TS/SCI - Naturalized Citizen Grew Up Abroad - Minimum US Residency Length
Hey everyone,
I’ve been trying to find a definitive answer, but haven’t been able to. Is there any explicit or de facto minimum U.S. residency requirement for a naturalized citizen (who grew up abroad) to obtain TS/SCI clearance?
For context:
I’m 24, originally from Turkey, lived there until recently, and became a U.S. citizen through military service. I moved to the U.S. a year ago and have no remaining foreign citizenships etc. My parents are LPRs and will naturalize after 5 years (my only immediate relatives, retired private sector employees). My records in Turkey are pretty straightforward, as I mostly lived in Istanbul and only went to school/university etc., with no military/government/employment affiliation in Turkey, after which I then applied for an E-2 visa, LPR, and then US citizenship. As of now, I have a house and a sail in Hawaii, businesses with a total of 30 US employees and some university/NGO affiliations around the East Coast. I don't have any foreign assets, as most are in single-member LLCs, which are firmly in the US.
I’m asking in the context of active duty military service (not intelligence or cyber roles, but potentially aviation (11EX/11FX) or special warfare (18X/1Z4X1)). My concern is if I can't get my TS/SCI until I am 30 years old, after which I might age out of such roles, potentially ending my military career before it could start.
Specifically, I’m wondering if there’s typically an expectation like 3–5 years of U.S. residence or established domestic history before eligibility is realistically possible, even if no formal rule exists due to investigability concerns?
And, how long should I expect the investigation to take for such roles, given my background?
I know DHS requires 3/5 years of US residence, and that we used to have a 5-10 year residency rule for citizens of certain nationalities in the 1980s before it was litigated, but even if no such rule exists now, I wonder if there is a de facto rule where it could sink a case like mine?
As a side question, do you know what level of security clearance I need to go to the Test Pilot School or fly fighters, either in the Navy or the Air Force? As far as I understand, I need TS plus SAP access for a fighter platform, with SCI only required for entrance into the Test Pilot School or other special duties. I have adequate flight hours and scores to apply for USAF/USN for pilot training now, but I fear my security clearance adjudication could get delayed/denied, and I might be disqualified from selecting the T-38/T-45 or fighters, which makes me wonder if it is better to wait a few years. (I know the chances of getting that far are low, but it would be unpleasant to not even have that chance due to my immigration history.)
Thanks in advance.