u/bluet3ars

New hire in progress here, hoping to hear from people who went through this at LM.

Everything in my background check cleared quickly — employment, U.S. education, drug screen. The only remaining item is verification of my degrees from an overseas university that cannot be contacted remotely (they issue documents in person only — no email, no phone, no third-party service works; this is well known for that country's universities).

What I've done so far:

- Provided official bilingual degree copies (university-issued, with seal)

- Offered transcripts and anything else, same-day

- Called First Advantage several times — they confirmed everything else is verified, held an internal meeting, and referred the case to Lockheed Martin's internal review team weeks ago

- Kept my recruiter and onboarding coordinator informed in writing

Since then, the only answer I get is "international verifications take time." No ETA. Meanwhile I have two U.S. master's degrees (those same overseas transcripts were evaluated by both universities at admission) and a favorably adjudicated federal background investigation covering my education. I also know of others from my same university who hit this exact issue and were cleared through LM's internal review.

My questions for anyone who's been through it:

1. How long did LM's internal review take for an "institution unreachable" case?

2. Did following up repeatedly help, or just annoy people? Who is the right person to ask — recruiter, coordinator, or hiring manager?

I don't want to burn goodwill by pestering HR, but the silence with no timeline is the hard part, especially with kids and a school-year move to plan. Any real experiences appreciated.

I recently interviewed for a NASA engineering position through a Direct Hire announcement. The interview was virtual, and the hiring manager mentioned that they expected to let candidates know relatively soon.

For anyone who has recently interviewed with NASA, especially through Direct Hire:

• How long after your interview did you receive a TJO or any kind of update?
• If you were not selected, did NASA notify you by email, or were you ever ghosted?
• For those who received an offer, was it days, 1–2 weeks, or longer after the interview?

I’m asking because I currently have another aerospace engineering offer that is moving through onboarding, but NASA would be my first choice if I’m selected. I don’t want to make the wrong decision simply because I don’t understand NASA’s timeline.

Would especially appreciate experiences from 2025–2026 NASA hires or Direct Hire applicants.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently accepted an offer from Lockheed Martin, and so far everything seems to be moving much faster than I expected. My background check is progressing well, and since I already held a security clearance within the past couple of years, it appears they were able to reinstate/reactivate it rather than starting a new investigation.

I'm guessing the next step will be discussing a start date.

My question is: How flexible is Lockheed Martin with start dates? I currently live in a different state, so I'll need to relocate with my family. We have two kids, so moving isn't something we can do overnight.

For those of you who have been through this process, how much flexibility did you have? Were you expected to start within a couple of weeks, or were you able to delay your start date by a month or even two months to give yourself time to relocate?

Thanks in advance!

I just wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone who's going through a long security clearance process.

My timeline:

• September 2022: My company initiated my Secret clearance and I completed my e-QIP.
• My interim clearance was denied, so a full investigation began. I don't know the exact reason, but I believe my being born in Iran and having immediate family living outside the U.S. likely contributed.
• Around December 2022, I was contacted by investigators and scheduled for an in-person interview at a local library.

There were two investigators. They asked me a lot of questions, requested my Iranian and US passports, IDs, asked about my family, foreign contacts, travel history, etc.

All of my immediate family lives outside the United States, so naturally they asked how often I communicate with them. (Of course I talk to my family—at the time, my mother was still alive. She had no technical background whatsoever and barely knew how to use a computer, but I understand they have to ask these questions.)

One thing that surprised me was that although I had already listed three references on my e-QIP, they asked me for three additional references. I wasn't expecting that, but I provided them.

Then... nothing.

For months and months, I heard absolutely nothing.

My company's security office wasn't particularly helpful. Every time I asked for an update, they would simply check the system and tell me it was still pending.

Eventually, I reached out to my congressional representative's office. The staff member who helped me was incredibly kind and followed up on my behalf. I can't say for certain whether that sped things up, but shortly afterward she was actually the first person to email me and tell me that my Secret clearance had been granted.

I then contacted my company, and they confirmed that it was true.

July 2024: My Secret clearance was finally granted—almost 22 months after I submitted my e-QIP.

For anyone wondering:

• I'm a naturalized U.S. citizen.
• I was born in Iran.
• I had not traveled back to Iran for more than seven years during the investigation.
• I answered every question honestly and provided everything they requested.

My biggest piece of advice is this:

Tell the truth, be patient, and don't lose hope.

Some investigations simply take much longer than others, especially when there are foreign connections or family overseas. The waiting can be incredibly frustrating, but a long investigation does not necessarily mean something is wrong.

Hopefully my timeline helps someone who's currently waiting. Good luck to everyone going through the process.