Please be ready with your application reference number starting with 'P'. For example P1234567
The information on this webpage is to be read in conjunction with this disclaimer:
Australian National Character Check (ANCC) makes every effort to provide updated and accurate information to its customers. However due to the continuously changing nature of legislations for the Commonwealth and various States and Territories, it is inevitable that some information may not be up to date. The information on the website is general information only. The contents on the website do not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal or professional advice. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, suitability, accuracy or availability with respect to the information.
It is standard to ask for a background check before an employer or agency grants a role or responsibility to a candidate. The police check is the most popular of all background checks in Australia, regardless of the sector or the area you need it.
Numerous people use the check, which makes it the standard means of checking for a person's suitability for a role or position. Therefore, how long should the application process be for a background check as vast and valuable as this? Knowing that delays in the process can affect professional duties.
Several factors affect how long your police check application will take, and the chief of them is how you apply (medium of application).
There are three mediums of applying for the police check. Of these, the online application for the police check tends to be the fastest and most popular method of applying for the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.
A national police check can be obtained online via the Australian National Character Check (ANCC) website. Most Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks are dispatched to applicants within 24 to 48 hours, with the remainder that get referred for manual processing taking longer.
Below we outline how long a police check should take depending on the various mediums that offer Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks in Australia.
The online application runs through an approved service provider’s portal like the ANCC. Since the entire application process is online, there is usually no time wasted in transferring paper or manual documents around the place.
You can complete the online application within minutes, including the verification and payment process, all of which are online.
Candidates who apply through the online portals usually receive their police check result within 24 to 48 hours of applying, unless due to delays or errors in the police check application or if the check gets referred for manual processing. If the check is referred for manual processing, applicants should allow up to 15+ business days to receive a result as the manual processing is entirely dependent on the police agencies to complete their vetting process.
There are some cases where the candidate must apply physical for the police check, such as;
The Local Police office is for every candidate who wants to apply physically for their police check. Whatever the type of police checks the candidate is applying for, they generally must visit a Police office to apply physically.
The application period for an AFP police check should be allowed between 10 and 15 business days to receive a result. A fingerprint check (if required) will take longer.
The Post office helps to transfer documents, commodities and products of various kinds across Australia, and it does the same with the police check. After completing the Informed Consent Form (application) form for the police check, the post office forwards the application to the NPCS.
What you send must include the complete documents with the requested Identity Documents that correctly corroborate any of the records you have provided in the application.
The Post office generally returns the completed police check within 5 to 15 days of application. Exceptions will apply if a check is referred for manual processing.
Yes, there are thousands of police check applications exceeding their time at the NPCS for some issues. About 30% of all police check applications submitted to the NPCS get delayed for different reasons. The most typical cause of delay for the police check application is due to the need for manual processing.
Also, if there are errors or complexities in an application, it can affect the processing of the check algorithm pending when an official comes to correct or adjust it.
If your police check application is delayed, the result usually comes out later than the average period. If there is missing or incomplete information in the application, the service provider where you initiated your application will contact you via a “request for further information”. The time period to respond to a request for further information will depend on how fast the applicant can provide and re-submit the correct information.
If the delay is due to manual processing due to a potential match, you will need to be patient until the police agencies have completed their vetting. Manual processing may delay an application from anywhere between 3 to 15+ business days.
Some causes of the delays are;
Your application can be flagged for manual processing if there is a potential match in your application. Flagging an account for manual processing means a human will have to take over the checking process manually.
If an application is flagged for manual review, it can take between 3 and 15+ days extra before the applicant gets their police check result.
There are many reasons for a manual review, including;
Shared Names on a Profile; if you share a name or other information with another profile on the Criminal database, it may need the special attention of an official to verify such a check.
If your application is missing some information, it may disrupt the checking process. It is not easy to have the check algorithm correct the errors in the information or application unless an official of the NPCS does so by referencing the ID.
Leaving an important field blank will cause the check system to discontinue the checking.
Most applicants don’t know that their application must be vetted by the various Police jurisdiction in the places they have resided. An applicant who has lived in several States or Territories, especially within a short period, will likely have their Police application delayed.
If the dates between two different periods on the application clash, it can be confusing for the check algorithm. The algorithm may flag the application for potential error.
Where certain information like the addresses or previous known names is not precise, a human official may be required to supervise the process and resolve the issue.
If the candidate is;
The NPCS may have to transfer the applicant’s data to the respective Police jurisdiction. The process in moving the police check to the Jurisdiction will slow down the police check.
The police check is a non-influenced process; the entire checking is completed by an algorithm that crawls through the applicant's information-seeking a correlation with the data on the national criminal database.
The police check is independent of any individual agency or group; it cannot be influenced by any factor.
Some online platforms like ANCC offer a "Track a Check" option that allows the candidate to monitor their application.
There are some cases where the applicant may have a short window to submit their check, and a delay may affect their chances or application entirely.
If your application is running late, reach out to the requesting party and inform them about your police check application delays. You may even provide the result of the "Track a police check" to prove that you have already started an application.
No, you cannot decide that you have failed a police check just because your application is taking a while. There are various reasons for a delayed police check, and "Failing" the check is not one.
The delay in your police check has little to do with the outcome of the check.
Even after you obtain a police check in Australia, your employer may request you to provide updated checks at respectable intervals. The police check only contains the date of issuance and is a point in time check.
a police check in Australia will remain valid as long as both parties consider the result relevant to the role.
If your police check is delayed, it will bear the new date of issue. It does not matter how many days your police check is delayed; it will bear the regular date when the NPCS issues the certificate.
Any other reference about the police check will start from the date you were issued the check instead of the supposed date.
No agency or official can tell which application will be delayed in the checking process. All applications have equal chances of being processed within the stipulated/average time to process the check.
The NPCS uses a computer algorithm to search and compare all applications with the data on the Australian Criminal Database.
We understand how painful it is to have your police check delayed, but you must understand that there is little anyone can do about the delay.
ANCC has procedures in place to inform all its applicants if their Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is delayed.
The ANCC will provide regular updates about your application if it gets delayed during the checking process. And no, you don't have to pay for any of these updates when the ANCC provides them.
Yes, you have to pay for the police check anytime you make an application. The online application carries a base fee and a further fee for a hard copy (if required).
However, the fee for the police check may also vary depending on the type of check;
The Australian law encourages employers and decision makers to have a written internal risk strategy.
If it is an organisation's policy for the employees to present updated police check results, and the candidate defaults, the employer can deal with such according to their policies. However, such policies must not be discriminatory or outside the Australian laws.
Therefore, an employer may dismiss an employee or refuse the role if they default on known organisational policies or terms in their employment contract.
Individuals
If you are an individual, you can obtain a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check certificate online via Australian National Character Check’s police check application and informed consent form. The results are dispatched via email.
Business and Enterprise Customers
Business and Enterprise customers are able to sign up to ANCC’s business portal where they can order, manage, track and view candidates’ criminal history check results on their business portal. Organisations will undergo a process for approval prior to being granted access to ANCC’s business portal.
ANCC sends an invite to the applicant to complete their Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check online and handles the application and informed consent form. Contact ANCC’s business and enterprise partnerships team today to enquire about setting up a business portal for your organisation.
The content on this website is communicated to you on behalf of Australian National Character Check™ (ANCC®) pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act).
The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction of this material may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act.
You may include a link on your website pointing to this content for commercial, educational, governmental or personal use.
The contents of this website do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal or professional advice.
Need discount police checks? We beat prices!
About ANCC
ANCC® enables individuals and approved legal entities to apply for a nationally coordinated criminal history check, which is commonly referred to as a national police check. The nationally coordinated criminal history check is valid all over Australia and can be used when applying for Employment, Probity, Licencing, or Commonwealth check purposes. Get discount police checks online. We beat prices!
Helped of customers and counting.
Danny
Business portal user
"A reliable online platform to get nationally coordinated criminal history checks."
Vicki
Individual applicant
"For someone not very tech savvy, I found this to be very easy to get my police check."
Bec
Individual applicant
"Clear, and precise directions and requests allowing the information required to be supplied and/or uploaded. Prompt and professional responses."
Steve
Business portal user
"Very detailed and covers all avenues regarding the applicant. Perfect for any job application."
Rosalba
Individual applicant
"Cost effective, super fast, efficient processing of applications. Excellent service."
Renato
Business portal user
"Very objective and clear to what is required and plenty of options to choose for available support documents."
Ron
Business portal user
"A highly efficient service with a simple online facility. A highly recommended service."
Sharon
Individual applicant
"The form was very clear and feedback on errors very quick. Thank you ANCC."
Not sure where to start?
Book in a free consultation with us to discuss your organisation's employment background check needs, or to get an overview of the ANCC Business Portal.
Need discount police checks? We beat prices!
About ANCC
ANCC® enables individuals and approved legal entities to apply for a nationally coordinated criminal history check, which is commonly referred to as a national police check. The nationally coordinated criminal history check is valid all over Australia and can be used when applying for Employment, Probity, Licencing, or Commonwealth check purposes. Get discount police checks online. We beat prices!
Helped of customers and counting.
Danny
Business portal user
"A reliable online platform to get nationally coordinated criminal history checks."
Vicki
Individual applicant
"For someone not very tech savvy, I found this to be very easy to get my police check."
Bec
Individual applicant
"Clear, and precise directions and requests allowing the information required to be supplied and/or uploaded. Prompt and professional responses."
Steve
Business portal user
"Very detailed and covers all avenues regarding the applicant. Perfect for any job application."
Rosalba
Individual applicant
"Cost effective, super fast, efficient processing of applications. Excellent service."
Renato
Business portal user
"Very objective and clear to what is required and plenty of options to choose for available support documents."
Ron
Business portal user
"A highly efficient service with a simple online facility. A highly recommended service."
Sharon
Individual applicant
"The form was very clear and feedback on errors very quick. Thank you ANCC."
Not sure where to start?
Book in a free consultation with us to discuss your organisation's employment background check needs, or to get an overview of the ANCC Business Portal.
