Personnel security screening decisions

Public Services and Procurement Canada's Contract Security Program (CSP) will inform the company security officer (CSO) directly about the decision to grant, deny, suspend, revoke or close an employee’s reliability status or security clearance.

On this page

• Granting a security status or clearance
• Denying, suspending or revoking a security status or clearance
• Closing a personnel security screening

Granting a security status or clearance

A reliability status or security clearance is granted to employees who are determined to be:

• reliable: for protected levels
• reliable and loyal to Canada: for classified levels

Once the reliability status or security clearance is granted by the CSP, the CSO must:

• provide a security briefing session to the employee
• complete and keep the Security screening certificate and briefing form (TBS/SCT 330-47E) on file

Denying, suspending or revoking a security status or clearance

In some cases, the reliability status or security clearance is denied, suspended or revoked. The reasons for denial, suspension and revocation are defined in the following Government of Canada policy:

• Section 16, Suspend pending an investigation
• Section 18, Denial, Standard on Security Screening
• Section 19, Revocation, Standard on Security Screening

Notification of review and recourse process

The CSP will notify the applicant of the decision and the reasons for the decision by letter and their options for review or recourse of the decision. The CSP will also inform the CSO of the decision but will provide only the results and not the reasons why a reliability status or security clearance was denied, suspended or revoked.

Closing a personnel security screening

Your personnel security screening request will be closed if:

• the applicant is not eligible to hold a reliability status or security clearance in Canada
• the forms are not properly completed or signed
• the applicant failed to respond to requests for additional information
• the applicant failed to attend a scheduled security screening interview
• the required background check can't be completed

Closed files will always be returned to the CSO, along with the reason for the decision.

CSOs with questions about file closures should contact the Contract Security Program.

Terminations

It is incumbent upon the CSO to terminate the reliability status or security clearance of employees when they are no longer required.