It used to take about 3 months to get a secret clearance and a tear to get a top secret clearance due to all of the background checks. Keeping clearances active means access can immediately be given when starting a new job.
I really don't care how long it takes for someone to get their clearance back. A lot can happen in a person's life over the course of 2 years. And it's not like there's a dearth of talent in the millions of current government employees with clearance. At the very least, there should be a 6 month re-evaluation or something for someone to keep a clearance for 2 years.
As an engineer, I disagree with that. Engineers change jobs frequently and it’s actually hard to get engineers with security clearances. Waiting even 3 months could be a problem.