually cannot bill to the cleared work, and on many programs that wait runs weeks to months.
Contractors staff programs that are already funded and want people billable on day one. A candidate who holds an active clearance can start immediately, so the posting filters for one even when the role could be filled by someone who can obtain it. That is a hiring preference, not a legal requirement, which is why the same role at another company may say 'ability to obtain.'
'Active', 'current', 'ability to obtain', and 'must be eligible': what each phrase means
Job posts use these phrases loosely. Read them roughly like this, then confirm with the hiring company before you rely on any of them.
| What the post says | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Active clearance required | You must already hold an active clearance at that level and be ready to start on cleared work with no sponsorship. |
| Current clearance | Usually an active clearance within its current investigation window. Ask whether they mean active access or a current investigation. |
| Ability to obtain / eligible for | The contractor is open to sponsoring. They want no obvious disqualifier and a smooth path to an interim. |
| Must be eligible | You must be a U.S. citizen and able to be investigated at that level. It signals that sponsorship is possible. |
Which employers are most likely to sponsor
Sponsorship is a business decision, so aim at the employers and roles where the math favors it:
- Large primes and mid-size integrators that hold many cleared contracts and sponsor continuously.
- Hard-to-fill technical roles, especially cyber, cloud, and engineering, where the talent shortage outweighs the cost of sponsorship.
- Programs with unclassified or non-cleared start work, so you can be productive while an investigation runs.
- SkillBridge hosts, where you stay on active duty and keep your clearance while you train. See the SkillBridge guide.
How a prior or lapsed clearance helps (and what it does not guarantee)
A prior investigation can make you a cheaper, faster hire. If your last investigation is recent, a contractor may be able to request reinstatement or an interim instead of starting from scratch, which can shorten the wait before you can bill.
The timeline varies by level, by how recent the investigation is, and by the contract. Nothing here is a guarantee or legal advice. Before you write 'eligible for reinstatement' anywhere, confirm your current status with the hiring company's Facility Security Officer (FSO) or your own security office.
How to list a lapsed, inactive, or never-adjudicated clearance on your resume
Be precise and honest. State the level, say inactive rather than active, give the date access ended, and add eligibility wording only if it is accurate for you.
- Secret | Inactive | Access ended 2024 | Eligible for reinstatement
- TS/SCI | Inactive | Access ended 2023 | Last investigation 2021 | Eligible for reinstatement
- Top Secret | Investigation completed, not adjudicated | No active access
TS/SCI | ActiveTS/SCI (Active)Hiring tip · Add Continuous Vetting only if you are enrolled. It tells a contractor your investigation is current without waiting on a periodic reinvestigation.
Share link encodes only level, status, polygraph, and year. No names or sensitive details.
Taking one step down to get cleared, then moving up
If a Top Secret role keeps closing because you hold no clearance, a Secret-sponsored role can be the fastest door in. Once you are cleared at Secret and working on a cleared contract, a later upgrade to Top Secret is a sponsorship decision your employer can make from inside the company, which is usually easier than being sponsored as an outside candidate.
That trade is worth it when the role builds the experience and the clearance you want next. It is worth less if the lower role stalls your career and the upgrade never comes, so ask up front whether the team sponsors upgrades and on what timeline.
What tends to slow or stop a sponsorship
A contractor cannot sponsor someone it expects to fail the investigation, so the same issues that slow a clearance can slow a sponsorship decision:
Be honest and complete on the SF-86. Gaps and omissions are what surface during the investigation, and nothing here is legal advice.
- Unexplained gaps in your employment or residence history.
- Unresolved financial issues, such as delinquent debt or unpaid taxes.
- Close or continuing foreign contacts the employer may see as a complication.
Your next step
Get the resume ready before a sponsoring employer looks. Two free tools do most of the work:
Before and after
Security clearance: TS/SCI (lapsed a few years ago), will need sponsorship. Details on request.
TS/SCI | Inactive | Access ended 2021 | Last investigation 2019 | Eligible for reinstatement (directly under the name; honest about status, then let the FSO confirm the timeline)
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay to get my own security clearance?
No. You cannot buy a clearance or apply for one yourself. A clearance has to be sponsored by an employer or government agency that needs cleared staff on a specific contract. Paying a third party for a 'clearance' does not create one.
Is a sponsored Secret worth a sideways move?
Often yes, if the role builds experience you want and gets you cleared. Once you hold a Secret and work on a cleared contract, a later upgrade to Top Secret is usually easier to sponsor from inside the company than as an outside candidate. Weigh it against the career cost if the upgrade never comes, and ask about upgrade sponsorship up front.
Does a clearance that lapsed years ago still help?
It can. A recent prior investigation may let a contractor request reinstatement or an interim faster than starting fresh, but it depends on how long ago access ended and on the contract. Timelines vary and are not guaranteed, so confirm your status with the hiring company's FSO.
What happens if my investigation closed before adjudication?
If your investigation closed without an adjudication, you did not hold a granted clearance. Say so honestly, describe it as an investigation only, and never label it active or cleared. Ask the hiring company's FSO whether that investigation still helps your timeline.
Do I list a clearance I'm 'eligible for' on my resume?
Only if you describe it accurately. Never write active. Use wording such as 'Eligible for reinstatement' or 'ability to obtain' only when it is true for you, and confirm your standing with your security office. When in doubt, leave it off rather than overstate it.
Get cleared, then get hired
Map your experience to GovCon labor categories and fix what would hold your resume back, so you are ready when a sponsoring employer looks.
Find my labor categoryHow to format a lapsed TS/SCI line honestly.
How to list an inactive Secret with a break-in-access date.
What to write once your access has ended.
Build a public-safe clearance line for your resume.
Put your clearance directly under your name. Include level, active or inactive status, polygraph type if applicable, and investigation or continuous vetting info.
Step-by-step guide to finding a defense contractor SkillBridge, getting command approval, and turning the internship into a GovCon job offer.
More military to GovCon resume guides.