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Exemptions from the USI

All Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education students must have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) if they are studying in Australia, or with an Australian provider.

Students may apply for an exemption from having a USI, however they must understand the consequences if they do not have a USI.  

When applying for Commonwealth financial assistance or a Commonwealth Supported Place the student must have a USI and cannot apply for an exemption. Commonwealth financial assistance includes:

International students do not require a USI if they completed all their study outside of Australia.

If the Student Identifiers Registrar grants the student an exemption they will receive a letter of confirmation. The student is prompted to provide a copy of their letter to their provider to demonstrate they are exempt from having a USI.

Instructions for training or education providers – student exemptions

When a student provides a copy of a USI exemption letter, providers do not need to:

  • enquire with the student about the reason they are exempt
  • ask the student to sign/accept a government-based privacy notice (the provider may have their own internal privacy notice about data they collect for their own use).

Providers delivering VET training should refer to Fact-Sheet-USI-validation for details on how to meet their AVETMISS reporting obligations or contact the NCVER by emailing them at support@ncver.edu.au.

Higher Education providers should email TCSIsupport@education.gov.au for guidance on how to satisfy their reporting requirements.

USI exemption request form

Make sure you have considered the consequences before applying for an exemption using the form below.

 
Office of the Student Identifiers Registrar (OSIR)
Last Modified on Friday 16th May 2025 [276]