International Students – Exemptions from the USI

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

International students cannot create a USI until they have entered Australia. Once in Australia, international students can create a USI using their non-Australian passport and Australian visa as forms of ID. Both documents are required to create a USI.

Higher Education Exemptions

As of 22 May 2023, subsection 53A(3) of the Student Identifiers Act was amended to include the Higher Education Exemptions.

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

they studied with an Australian education or training provider in Australia
they did not access Commonwealth financial assistance for their studies
they commenced their studies before 1 January 2023
they are currently offshore and will not return to Australia.

International students who completed all of their studies offshore through an Australian education or training provider do not need to have a USI to receive their award.

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