Most are familiar with the traditional 100 Point ID Check.
From 1 July 2018, Australian Governments will be applying new standards which are set out in the National Identity Proofing Guidelines.
A key component of the new standards is verification of the person’s immigration status in Australia.
Who Will Be Using the New ID Guidelines?
These guidelines will apply when dealing with Federal and State Government agencies which previously required a 100 point ID check, and also serve as best practice guidelines for Australian businesses.
Which Documents Will Be Required to Establish Identity?
Under the new guidelines, 3 different types of documents will be required to establish the identity of a person:
- Commencement of Identity document
- Primary Use in the Community document
- Secondary Use in the Community document
What is a Commencement of Identity Document?
At least one “Commencement of Identity document” is required to establish identity. This will generally be a document establishing the person’s immigration status in Australia and could include:
- Australian Citizens: Australian birth certificate or Australian passport
- NZ Citizens: Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status
- Temporary Visa Holders: Overseas Passport or for those without a passport, an ImmiCard or document of identity issued by DFAT. The person’s visa status will also need to be established – generally by doing a visa check.
What is a Primary Use in the Community Document?
One “Primary Use in the Community” document is required to establish identity. This will generally be a document issued by a State or Territory Government or an overseas passport. The purpose of this document is to establish a link between a person and the claimed identity.
Examples include:
- Australian passport
- Australian drivers licence
- Passport issued by an overseas country
- If no other primary document is available, proof of age or photo ID card issued by a state or territory government agency or Australian secondary student identity document
What is a Secondary Use in the Community Document?
Generally two “Secondary Use in the Community” documents are required to establish identity. The purpose of this is to show that the person is operating in the community under this identity.
Examples include:
- Medicare Card
- Tax File Number
- Photo ID Card issued by the Federal or State/Territory Government
- Bank card or credit card
- Enrolment with the Australian Electoral Commission
- Credit reference check
- Evidence of entitlement to Australian Government benefit (eg Centrelink/Veterans’ Affairs)
- Overseas drivers licence
- Identity documents issued by DFAT
Can documents be Verified by Australian Businesses?
It is possible to verify certain government-issued documents via the Australian Government’s Document Verification Service (DVS)
Conclusion
Australian governments are clearly concerned about establishing identity of individuals more thoroughly, hence the replacement of the old 100 point ID check.
The new Commencement of Identity document requirement makes establishing immigration status in Australia more important when dealing with state and federal governments.
Whilst the new standards do not apply directly to Australian businesses, they do serve as best practice guidelines which may be worth adopting on commencement of employment.
