DCSA Backlog Drops 65% to 100,000 Cases; Processing Times Improve

DCSA investigation backlog fell to ~100,000 cases in January 2026, down 65% from early 2025. Tier 3: ~4 months at 90th percentile. Tier 5: ~9 months. TS/SCI with polygraph: 6-18 months. eApp launch expected to further compress timelines via pre-populated fields and real-time error flagging. For IC applicants, the pipeline is moving faster than at any point since the 2018 backlog crisis.