About this privacy notice
This document explains:
- what personal information is collected
- how your personal information will be used and disclosed, and
- where you can find more information about the Department of Home Affairs (the department) privacy policy.
The AusCheck Act 2007 and AusCheck Regulations 2017 authorises and requires the department to collect certain personal information for background checking.
The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) requires the department to notify an individual of certain matters when it collects personal information about them. This document is your notification of those matters.
If AusCheck does not collect your personal information you would be unable to be issued an Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) or a Maritime Security Identification Card (MSIC).
Personal information
If you apply for an ASIC or MSIC in the online portal, we collect your personal information to verify your identity.
As part of your application for an ASIC or MSIC, we collect the following information:
- Identity information: your full name, date of birth and address details for the past 10 years. We ask for any names you have ever been known by, including former names, titles, aliases, nicknames and pseudonyms.
- Details of identification documents: for example, your birth certificate registration number or passport details. These copies will be stored in accordance with the Archives Act 1983.
- A photograph: that is less than 6 months old showing your full face, head and shoulders.
- Work and study information: the name, telephone number and business address of your employer or the institute where you are studying.
If a ‘right to work in Australia’ or ‘immigration check’ is required, we will also need your immigration information. This includes:
- your passport number, and
- the number and expiry date of your visa.
Your personal information may also be used to conduct subsequent background checks.
How AusCheck uses your personal information
We will use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:
- verifying the identity of an individual – this includes a comparison of your personal information, including a photograph, against information of other applicants for the purpose of identity assessment by AusCheck. Steps are taken where possible to limit the ability to re-identify any comparison information
- determining whether a background check is required or permitted
- conducting a background check
- advising the results of a background check
- updating your information in our database
- reviewing a background check if the assessment advice was inaccurate or incomplete
- providing an online verification service that will verify if an ASIC or a MSIC has been issued and its status
- responding to a national security incident
- performing functions relating to law enforcement or national security.
Your personal information will be held securely in the AusCheck database with access permitted on a need-to-know basis and only by authorised personnel.
Who else can access your personal information
AusCheck discloses your personal information to the following Commonwealth Government agencies to do a background check:
- The Department of Home Affairs: Your personal information may be passed to other parts of the department to electronically verify your identification, or to check your citizenship status or your legal right to work in Australia. This information may also be used for immigration compliance purposes.
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO): ASIO will assess your background and any past activities to determine whether there could be a threat to national security. ASIO will keep your information and use it for national security purposes, including those purposes set out in the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979.
- Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) criminal record check and criminal intelligence assessment: The ACIC will check your criminal record in the database of all Australian legal jurisdictions and give a copy of your criminal record to AusCheck. The ACIC will also assess your background and any past activities to determine whether you may commit or assist another to commit a serious and organised crime. The ACIC may also securely store and use your information for law enforcement purposes, including those purposes set out in the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002.
We may use and disclose your personal information for a secondary purpose if an exception in the Privacy Act applies, such as where the use or disclosure is required or authorised by an Australian law.
Your personal information may be disclosed to an overseas recipient but only in specific instances where the disclosure is authorised by Australian law.
The Digital ID System may use the information they collect to perform their functions, including:
- responding to reported cyber security incidents and events
- investigating suspected identity or credential-related fraud incidents
- managing complaints, questions and requests that you make about your digital identity
- coordinating system-wide responses to critical incidents.
More information
Find out more about AusCheck.
The Digital Transformation Authority website has more information about the Australian Government’s Digital ID System(Opens in a new tab/window), including the Digital ID System privacy policy(Opens in a new tab/window).
Home Affairs privacy policy
Visit the Department of Home Affairs website to read the department’s privacy policy(Opens in a new tab/window). The policy tells you how to:
- access or correct your information that we hold
- complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how complaints are dealt with.
How to contact us
Alternatively, you can provide feedback by:
- using the department's online feedback form(Opens in a new tab/window)
- writing to
The Manager Global Feedback Unit
GPO Box 241
Melbourne VIC 3001
Australia