VraiVie said:
Is it with regards to your nationality, name or time spend outside canada. Please advise
For most applicants, the post-test clearances are merely routine updates. While I am not sure of current practices, a few years ago we had access to internal memos at (then) CIC indicating these were done in batches, such as batches of up to a hundred at a time for the RCMP clearance update. These tended to result in minimal delays, if much at all.
Obviously, some applicants might have circumstances which can trigger more thorough background checks, ranging from information developed during the interview to perhaps travel to certain areas of the world while the application was pending, or information obtained collaterally during the processing of the application. What happens in these cases will depend mostly on what it was that triggered a more probing check, and what sort of check that is. Thus, the amount of delay can vary greatly from one person to the next, from very little delay to, literally, years. For example, CSIS checks that involve referrals to overseas sources can indeed take a long time. In contrast, RCMP checks tend to not take all that long, depending in part on whether FPs are already part of the record or are requested, but of course also depending on the why and what for involved. (For example, probes into potential association with organized criminality tend to take longer than checking an individual's personal criminal history.)
In any event, a person's background (which inherently is tied to nationality), time spent outside Canada, where spent outside Canada, and name can all be factors in the scope and timeline of further security clearances. But there are other factors as well, including history of immediate family members, the applicant's employment, among others.
All that said, for the vast majority of applicants, there is merely the
update done for the three main clearances: GCMS, RCMP, and CSIS. And this is ordinarily no problem, little or no delay. Recognizing, of course, that any new criminal charges (including abroad) or new security concerns, would be a different story.
