Frequently Asked Questions

Veritas SOCI can only process checks for employment or volunteer purposes. Before ordering a SOCI Check, you should consult with the relevant industry body organisation or employer to determine which SOCI Checks they will accept.

We cannot provide SOCI Checks for the following:

• Visa, Citizenship, or Immigration purposes
• Obtaining of a License (e.g. Vehicle, Gaming)
• Insurance purposes
• Teachers
• IVF purposes

If you require an Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check for Visa, Citizenship, or Immigration purposes, you can apply for one at https://www.afpcheck.com. Please visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website if you require more information on Australian Federal SOCI Checks.

Applying for a SOCI Check is a 3-step process and takes approximately 3-5 minutes to complete:

• Complete the SOCI Check application online

  You will be asked to complete information such as all names you have been known by, 5 years of residential address history, date of birth and contact details.

• Upload ID

  You will need access to a scanner or a mobile device with a camera to upload your Identification Documents.

• Receive your Police Check

  On average, 70% of results are returned in 1 business day once lodgement is received.

  For the remaining 30%, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (the national agency responsible for conducting SOCI Checks) may flag applications as requiring further review. These may take longer than 10 business days to process due to the complexity of the check.

  For urgent needs, please contact Veritas SOCI and we will endeavour to assist you.

We can only lodge your application once we have received all required documents.

The price for a SOCI Check for employment purposes is $63.00. The price for a SOCI Check for volunteer purposes is $23.00.

Pricing includes SOCI Check results reports sent out in digital form (PDF). A hard copy of the certificate can be purchased for an additional $9.95 at the time of application. If requesting a hard copy after you have submitted your application you will be charged $13.95. Hard copy results reports can only be posted to an Australian postal address.

We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express payments only.

You can track the progress of your SOCI Check application on the Track page. You will need your Reference Number, which would have been emailed to you after you completed the application online, and email address to view the status of your application. If your check has been processed you will see a download link on the status page. A copy of your SOCI Check will be sent to the email supplied in your application.

SOCI Checks are only true and correct the day that it is issued. A SOCI Check has no period of validity; it is up to employers and organisations discretion to determine the period of time for which they will accept a SOCI Check.

Our SOCI Checks cover all Australian States and Territories and are accepted Australia-wide.

You must be at least 16 years old to undergo a SOCI Check through Veritas SOCI. Anyone under the age of 18 must have consent of a parent, guardian or legal representative.

ACIC is an Executive Agency responsible for developing and maintaining national information-sharing services between state, territory and federal law enforcement agencies. ACIC works in partnership with Australia’s police agencies to provide services that allow police to easily share information with each other across state and territory borders.

A Security of Critical Infrastructure Check (also known as a SOCI Check, Police Clearance, Criminal History Check) is conducted with your informed consent to determine your suitability for a position of trust, specified field of endeavour or as required by legislation. A Security of Critical Infrastructure Check contains your personal information, and police information that is disclosable about you, according to the purpose of your check.

A standard check is for paid work, job seekers, or family day care providers who require checks for any residents where in-home care is being provided to children. A volunteer check is only for unpaid work, student placement, or work experience.

Volunteer checks may only be requested if you will:

• freely hold the position or perform the role on a voluntary basis for the benefit of the community;
• not be an employee, contractor, subcontractor, staff member or officer of an organisation;
• not be entitled to a salary or any other entitlements or benefits associated with the position or role; or
• be a student undertaking a compulsory vocational placement as a requirement of an Australian-based academic institution or training course.

The type of check has no influence on police check results.

Minimum identity requirements

You must provide four documents with your completed form to confirm your identity:

• One commencement document, to confirm your birth in Australia or arrival in Australia
• One primary document, to show the use of your identity in the community, and;
• Two secondary documents, to show the use of your identity in the community

The documentation you provide must include evidence of your full name and date of birth, and a photograph of you. The commencement and primary documents provided must include a photo of you. If your commencement and primary documents do not include a photograph you must submit a passport-style photograph certified by a person listed in Schedule 2 of the Statutory Declarations Regulations 1993 (Cth).

You will need access to a scanner or a mobile device with a camera to upload your ID documents.

At least 1 'Commencement of Identity' document

1. Full Australian Birth Certificate (not an extract/birth card)
2. Australian Citizenship Certificate
3. A valid Australian Visa (which may be in the form of a Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) record or printout)
4. ImmiCard issued by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that enables the cardholder to prove their visa and/or migration status and enroll in services
5. Australian Passport (not expired/cancelled)

At least 1 'Primary Use in the Community' document

1. Australian Passport (not expired/cancelled)
2. Current Australian Drivers Licence, learner permit or provisional licence issued by a state or territory, showing a signature and/or photo and the same name as claimed
3. ImmiCard issued by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that enables the cardholder to prove their visa and/or migration status and enroll in services
4. Foreign/International Passport issued by a country other than Australia with a valid entry stamp or visa
5. Proof of Age or Photo Identity Card issued by an Australian government agency in the name of the applicant, with a signature and photo (must be current)
6. Student Identification Card (current) with a signature or photo (for persons under 18 years of age with no other Primary Use in Community Documents)

At least 2 'Secondary Use in the Community' documents

1. Certificate of Identity issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
2. Document of Identity issued by DFAT
3. United National Convention Travel Document Secondary
4. Foreign Government Issued Documents (e.g. Foreign Drivers Licence)
5. Medicare Card
6. Enrolment with the Australian Electoral Commission
7. Security Guard or Crowd Control Photo Licence
8. Centrelink Health Card or Veteran’s Affairs Card (evidence of right to an Australian government benefit)
9. Consular Photo Identity Card issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
10. Photo Identity Card issued by the Australian Defence Force
11. Photo Identity Card issued by the Australian Government or a state or territory
12. Photo Identity Card issued to an officer by a police force
13. ASIC (Aviation Security Identification Card)
14. MSIC (Maritime Security Identification Card)
15. Firearms licence
16. Credit Reference Check
17. Australian Secondary or Tertiary Student Photo Identity Document
18. Academic Transcript from an Australian university (certified)
19. Trusted Referees Report
20. Bank card or credit card (without recording the card number/s)
21. Australian tax file number

Change of name

If you provide identity documents using a former name, you must provide evidence of your name change. This means providing a change of name certificate issued by the Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or an Australian marriage certificate issued by a state or territory, in addition to your four identity documents. Church or celebrant-issued certificates are not accepted.

Special provisions for proof of identity

The ACIC recognises that in exceptional circumstances you may not be able to meet the minimum proof of identity requirements. Please contact Veritas SOCI to assess your ability to meet the requirements and determine the most suitable method to confirm your identity.

You can email your documents to documents@veritascheck.com.au.

Yes. Hard copy results reports purchased after you have submitted your online application are $13.95. To purchase a hard copy of your SOCI Check Certificate give us a call on 08 9226 0711 (08 9226 0711).

Supervised contact means direct or indirect contact with children, or vulnerable groups, with supervision.

Unsupervised contact means direct or indirect contact with children, or vulnerable groups, without supervision.

No contact means no direct or indirect contact with children or vulnerable groups.

A vulnerable group is a child, or an adult, who is disadvantaged or in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect, or accessing a service provided to disadvantaged people.

On average, 70% of results are returned in 24 hours once lodgement is received. For the remaining 30%, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (the national agency responsible for conducting SOCI Checks) may flag applications as requiring further review. These may take longer than 10 business days to process due to the complexity of the check.

For urgent needs, please contact Veritas SOCI and we will endeavour to assist you.

Visit the ACIC's FAQ: 'How long will my check take?' for more information.

A digital copy of your SOCI Check will be sent via email. You will also be able to download your SOCI Check online on the Track page, after entering your details. If you chose to receive a hard/physical copy of your SOCI Check, it will be posted to the postal address supplied.

As we provide your SOCI Check via email, Veritas SOCI offers an online verification tool.

There are two ways to verify a digital SOCI Check:

1. Scan the QR code with your mobile device.
2. Visit the Verify page by entering your unique Certificate Number and Access Code.

Veritas SOCI will retain Police History Information for 3 months. You are able to obtain a copy of your SOCI Check results within 3 months of issue, after this period, a new SOCI Check application will be required.

A SOCI Check Certificate lists your Disclosable Court Outcomes and pending charges (subject to relevant spent convictions/non-disclosure legislation and/or information release policies).

Disclosable Court Outcomes means the record of court convictions and findings of guilt, to which provisions of relevant spent convictions/non disclosure legislation and/or information release policies have been applied.

The type and amount of information that is released will depend upon the category and purpose of the check, as well as the jurisdiction where convictions are recorded (and vetted). Spent convictions legislation or information release policies will be applied to this process by vetting police agencies.

The result of your check will either be:

• No Disclosable Court Outcomes (NDCO)
  • there is no Police History Information (PHI) that is held or that can be released
• Disclosable Court Outcomes (DCO)
  • PHI exists that can be released to the submitting organisation. The PHI may include:
    • charges
    • court convictions, including any penalty or sentence
    • findings of guilt with no conviction
    • court appearances
    • good behaviour bonds or other court orders
    • pending matters awaiting court hearing
    • traffic history

Using a matching algorithm, your name(s), gender, and date of birth are run against a central database to find potential matches with people who have Police History Information. An immediate result of ‘No Disclosable Court Outcomes’ will be released to Veritas SOCI if no matches are found.

If there are one or more potential matches found, a referral is sent to relevant police agencies for assessment. A potential match may be found if you, or someone with similar details to yours, are on the database. The relevant police agency will then manually process your check to determine if your details are a match or not. If the police determine that the referral is not a match, ‘No Disclosable Court Outcomes’ will be released.

If a match is confirmed, the police will assess the Police History Information to determine what details can be released, taking into account the category and purpose of the check and any relevant legislation and/or release policies. Results will indicate 'Disclosable Court Outcomes', listing the relevant details, which may include: charges; court convictions, including penalties and sentences; findings of guilt with no conviction; court appearances; good behaviour bonds or other court orders; matters awaiting court hearing; or traffic offences.

As the SOCI Checking Service operates in a national environment, the police history information disclosed can depend on Commonwealth, State and Territory legislation and/or information release policies such as Spent Convictions legislation. This means that information disclosed to your agency may depend on:

• The purpose of the check;
• The accredited agency’s co-ordinating police agency (eg. where agency’s head office is domiciled); and
• Any relevant State or Territory legislation and/or policies regarding police history information release.

When your check is submitted to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), your name, date of birth, and gender are checked against a central database of names to find potential matches with people who have Police History Information.

If you have a common name (for example Michael Smith or Amandeep Singh), or your name is similar to someone that has Police History Information, your application will be manually reviewed by the police for further investigation. The relevant police agency will then manually process your check to determine if your details are a match or not.

Some police agencies have higher workloads or hard copy records that require manual processing which may delay your application.

Applicants who wish to dispute information recorded on their SOCI Check should contact Veritas SOCI. You will be asked to outline the reasons for the dispute and provide documentation to support your claims.

Disputes can be raised when:

• the police information released does not belong to you
• part of the police information does not belong to you
• the police information belongs to you, but the details are inaccurate
• the police information belongs to you, but should not have been released

Once you provide Veritas SOCI with the reason for the dispute and documentation to support your claims, we will lodge your dispute into a national database for further investigation.

The police agencies responsible for the release of information on your police check result will investigate the dispute and determine an appropriate outcome. The police agencies may request further information to support their investigation.

Once the dispute has been concluded, Veritas SOCI will be advised of one of the following outcomes:

• Successful dispute outcome

  The dispute has been successful and the police check result will be amended.

• Unsuccessful dispute outcome

  The dispute has been unsuccessful and the result will remain the same. You may challenge this outcome and additional documentation may be collected to support the challenge.

Veritas SOCI will advise you of the dispute outcome.

Note: Due to privacy concerns, the ACIC may not be able to provide Veritas SOCI with specific detail about why the dispute was unsuccessful.