International students in Australia

International students studying in Australia with an Australian education or training provider need a USI.

International students planning to come to Australia to study

International students travelling to Australia to study are issued with an Australian visa. Students must land in Australia and go through customs before they can create a USI using their passport as a form of ID.

International students studying offshore

International students studying offshore with an Australian education or training provider do not need a USI. This also applies to New Zealand citizens.

Australian students studying offshore

Australian students studying offshore with an Australian education or training provider need a USI.

New Zealand students

Students from New Zealand cannot use their New Zealand passport as a form of ID to create a USI until they land in Australia and go through customs.

International students who have left Australia

Students who no longer live in Australia might need our assistance to create a USI.

Go to the Student Login and follow the steps to create a USI.

If you receive a notification that your details cannot be verified:

• you will be taken back to the personal details page
• ensure your personal and identification details are correct and confirm your identity
• repeat this step until you receive a notification that “you have exceeded the number of attempts allowed for this form of ID”.

A link to submit a Help Request will be displayed:

• write down the reference number
• send this reference number, along with a copy of your international passport and visa grant notice to us at admin@usi.gov.au.

Students impacted by COVID-19 unable to create a USI 

Registered Training Organisations (RTO) and VET Admission Bodies (VAB) can create a USI on a student’s behalf if the student has been unable to enter Australia due to  Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions. Find out more.