Unique Student Identifier (USI)

On this page: Your USI must be verified | Create your USI | Provide your USI to UTS | Consequences if you don't provide your USI | Consequences if your USI can’t be verified | Common reasons your USI can't be verified | International students - name order and format | Exemptions | More questions

A Unique Student Identifier (USI) is a personal, alphanumeric education identifier required for nationally recognised study. USIs are issued by the Student Identifiers Registrar under Section 10 of the Student Identifiers Act 2014.

You must have a USI if you expect to:

• graduate and receive a higher education award,
• enrol in a Commonwealth Supported Place,
• seek Commonwealth financial assistance e.g., HELP loan.

You should provide your USI to UTS by adding it to My Student Admin, and you should do this as soon as you:

• activate your UTS student account (domestic students),
• arrive in Australia (international students). 

Your USI must be verified

When you provide your USI to UTS, your personal details on My Student Admin will be checked against your personal details on the USI Registry System. Your USI can only be verified if these details, shown in bold in the table below, match exactly on both systems.

UTS will only be able to verify your USI if your personal details match exactly across both My Student Admin and the USI Registry System.

Your Tax File Number (TFN), if provided to UTS, must also be verified. UTS will only be able to verify your TFN if your personal details match exactly across My Student Admin, the USI Registry System and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Create your USI

Go to the USI website and access the Student Portal to check if you may already have a USI, or create a USI. You will need to have at least one form of official, verifiable identification handy. You should enter your personal details exactly as they appear on your official identification to help minimise the risk of having an unverified USI or TFN.

Domestic students: you will need to use one form of verifiable ID, or your Digital ID, to create a USI. The personal details you use to create your USI must match exactly with the details on your official identification, as held by the ATO, and as displayed on My Student Admin.

International students: once you have arrived in Australia and clear customs, you will need to use your non-Australian passport and your Australian visa to create a USI. The personal details you use to create your USI must match exactly with the details on your visa and as displayed on My Student Admin. This is particularly important if you have a "Single Name", which you can read more about on the USI website.

Provide your USI to UTS

If you are a commencing domestic student you can add your USI to My Student Admin during the offer acceptance process.

If you are a commencing international student you can add your USI to My Student Admin as soon as you arrive in Australia and clear customs.

If you are a Commonwealth Supported Student you must provide your USI when you submit your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF). You won’t be able to submit the form without providing your USI, and you won’t be able to enrol until you submit the form. The form must be submitted by the census date.

If you are applying for a FEE-HELP loan you must provide your USI when you submit your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF). The form must be submitted by the census date.

Any student with an active course can add their USI to My Student Admin at any time.

Consequences if you don't provide your USI

If you are a Commonwealth Supported Student you will not be able to submit your eCAF, which means you will not be able to enrol.

If you are applying for a FEE-HELP loan you will not be able to submit your eCAF, which means you will not be able to access FEE-HELP.

All other students will receive a USP sanction. You will not be able to view your results on My Student Admin, obtain an official academic record (transcript), or graduate until you provide your USI and it can be verified.

To check for active sanctions on your account, go to 'Sanction Details' under the 'Personal' tab in My Student Admin. 

Consequences if your USI can’t be verified

If you are a Commonwealth Supported Student, you will receive a USV sanction. You will not be able to view your results on My Student Admin, obtain an official academic record (transcript), or amend your study plan until your USI can be verified. Your USI must be verified by the census date otherwise you will not be able to defer your fees to your HELP loan (even if your HELP loan is approved) and you may be withdrawn from your subjects.

If you are applying for a FEE-HELP loan you will receive a USV sanction. Your USI must be verified by the census date otherwise you will not be able to defer your fees to your HELP loan, and therefore will be liable for the full tuition fees for your enrolled subjects.

All other students will receive a UNP sanction. Your results and academic record will be withheld. You will not be able to view your results on My Student Admin, obtain an official academic record (transcript), or graduate until your USI can be verified.

UTS conduct regular verifications towards the end of each month, in the lead up to each census date, and in the lead up to Autumn and Spring results publication dates.

To check for active sanctions on your account, go to 'Sanction Details' under the 'Personal' tab in My Student Admin. 

Common reasons your USI might not be verified

• Your 'First Given Name' on My Student Admin has been entered as a preferred or shortened version of your name instead of the full name on your official identification (e.g., Alex instead of Alexandra).

• Your 'First Given Name' on My Student Admin has been entered differently to the ‘First/Given Name’ on the USI Registry System. For example, you have multiple given names, and on My Student Admin they all appear in one field (e.g., 'Jane Louise' in 'First Given Name'), but on the USI Registry System they are split over multiple fields (e.g., 'Jane' in 'First/Given Name' and 'Louise' in 'Middle Name').

• Your Date of Birth has been entered incorrectly.

• Your name on My Student Admin has been entered with differences in spacing or punctuation to your name on the USI Registry System. For example, O’Brien vs Obrien, or Da Silva vs Dasilva.

• Your name on My Student Admin includes special characters (for example, å, Æ, or Ø) that are not accepted by the USI Registry Sytem. This is because the official identity document used for verification (e.g., your visa or the 'machine readable zone' of your passport) will not contain special characters.

• Your family name has changed (e.g., due due to marriage) but you have only updated it on one system. 

• You have chosen a new name that reflects your identity but you have only updated it on one system. 

• Your name on My Student Admin has been entered using both 'First Given Name' and 'Family Name' fields, but on the USI Registry System it has been entered as a "Single Name" (or vice versa). For example, on your official identity document your Surname is 'Harpreet Kaur' and you have no Given Name, but on My Student Admin 'Harpreet' appears in 'First Given Name' and 'Kaur' appears in 'Family Name'. You can use the 'machine readable zone' of your passport to check if your name is considered a "Single Name".

The 'machine readable zone' of your passport will clarify which name is considered your Family Name, and how to spell names that contain special characters.

You will find your name written in capital letters at the bottom of the photo page of your passport (after your country code). Your names will be divided by '>>' to indicate your family name, and '>' to indicate all other names. Here are some examples, using the country code of Australia (AUS):

If you have a family name, it will appear like this: 'AUSFAMILYNAME>>FIRSTNAME>OTHERNAMES>>>>>>>'.

If you have one single name, it will appear like this: 'AUSNAME>>>>>>>'.

If you have multiple names which count as a single name, it will appear like this: 'AUSNAME>NAME>NAME>>>>>>>'.

You can submit a Change of Student Details application to have your name updated to reflect the spelling in the 'machine readable zone' of your passport.

International students - name order and format

For some international students, the order and format of your name used in your home country and on your passport may not match the standard order and format used in Australia. When completing forms for Australia (e.g., UTS application form, visa application form, when you create your USI) you should use the same name order and format every time. Using different formats may result in name mismatches, and UTS may not be able to verify your USI.

The order and format of your names on your Australian visa should match the order and format of your names on your non-Australian passport. This means that when you create your USI your name on the USI Registry System should be correct. If the order and format of your names on your Australian visa is incorrect, your name on the USI Registry System will be incorrect and UTS may not be able to verify your USI.

How do I know if I have a Single Name, or Given Name/s and a Family Name?

• Most international passports display at least one ‘Family Name’ or 'Surname', and display other names in the ‘Given Name/s’ field. If you have several given names, you may be able to choose which name/s are recorded in which field/s.

• If the 'Surname' field, or the 'Given Name/s' field, on your passport is blank, or you have multiple names and your passport does not display them in separate fields, then all your name may be considered a "Single Name".

• If you have multiple given names, you may get to choose which is your ‘First Given Name’ and which name/s are recorded as your ‘Other Given Name/s’.

Some common issues include:

• Your passport clearly displays a separate 'Given Name' and 'Surname', but your visa displays your names as a "Single Name".

• Your passport clearly displays a "Single Name", but your visa displays the same name entered twice (e.g., Harpreet Kaur HARPREET KAUR). 

• Your passport clearly displays a "Single Name", but your visa has split your name into ‘First Name’ and ‘Last Name’ (e.g., Madonna MADONNA). 

If your name is correct on My Student Admin, but incorrect on your Australian visa, you will need to:

1. Correct your visa name by contacting the Department of Home Affairs. Make sure you let them know that you want to update your name to accurately reflect the name shown in your passport.
2. Once your visa is corrected, you will need to update your name on the USI Registry System. If you need to change to or from a "Single Name", you may need to call the Registry (from within Australia).
3. Once your name is updated on the Registry, please submit an Ask UTS enquiry via My Student Portal, attach a screen shot of your full name from the Registry, and ask UTS to check if your USI can be verified. 

If you have tried to resolve the mismatch between your names, please contact Ask UTS to explain your situation and we will try to help you to resolve it.

Exemptions

If you are an international student and you complete your entire UTS course outside of Australia do not need to provide a verified USI to receive your award.

You may be automatically exempt from providing a USI if you meet all the criteria below: 

• you commenced your studies at UTS before 1 January 2023, and

• you did not access Commonwealth financial assistance for your studies, and

• you are currently offshore and will not return to Australia to receive your award.

If you believe you may be eligible for an exemption, please submit an Ask UTS enquiry via My Student Portal outlining why, and attach a copy of your International Movement Records. These records will show that you either never entered Australia, or have exited Australia and are currently offshore. Please be mindful that the processing time for these records can be upwards of several weeks.

If you are a domestic student, you can request an exemption from the Student Identifiers Registrar, but you must understand that this will impact your study options. Without a USI you will not be able to apply for Commonwealth financial assistance, or a Commonwealth Supported Place. Students who request an exemption from the Registrar must confirm that they have read and understood the consequences of having an exemption.

If you believe you are eligible to be exempt but have received a sanction, please submit an Ask UTS enquiry to explain your situation, and attach a copy of your International Movement Records as evidence that you have not completed any of your studies within Australia.

More questions

If your question isn't answered here, please contact Ask UTS.