State seeks comments on vetting questionnaire paperwork
Published Date: 1/22/2025
Notice
Summary
The Department of State wants your thoughts on a new Overseas Vetting Questionnaire for people going through background checks. About 25,000 folks will fill it out once, taking around 70 minutes each. Comments are open until March 24, 2025, so now’s the time to speak up before it becomes official!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
Used for Overseas Access and Credentialing
The information collected will be used to conduct background investigations, reinvestigations, and continuous vetting to determine eligibility for logical access, physical access, credentialing, and fitness to perform work overseas for or on behalf of the U.S. Government as Locally Employed (LE) Staff and locally-hired third party contractors.
New Overseas Vetting Form and Burden
The State Department plans a new Overseas Vetting Questionnaire (Form DS-7801) that about 25,000 people will fill out one time. Each response is estimated to take 70 minutes, for a total estimated burden of 29,167 annual hours.
Who Must or May Complete It
The form is required for current incumbents subject to Department background checks and is voluntary for job applicants, but applicants must complete it only after a conditional offer of employment has been made. Comments on the collection are due by March 24, 2025.
Not Used for National Security Positions
The notice states that this form is not to be used for national security positions, so people in national security roles will not be subject to this specific questionnaire.
Electronic Submission Method Planned
The Department plans to provide the questionnaire as an electronically fillable form and via a static web page that produces an electronic form, so respondents will submit electronically.
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Key Dates
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