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Exemptions from USI

All vocational education and training (VET) and higher education students in Australia must have a USI.

What happens if you don’t have a USI?

Without a USI, you may not be able to graduate or receive a statement of attainment.

You will not be eligible for Commonwealth financial assistance, including:

Requesting an exemption

Students may make a request to the Student Identifiers Registrar (the Registrar) to be exempt from having a USI. Before requesting an exemption to the Registrar, make sure you have considered the consequences listed above.

The Registrar may decide to grant, or refuse to grant, the request.

Exemption requests will be considered and responded to by the Registrar in 10 business days.

If an exemption is granted, you will receive a letter from the Registrar to share with your education or training provider as proof of your exemption.

If a student does not apply for a USI, and the Registrar refuses to grant an exemption, then the student may be unable to graduate or receive a statement of attainment. 

International student exemptions

Higher education international students are automatically exempt from needing a USI if they meet all the criteria below:

  • they studied with an Australian education or training provider in Australia
  • they didn’t access Commonwealth financial assistance for their studies
  • they commenced their studies before 1 January 2023
  • they’re currently offshore and won’t return to Australia.

If you meet all of the above criteria, do not submit a USI exemption request form.

International students who complete all of their studies outside of Australia through an Australian education or training provider do not need a USI to receive their award.

If you will be returning to Australia, create a USI when you arrive onshore with your Australian visa.

USI exemption request form

You may not be able to graduate without a USI. Make sure you have considered the consequences before using the form below to request an exemption.

Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988 and is collected by the Office of the Student Identifiers Registrar (OSIR) for the purpose of administering the USI Registry System under the Student Identifiers Act 2014 (SI Act).

Personal information is information or an opinion about an identifiable individual. Personal information includes an individual’s name, date of birth and contact details. Providing your personal information through the form is voluntary. However, if you choose not to provide your personal details, OSIR will be unable to consider if you are eligible for an exemption from having a USI under the SI Act. We may need to collect further information from you to process your request. If you do not provide this information, it may affect how we handle your request. In some circumstances, it may mean we are not able to process your request.

If you include information about persons other than yourself in this form, you declare that you have provided this privacy notice to them and obtained their consent to provide their information to OSIR. Personal information collected through this form will not ordinarily be disclosed to any other agencies or organisations. It will only be disclosed to other parties where you have agreed, or where it is otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act.

Your personal information is unlikely to be disclosed to overseas recipients.

Further information about how OSIR will manage your personal information, including how to access and correct your information and how to make a complaint, can be found in our Privacy Policy.

By using this form, you are agreeing to the privacy statement and policy outlined above.
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