What level of clearance is baseline?

Under the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF), personnel that need ongoing access to security classified resources must hold a security clearance at the appropriate level. Security classified resources include Protected, Secret and Top Secret information, systems that hold classified information, and classified assets. A person may also be required to hold a security clearance if they occupy a position of trust requiring additional assurance about the integrity of the position’s occupant.

A security clearance is not required to access information that does not have a security classification, including Official or Official: Sensitive information. For this type of information, routine employment screening is sufficient. 

The purpose of the security vetting process is to determine whether an individual is suitable to hold a security clearance—that is, whether they possess and demonstrate an appropriate level of integrity. In the security context, integrity is defined as a range of character traits that indicate the individual is able to protect Australian Government resources. These character traits are: honesty, trustworthiness, maturity, tolerance, resilience and loyalty.

The assessment of a clearance subject needs to establish confidence that they possess a sound and stable character, and that they are not unduly vulnerable to influence or coercion. The PSPF requires that any doubt regarding an individual’s suitability to hold a security clearance be resolved in the national interest.

There are four levels of security clearances: 

Note about access to caveated information:

Access to caveated information that involves a codeword requires a briefing, and may require a Negative Vetting 1, Negative Vetting 2 or Positive Vetting security clearance in addition to other requirements. Entities must ensure that people requiring access to caveated information meet all clearance and suitability requirements imposed by the originator and caveat owner.

All security clearances must be sponsored by an approved sponsoring entity who requires the individual to access Australian Government sensitive or classified information. Individuals cannot sponsor their own security clearance.

In order to be eligible for an Australian Government security clearance, an individual must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Australian citizenship – determined by the sponsoring entity before requesting a clearance
• Checkable background – determined by AGSVA as part of the vetting assessment

A sponsoring entity can waive the citizenship or checkable background requirements if there is an exceptional business need and a risk assessment is conducted. An eligibility waiver is not a guarantee that the clearance will be granted – this is dependent on the suitability assessment conducted by AGSVA.

AGSVA will request the sponsoring entity authorise an eligibility waiver if an applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements. The Security advisor roles and responsibilities page has more information about eligibility waivers.

In addition to confirming an individual is eligible to hold an Australian Government security clearance, AGSVA will determine if an individual is suitable to hold a security clearance. This is done by conducting certain checks prescribed by the Australian Government’s Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF), and making an assessment of the individual’s overall integrity using the following character traits: 

• honesty
• trustworthiness
• maturity
• tolerance
• resilience
• loyalty

The PSPF requires that any doubt regarding an individual’s suitability to hold a security clearance must be resolved in the national interest.

AGSVA conducts the following external checks as part of the vetting assessment process:

Table 1: Minimum personnel security checks (adapted from the PSPF)

AGSVA may ask for additional information or undertake additional checks and interviews during the vetting assessment process, if there is need to do so in order to resolve a security clearance decision in the interest of national security.

A vetting officer will be assigned to conduct a security clearance assessment and make a recommendation on an individual’s suitability to hold a security clearance. The vetting officer will review the information provided by the applicant, and collected independently from other parties to make a recommendation on whether the applicant is suitable to hold a security clearance. 

All vetting officers conducting security clearance assessments for AGSVA hold an Australian Government security clearance and a Certificate IV qualification in Government Security (Personnel Vetting). 

Security clearance assessments will be conducted by an AGSVA staff member or an authorised external vetting provider contracted to AGSVA.

The Assistant Secretary Vetting (ASV) is the security clearance delegate, within AGSVA, authorised to grant, deny, or revoke an existing Australian Government security clearance. 

The ASV may delegate the authority to make grant/continue decisions to certain vetting officers within AGSVA. These individuals are Authorised Decision Makers (ADM).

Revalidations
All security clearances are required to be reviewed at regular intervals. The interval depends on the level of the security clearance
 

AGSVA initiates and manages periodic security clearance reviews (including revalidations for all clearance levels and the annual security appraisals for PV clearances)

If AGSVA becomes aware of potential concerns about someone’s suitability to hold a security clearance outside of a routine assessment, AGSVA will start a review of their clearance. This review (Review for Cause) will determine their ongoing suitability to hold the security clearance and the person will need to complete a vetting package.

What are the 5 levels of security clearance?

What are the 4 types of clearance?

What are the levels of clearance?

What is Level 3 clearance?