Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) - Merged

[mike]

sounds somewhat like my situation, first applied for reg force infantry about 2.5 yrs ago and just as you were, told to come back 6 months after all was cleared in the courts. re-applied after waiting the correct amount of time, waited and waited for a call to come, finally moved to b.c. (originally from wpg) to start our own business, then ironically i recieved a call from cfrc approx 2 weeks after we had gotten settled from our move etc. i then decided to give our business a go instead of continuing the application process (health and fitness club so fitness is not a problem!!) but still found myself talking nonstop to my wife about how if i don‘t at least try and get in i‘m going to go through life wondering, "what if". and also just as happened to you, the enhanced reliability check is now in effect!!
i‘d like to know who else is in our boat!!!!

 

[Exvitae]

I, too, am worried about the enhanced reliability check because I have bad credit. (My experience of being self-employed did not work out at all.)

I really hope they can look at extenuating circumstances and realize that nothing fraudulent or criminal occured - business just didn‘t work out the way I expected it to.

Got my test on tuesday and my medical the week after.

mm

 

[GrahamD]

Originally posted by Exvitae:
[qb] I, too, am worried about the enhanced reliability check because I have bad credit. (My experience of being self-employed did not work out at all.)

I really hope they can look at extenuating circumstances and realize that nothing fraudulent or criminal occured - business just didn‘t work out the way I expected it to.

Got my test on tuesday and my medical the week after.

mm [/qb]

The credit is only a portion of what they look at. They understand that most people have some form of debt to deal with.

As long as you don‘t have severe debt, that you‘ve never tried to pay down, then you‘re probably in the clear.
I myself am paying a collection agency for a defaulted student loan, and even that combined with a criminal record did not prevent me from gaining Enhanced Reliability Status.

My conclusion on the subject is that the CFRC knows that people make mistakes in life, and so long as you have learned from the mistakes and have demonstrated change, they are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

As for:

I really hope they can look at extenuating circumstances and realize that nothing fraudulent or criminal occured - business just didn‘t work out the way I expected it to.

They do not investigate you and gather evidence with which to press charges. If there is no criminal record they will not assume you are a fraud or a criminal.
I don‘t know if you‘ve ever seen what a credit report looks like, but it only contains numbers, dates, and credit institution names.
It gives no deatils of "what" happened, so whatever you tell them they will take at face value.
They will know the exact months you forgot to pay a credit card on time, or missed a loan payment etc., but they don‘t care, as long as you didn‘t stop paying all together.

 

[Superman]

Haha.. ummm no.. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) does a security check on you... It probably checks out if you have a criminal record... if you have been to any foriegn countries that are on our bad list.. Im quite possitive they dont come see your neighbours... If they did they woulda had a little trouble trying to get info out of the chickens and cows on my orchard/farm...

 

[rdschultz]

The closest they come to asking anybody about you is the reference letters they ask you to provide. So even if 99% of the people you know hate you and would say bad things about you, all you have to do is come up with two people who would say otherwise.

 

[Trey]

Actually, they do.
I‘ve got some family in the government (fairly high level), and they get that kind of security check every 7 or 10 years (I forget which). They check with the neighbours to find out if any suspicious stuff goes on at your house.

I‘m also having that kind of security check done, becuase I‘ve been out of the country within the last year. I had to give 3 neighbourhood references.

 

[Greywolf]

I have to enter the name of a neighbor for the references other than the 3 (who could be friends, colleagues...). That‘s on the form where you have to take to St. Jean when you go to Basic.

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Yes and no.

If you require a security clearance, then a much more detailed background check will be done. Depending on what kind of clearance you need, a visit may well be made to your neighborhood. It won‘t be made by the dummies from the CFRC just swinging by your place on their way back from Tim‘s though, it‘s CSIS that does such checks. Don‘t worry about your neighbor not knowing you, it‘s probably better that way.

 

[Gorgon5000]

My name raised red flags the first time they sent my clearence out to borden so they recalled me in for finger prints to verify I was the good guy with my name and not the convicted killer with the same.

 

[Dehahaha]

Hello. I was just wondering when CF does a back ground check on me, are they looking for a criminal record? Thanks.

 

[Ender57]

If you do have a criminal record just make sure that you tell them about it. If they find out on there own they won‘t be to happy about it and it will greatly affect your ability to join the armed forces.

 

[Duotone81]

If you were already accepted, as you stated in another thread that you were, you passed the security check.

 

[Jarnhamar]

And yes if you did drugs recently they will know. No there isn‘t a way around it.

 

[smoky]

well i thought all was going smoothly but apparently my security check could take a while because i left canada last year and spent more than 4 weeks outof the country they said because of that a thourough investagtion would have to be done and that could take 6-9 months anyone every gone threw this?? im canadian born citizen not a landed immigrant i dont see what the problem is

is 6-9 months just a blanket answer??

 

[Pieman]

Hi Smoky,

I am going through the same check right now. I spent a couple of years outside of Canada, but I was told the check could take 4-13 months.

I don‘t think it is a blanket answer because each check can take a various amout on time depending on what countries you have been to or if any red flags come up. If you are outside the country they are worried about the possibility you came into contact with bad people, or are a spy etc. There is not anything you can do to hasten the process that I am aware of.

If you were in a fellow NATO country, then I would speculate that your check would be processed pretty fast. However if you were backpacking through Afganistan, Packistan, or similar country then that would raise some eyebrows and they would start picking up the phone to interview people, and that is where you would be waiting for a long time.

Kind of sucks doesn‘t it? You go out in the world to get some very valuable life experience and in a way you are punished by being made to wait a potentially long time. Oh well, it is nessecary for them to do I guess. Better than risking a spy getting into the forces.

 

[koach]

The background check or ‘Enhanced Reliability Check‘ is initiated during the recruiting process; normally after the interview. If you have resided in Canada for the past 10 years, the results come back fairly quickly. However, if you have lived outside the country within the past 10 years, your background check may take much longer.

 

[koach]

The CFRC will initiate the ERC only after you have completed the authorization form. This form is usually completed near the beginning of the recruiting process. Where I work, the ERC is initiated after the CFAT.

 

[MACK]

Has anyone came across this one?
I served 12 years in canadian forces.
5 years in British i was released in oct 2003.
Applied to be an Officer in nov 2004 back in canada Regular forces. Had my test and await RCMP
security clearance I have been told i may wait another year??? I will not sit around and wait i shall badger who ever i need too!! Anyone any tips or advice? :warstory:


Mack.

 

[Theoat]

I have heard from a recruiter, if you have been outside Canada for 6 months or longer(I believe it was) during the past 10 years of your life, you are looking at 18 months + for CSIS to complete your security clearance. This if due to the 9/11 safety measures put in place. Someone else on here can probably confirm this.

 

[koach]

Any applicant who has resided outside of Canada within the past 10 years has to go through this process. This Security Preassessment can take anywhere from 3-18 months to complete and there is nothing you can do to speed up this process!

My advise would be to call the CFRC periodically (once every couple of months) and inquire about the status of your file.