Australian Federal National Police Check (AFP) .

Rapid Screening uses technology that aims for a quick response.

• After you submit your AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check application, your check will be processed and finalised within 10-25 business days. However, most of the time checks are processed earlier, within 5 business days.
• Your hard copy (secure paper) certificate will be mailed to you on the same day it is finalised.
• You will receive it within normal mail delivery times. Postal delivery may take longer if you live in a regional or remote area.
• Please be reassured that these timeframes are normal and there is no cause for concern.

It is important to factor in turnaround times if you need your AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check to be submitted before you start a new job. For people with disclosable outcomes, there will be longer turnaround times as more investigation is required by vetting agencies. If you have any concerns throughout the process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Rapid Screening.

To apply for an AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check, you need to supply 100 points of identification. Different types of identification documents, like passports and Medicare cards, have different “points” (number values up to 100) assigned to them by government agencies.

For an AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check, you need to submit ID documents that add up to 100 points. This consists of:

• At least ONE primary document: e.g. a passport or full birth certificate (both worth 70 points) or Australian driver’s licence or Government employee ID Card (each worth 40 points)
• Secondary documents that bring your total identification to 100 points (e.g. Centrelink card, Medicare card, bank statement. Points for these documents range from 20 – 40, depending on the type of document).

The Australian Federal Police list options for the full 100 points of AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check identification on its website, and clearly specifies the amount of points that counts towards each ID document.

If you don’t have the full 100 points of identification or can’t locate the right documents, please contact Rapid Screening to discuss your options.

Step 1: Fill Out The Online AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check Application Form

• Before you complete the AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check online application form, have all the information you need in front of you. Preview the form first to see what the information you need, such as your residential history for the past ten years (street names and suburbs); and any previous names you have been known by.
• Scan the identification documents you will use to verify your identity, so that you can upload them along with your application form (e.g. passport, Medicare care – see FAQs above). You can use a scanner or a mobile scanning app for this step. Make sure the ID documents add up to 100 points.

Step 2: Attach Your Identification Documents to the Application

• After scanning your ID documents, upload them onto the application by following the onscreen prompts.

Step 3: Click Submit

• Take the time to go over your application or ask a friend or family member to review it. Errors or incomplete fields will delay processing.
• Once you have clicked “Submit” on your application, you will receive a record of your submission. Please keep this for tracking purposes.

If an employer or potential employer asks you to apply for an AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check, it may be a condition of your employment to provide one.

Employers need to manage risk in their workplace. There is legislation protecting the rights of people with criminal convictions to fair procedure in the workplace. People requiring AFP checks include those working in:

• Roles where they support vulnerable people (e.g. in aged care, childcare)
• Commonwealth government positions that may involve access to secure and confidential information
• Fields requiring occupation-related licensing or registration (e.g. registered nurses)
• Volunteer workers in positions of trust.

An AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check is also required for visa, migration and overseas employment purposes.

The purpose of an AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check is not to go on a “witch-hunt”. It is to give employers information so they can assess whether people have serious criminal offences in their past that may prevent them from discharging their employment ethically and responsibly.

Employers use their judgement in evaluating the information provided in a National Police Check, along with other material gathered during the employment verification process.

The AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check includes:

• All of an individual’s disclosable court outcomes obtained from all state, territory and national Australian police jurisdictions.
• All pending charges.

A disclosable court outcome is simply a record of a conviction or other outcome made in a criminal court. Provisions such as spent convictions and non-disclosure legislation may be applied by the police agencies that vet the information.

Pending charges are criminal charges that have not yet resulted in an appearance in court.

Your AFP check will result in either

• No Disclosable Court Outcomes: there is no police history information held by jurisdictions, or that can be released by a jurisdiction.
• Disclosable Court Outcomes: the individual has police history information, which will be identified on the AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check Certificate.
  
  • This may include court convictions; findings of guilt without a conviction; court appearances (including those resulting in a good behaviour bond or other court order); criminal charges; pending charges that have not gone to court yet; and/ or traffic history.

The AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check is the highest level of National Police Check available in Australia. It gives a comprehensive overview of an applicant’s criminal history, including previous convictions and pending charges.

The AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check provides employers information that helps them assess the risks of hiring people, particularly if they work with vulnerable groups like children, or in regulated industries like banking.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs will Only accept an AFP Coordinated Criminal History Check for migration purposes, including migration related to employment.