FAQ

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check Certificate shows Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCO). These include but are not limited to:

• Any charge found proven in court
• Details of the court that heard the charge, the date and any penalty or sentence
• Findings of guilt by a court, even if no conviction is recorded
• Court convictions, even if no sentence or penalty was given
• Good behaviour bonds and similar court orders
• Charges laid by police but not yet proven, or otherwise, in court
• Current investigations in which the subject is a suspect
• Children’s Court convictions and guilty findings
• Traffic convictions and guilty findings
• On-the-spot fines issued by police that ended up in court.

It is a certificate that details any Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCO) and pending charges associated with your name. You may need a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check certificate for specific jobs or volunteer positions.

fit2work’s Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks are fast and reliable. Up to 70% of checks are returned within 15 minutes of submitting online.

30% of checks may be referred to ‘manual processing’ for further investigations by the police. Once a check has been sent to manual processing, it may take up to 10 working days or longer to return due to the complexity of the request.

Log in to fit2work by clicking the login button on the top right-hand corner of our website. If you’re not fit2work registered, you will be asked to provide some details so we can send you an invitation email. You then log in to the fit2work portal to complete the data entry and consent. Upload your IDs and take a selfie for proving your identity. Submit your order for processing.

When you log into your fit2work account, you will be able to view the status of your application in the current checks tab.

fit2work began processing Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks in 2008 and today we are one of Australia’s leading providers of online screening services. Our checks draw on the Australian Government’s Document Verification System and are accredited by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

ACIC requires you to provide four documents from 3 categories, as below:

• ONE Commencement of ID Document
• ONE Primary Use in the Community Document
• TWO Secondary Use in the Community Documents.

In all instances, the combination of identity documents must contain at minimum your full name, date of birth and a photograph. If you have provided identity documents using a former name, such as a maiden name, you must provide evidence of the name change in addition to the four identity documents.

The nature of the documents in each of the categories is summarised below:

Commencement of ID:

• full Australian birth certificate (not an extract or birth card)
• current Australian passport (not expired) (P)
• Australian visa current at time of entry to Australia as a resident or tourist
• ImmiCard issued by Department of Home Affairs (previously the Department of Immigration and Border Protection) that enables the cardholder to prove their visa and/or migration status and enrol in services (P)
• certificate of identity issued by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to refugees and non-Australian citizens for entry to Australia
• document of identity issued by DFAT to Australian citizens or persons who have the nationality of a Commonwealth country for travel purposes (P)
• certificate of evidence of resident status.

Primary Use in Community Document

• current Australian driver’s licence, learner permit or provisional licence issued by a state or territory, showing a signature and/or photo and the same name as claimed (P)
• Australian marriage certificate issued by a state or territory (church or celebrant-issued certificates are not accepted)
• current passport issued by a country other than Australia with a valid entry stamp or visa (P)
• current proof of age or photo identity card issued by an Australian Government agency in the name of the applicant, with a signature and photo
• current shooters or firearms licence showing a signature and photo (not minor or junior permit or licence) (P)
• for persons under 18 years of age with no other Primary Use in Community Documents, a current student identification card with a signature or photo (P).

Secondary Use in Community Document

• certificate of identity issued by DFAT
• document of identity issued by DFAT (P)
• convention travel document secondary (United Nations) issued by DFAT (P)
• foreign government issued documents - for example, driver’s licence (P)
• Medicare card
• enrolment with the Australian Electoral Commission
• security guard or crowd control photo licence (P)
• evidence of right to an Australian government benefit - Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs (P)
• consular photo identity card issued by DFAT (P)
• photo identity card issued to an officer by a police force (P)
• photo identity card issued by the Australian Defence Force (P)
• photo identity card issued by the Australian Government or a state or territory government (P)
• Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) (P)
• Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC) (P)
• credit reference check
• Australian tertiary student photo identity document (P)
• Australian secondary student photo identity document (P)
• certified academic transcript from an Australian university
• trusted referees report
• bank card
• credit card

ACIC has also advised that expired identity documents will no longer be acceptable.

Curious to know how a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check Certificate should look? Different jurisdictions have different requirements for how they undertake the process, but the minimum amount of information you should receive includes:

• subject details (including any previous names provided)
• who it was conducted for
• check type
• check purpose
• date submitted
• result date
• end date of period checked
• validation.

If you require a national check for visa or immigration purposes, you must complete the Australian Federal Police (AFP) check. Please note, our international checks are not accepted for visa or immigration purposes.

Yes. fit2work can conduct a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for you whether you live in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia or Tasmania.

There are no expiry dates on Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks. But they are a point-in-time check. Policies vary between employers as to how recently they require the screening to have been done.

The fit2work online portal allows you to track and manage the status of all your police checks. You can search and schedule future refresher checks through our electronic database.

Around 20% to 30% of checks will go to ‘manual processing’ for further investigations by the police. Once a check has been sent to manual processing, it usually takes 2 to 10 working days to return. Around 5% can take up to 20 working days or longer.

The reasons for a check being referred to manual processing include:

• The applicant has a common name or a name that matches with a potential person of interest
• The check has old police history information (disclosable outcomes) that requires manual collection and processing of hardcopy records
• Information has been transferred between the various state and territory police agencies before the information can be vetted and/or released.

fit2work is not able to speed up the return on a check result if it has been referred to manual processing.

You can verify a check by going to https://www.fit2work.com.au/Public/ResultVerification and following the prompts.

A check is only deemed urgent if circumstances are relating to the critically ill, a child needs to be placed in immediate care, political reasons or vulnerable people will be in grave danger if a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is not carried out immediately.

You choose a level – from Gold, Silver, Bronze – that is appropriate to your needs. The Gold fit2work badge indicates the highest standard of background screening and includes the verification of your primary qualifications as well as a profile photo. The Bronze badge is predominately used by organisations that only require a valid police check.

You will be emailed the badge when you’ve completed the checks required to qualify.

Once your badge is included in your employer’s business account, you will receive notifications and reminders when future action is needed to update any background checks.

fit2work badging provides a centralised profile for you to complete and upload all required information including personal details, licenses, qualifications, employment history and other data. 
Templates are driven by your industry and occupation.

After the initial level is acquired, the badge will expire when the police check passes 6 months. Complete a top up check to retain your current level.

Employers visit the fit2work website, enter your badge number, name and phone number and access to your profile is granted.

Your badge ID is found in the top right-hand corner of your account.

Also known as an International Criminal History Check (ICHC), it details recorded criminal history in over 200 countries and overseas territories. This includes identifying felony and/or misdemeanour level conviction records and arrests pending adjudication.

Your check is usually ready within 5 to 15 working days. In some cases, it will take longer, depending on the processing times of government agencies coordinating checks in each country.

You may be new to Australia and want to verify your background to include in your CV or job application. Many businesses include an international police check as part of their pre-screening process if candidates have spent more than six months overseas. ICHC checks are usually required for international students, teachers and health practitioners, including:

• AHPRA registration
• Nursing Council of NZ registration
• Monash University International
• Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia.

fit2work is an AHPRA approved vendor and a leading provider of international criminal history checks (ICHC). It is mandatory for health practitioners in Australia to apply for an international police check if they fall under specific categories. These include declaring a criminal history outside Australia and/or have lived in one or more countries other than Australia for six consecutive months or longer when aged 18 years or more.

When you submit your international police application with fit2work, our support team will review it to ensure all the required information and supporting documents are correct. You will receive a confirmation email with a reference page and reference number. You must provide these details with your Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration application.

There is no need to provide the international police check report to AHPRA. Your ICHC results will be sent directly to AHPRA, and you will receive an emailed copy.

Log in to fit2work by clicking the login button on the top right-hand corner of our website. If you’re not fit2work registered, you will be asked to provide some details so we can send you an invitation email. You then log in to the fit2work portal to complete the data entry and consent. Upload your IDs and take a selfie for proving your identity. Submit your order for processing.

When you log into your fit2work account, you will be able to view the status of your application in the current checks tab.

When you have submitted your international police check application, fit2work will send you an ICHC reference page, including check reference number. This usually takes between 1 to 3 business days.

Some countries will make a police check certificate available, while others will not. Use the fit2work online portal to access any results or certificates.

AHPRA requires a check for every country you have lived in for more than six months since you turned 18.

For individuals based in Australia, an Australian check is not international. To conduct an Australian check, you would need a national police check.

We began processing police checks in 2008 and today we are one of Australia’s foremost online screening service providers. As an AHPRA approved vendor, fit2work meets rigorous requirements to provide international criminal history checks for health practitioners Australia wide.

Refer to https://www.ahpra.gov.au/registration/registration-process/proof-of-identity.aspx for proof of identity requirements.

Our international police checks are 100% online and can be ordered from anywhere in Australia. fit2work has conducted criminal background checks for customers from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania.

There are no expiry dates on international police checks. But they are a point-in-time check. Policies vary between employers as to how recently they require the screening to have been done. 

The fit2work online portal allows you to track and manage the status of all your police checks. You can search and schedule future refresher checks through our electronic database.

When an international check has been 'referred for manual processing', it means that our international providers are administering the check. As these records are managed by the government or police of these overseas countries, fit2work cannot expedite any international checks.

You can verify a check by going to https://www.fit2work.com.au/Public/ResultVerification and following the prompts.

You can download a copy of your result by logging into your fit2work account and going to the 'current checks’ tab. Click on the magnifying glass in the action column called 'view result'. From there a window will appear that will allow you to download the report.

AFP checks are Australian police checks conducted via the Australian Federal Police (AFP). 

AFP checks are usually required for Australian Federal Government purposes such as:

• if you’re seeking employment with the Commonwealth Government
• checks required under Commonwealth legislation
• for Australian immigration requirements
• where an applicant is residing overseas
• overseas employment requirements
• overseas travel visa applications
• if you live or work in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Jervis Bay or external Commonwealth Territories.

Both check the same police records. Determine what you need a police check for as a first step. 

For immigration or visa purposes, or employment with the Commonwealth Government you must supply an Australian Federal Police check. Refer to our Australian Federal Police check page for further details. 

An Australian police check is acceptable for all other types of employment in industries such as education, health, banking and finance, and childcare.
 

You will typically receive your results within 5 to 15 working days of your application.

No. We don't require your fingerprints. However, the AFP could request these for additional checks.

Log in to fit2work by clicking the login button on the top right-hand corner of our website. If you’re not fit2work registered, you will be asked to provide some details so we can send you an invitation email. You then log in to the fit2work portal to complete the data entry and consent. Upload your IDs and take a selfie for proving your identity. Submit your order for processing.

When you log into your fit2work account, you will be able to view the status of your application in the current checks tab.

We began processing police checks in 2008 and today we are one of Australia’s foremost online screening service providers. Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) accredited, fit2work meets rigorous requirements to provide high-quality criminal history checks to Australian individuals and businesses.

Please refer to the AFP 100 point checklist for identification documents.

The processing of our AFP checks is 100% online, so they can be ordered from anywhere in Australia. fit2work has conducted criminal background checks for customers from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania.

The processing of our AFP checks is 100% online, so they can be ordered from anywhere in Australia. fit2work has conducted criminal background checks for customers from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania.

An AFP check is valid for 12 months from the date issued. 

The fit2work online portal allows you to track and manage the status of all your police checks. You can search and schedule future refresher checks through our electronic database.

You can verify a check by going to https://www.fit2work.com.au/Public/ResultVerification and following the prompts.

All Australian and New Zealand citizens and Permanent Australian residents have unlimited permission to work in Australia. 

A foreign national working in Australia without a visa or in breach of their visa conditions is an illegal worker. 

No, not all visa holders have their details recorded in their passports. The best way to quickly and easily check the work entitlements of non-citizens is via fit2work’s online verification system.

Anyone who works or volunteers with children in NSW must have a Working With Children (WWCC) clearance. This clearance is valid for five years. An Australian Police Check is a necessary step in obtaining a WWCC.

An employment history check is a safeguard for employers that there are no lies or exaggerations in the work experience or employment history of a candidate. 

The human resource or payroll department of previous employers will be contacted to confirm details like dates of employment, positions held, remuneration and reasons for leaving. Discrepancies about past achievements or responsibilities will be followed up. 

An academic qualifications check examines the name of the qualification, whether it was completed, the issuing institution, attendance and graduation dates.

Examples of identity documents that can be verified electronically via DVS include:

• driver’s license
• Medicare card
• passport
• visa/right to work
• birth certificate.

Once you have entered your identity details as they appear on each document, the fit2work platform submits queries to the relevant agencies that issued the documents via the DVS Hub. The DVS will determine if the document details are still valid, not expired or cancelled, and will return an indicator to our online portal within seconds.

You receive a result within seconds of entering your details.

Your police check is linked to your email address, not your name. Therefore, it’s essential to log in with the email address you gave when you registered with fit2work.

Please input an identifiable number in this section. For example, if it is a driver’s licence, use your licence number.

The selfie creates a link between yourself and the documents you upload. You must supply the selfie holding one of your photo ID documents next to your face AND add clear copies of your 4 identity documents.

There are two options to attach a selfie to your application. (1) send a link to your mobile device to take an in-time photo. (2) click the 'upload selfie' button and attach a previously captured image.

You can download a copy of your result by logging into your fit2work account and going to the 'current checks' tab. Click on the magnifying glass in the action column called 'view result'. From there a window will appear that will allow you to download the report.

If the selected purpose of your AFP check is ‘Immigration/citizenship’ or ‘Overseas employment/visa’, a copy of your results will be sent to the postal address as listed on your application.

If you have selected a different purpose and require a hard copy, please submit a request via email to support@fit2work.com.au once your results have returned. Your email must include your full name, date of birth and the reference number associated with your application.