Do you have a Unique Student Identifer (USI)?

What is a USI?

From 1 January 2015 all students undertaking nationally recognised training delivered by a registered training organisation will need to have a Unique Student Identifier (USI).

A USI gives students access to their online USI account which is made up of ten numbers and letters. It will look something like this: 3AW88YH9U5. A USI account will contain all of a student’s nationally recognised training records and results from 1 January 2015 onwards. A student’s results from 2015 will be available in their USI account in 2016.

When applying for a job or enrolling in further study, students will often need to provide their training records and results. One of the main benefits of the USI is that students will have easy access to their training records and results throughout their life.

Students can access their USI account online from a computer, tablet or smart phone anywhere and anytime.

Who needs a USI?

Students who need a USI include:

  • students who are enrolling in nationally recognised training for the first time;
  • school students completing nationally recognised training; and
  • students continuing with nationally recognised training.

A student who is continuing study is a student who has already started their course in a previous year (and not yet completed it) and will continue studying after 1 January 2015. Once a student creates their USI they will be able to:

  • give their USI to each training organisation they study with;
  • view and update their details in their USI account;
  • give their training organisation permission to view and/or update their USI account;
  • give their training organisation view access to their transcript;
  • control access to their transcript; and
  • view online and download their training records and results in the form of a transcript.

For international, overseas or offshore students please visit usi.gov.au for more information.

How do I get a USI?

It is free and easy for students to create their own USIs online. The following steps show how students can create a USI:

  • Step 1 - Identification

    Have at least one and preferably two forms of ID ready from the list below:

    • Driver’s Licence
    • Medicare Card
    • Australian Passport
    • Visa (with Non-Australian Passport) for international students
    • Birth Certificate (Australian)
    • Certificate Of Registration By Descent
    • Citizenship Certificate
    • Immi Card

    MPORTANT: To make sure we keep all a student’s training records together, the USI will be linked to the student’s name as it appears on the form of ID used to create the USI. The personal details entered when a student creates a USI must match exactly with those on their form of ID. If a student has no proof of ID from the list above, they will be required to contact the USI department.

  • Step 2 - Contact Details

    Have contact details ready (e.g. email address, or mobile number, or address).

  • Step 3 - USI Website

    Visit the USI website at: usi.gov.au

  • Step 4 - Create USI

    Select the option to ‘Create a USI’ and follow the steps

  • Step 5 - Confirmation

    Agree to the Terms and Conditions.

  • Step 6 - Follow Prompts

    Follow the instructions to create a USI – it should only take a few minutes.

    Upon completion, the USI will be displayed on the screen. It will also be sent to the student’s preferred method of contact.

  • Step 6 - Store the USI

    The student should then write down the USI and keep it somewhere handy and safe.

    For more information:

    • visit usi.gov.au
    • email usi@industry.gov.au
    • phone Skilling Australia Information line – 13 38 73