DELIVERY TIMES

Just a Friendly reminder, we have no control over the turnaround time of a police check. It can take anywhere between from 1 to 15 business days plus.

Once submitted to the National Police Checking Service, unfortunately Clear to Work has NO control over how long a check takes to process, nor can we expedite the process.

Please be aware that Clear to Work are not informed of any delays that the NPCS and their police agencies may be experiencing.

Here is a little more information about police check delivery times: https://check.cleartowork.com.au/deliverytimes/

While 95% of checks are processed within 10 business days, there are a couple of reasons why some checks can take longer. These can include:

  • Applicants having a common name or a name that matches with many potential ‘Persons of Interest’ on policing systems
  • Applicants having old police information that requires manual collection and processing of hardcopy records
  • The relevant police agency having inaccurate or incomplete records which need to be investigated properly before the check can be finalised
  • Transferring information between the various State and Territory police agencies before the information can be vetted and/or released
  • Workloads within each police agency


Please note, due to privacy and security, Clear to Work do not post or email out check results. You will receive a notification email once your check is completed, returned and is available for download on your account.

Please do not hesitate to reach out via email should you have any further questions


Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC)

Unable to follow up

Unfortunately, Clear to Work are unable to follow up on the status of police checks. The ACIC automatically follow these up when they fall outside of a certain time frame.

We are unable to follow up checks unless they fall under an ‘urgent priority’. This is stated by the ACIC.

Many types of reasons are not considered to be urgent priorities. For example:

  • is offered employment and is due to start tomorrow;
  • has an expired police clearance;
  • cannot work until their check is returned; or
  • has a professional registration pending a check.

While 95% of checks are processed within 10 business days, there are a couple of reasons why some checks can take longer. These can include:

  • Applicants having a common name or a name that matches with many potential ‘Persons of Interest’ on policing systems
  • Applicants having old police information that requires manual collection and processing of hardcopy records
  • The relevant police agency having inaccurate or incomplete records which need to be investigated properly before the check can be finalised
  • Transferring information between the various State and Territory police agencies before the information can be vetted and/or released
  • Workloads within each police agency - Please be aware that Clear to Work are not informed of any delays that the NPCS and their police agencies may be experiencing.

You will be notified once your check has been completed and returned and available for download on your account.

Please Note: Once submitted to the National Police Checking Service, Clear to Work has NO control over how long they take to process your police check.

Australian Federal Police Checks

Processing time for an AFP National Police Check issued by the Australian Federal Police is approximately 15 – 20+ business days.

Please be aware that the Australian Federal Police may need to seek information from other police jurisdictions, resulting in a longer processing time.

Please allow sufficient time for your check to be processed and return by post before making enquiries regarding your application.

Please Note: Once submitted to the Australian Federal Police, Clear to Work has NO control over how long they take to process your police check.