What is the Unique Student Identifier?
All students participating in Nationally Recognised Training in Australia must have a Unique Student Identifier (USI).
This includes students completing an apprenticeship or skill set, certificate or diploma course.
Your USI links to an online account that contains all your training records and results (transcript) that you have completed from 1 January 2015 onwards. Your results will be available in your USI account.
Your USI allows you to:
- find, collate and authenticate your VET achievements into a single transcript
- access your information any-time, anywhere from your computer, tablet or smart phone
- ensure your records are never lost or misplaced.
How do I get a USI?
It’s free and easy to create your own USI and will only take a few minutes of your time.
You can preview the steps to creating USI for students at: See video at:
Steps to creating your USI:
Step 1: Have at least ONE form of ID ready: Driver’s License, Medicare Card, Australian Passport, Visa (with non-Australian Passport) for international students, Birth Certificate (Australian), Certificate of Registration By Descent, Citizenship Certificate, or Immi Card. Birth extracts and Learner Driver’s Licences are not valid forms of ID for USI.
Important: The details you enter when you create your USI must match exactly with those shown on the form of ID used. If you have no form of ID from the list above, please contact your training organisation or the training organisation you intend to study with.
Step 2: Click on ‘Create your USI’ (located at: www.usi.gov.au/students)
Step 3: Agree to the terms and conditions.
Step 4: Fill in your personal and contact details.
Step 5: Enter the requested details as shown on your form of ID (see list above).
Step 6: Set your USI account password and questions for security.
Step 7: Your USI will now be displayed on the screen.
Step 8: You should write down your USI somewhere safe or enter it into your phone for safe keeping.
Step 9: Your USI will also be sent to you by either your email, phone or by mailing address (which ever you choose as your preferred contact method when creating your USI).
Step 10: Be sure to bring your USI with you each time you enrol in VET.
You will not be able to enrol or re-enrol in your qualification/accredited course with AST until you have a USI.
If you do not hold a USI training providers cannot, by law, issue you a Certificate, Statement of Attainment or Transcript for your training.
Duplicate USI
When you create your USI the system will check existing accounts and advise if there is a USI account already established. If you or your training organisation become aware of the possibility of you having two USIs, either party should report the issue to the USI Office. The USI Office will work with the relevant parties to resolve the issue and advise you of the outcome.
Forgotten USI
If you forget or lose your USI you can retrieve it online at: www.usi.gov.au/students.You will need to enter a few details to verify who you are to display your USI. The details must be the same as those you entered when you applied for a USI or, if you did so, when you last updated your USI account.
USI Privacy Notice
You will be provided with the AST USI privacy notice (QOD6-007.2) by AST when you produce your USI or you can access it from the AST website under USI Privacy Notice:
Access Skills Training USI privacy notice
For more information contact: info@ast.org.au, or visit the USI Help page at: usi.gov.au/help-centre/student-help
International Students and the Unique Student Identifier
- International students studying in Australia with AST need a USI. They can use their passport as proof of ID when creating their USI.
- Australian students studying offshore with AST will be able to create a USI using the steps contained in the Unique Student Identifier – Student Information Procedure (QP6-007)
USI exemptions
Exemptions are provided for an individual where the individual is an offshore international student studying outside of Australia. This means that international students who are enrolled with an Australian training organisation but are not in Australia while undertaking their training do not require a USI in order to receive a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or statement of attainment. In addition, individuals who have a genuine personal objection to being assigned a student identifier will be able to apply for an exemption to the Student Identifiers Registrar at: www.usi.gov.au/training-organisations/training-organisation-requirements/exemptions-individuals/how-apply
