---
title: Can I speed up my police check?
description: "### *Understanding Processing Times and What You Can (and Can’t) Do to Help* **Short answer:** ⛔ **No — a police check cannot be manually fast-tracked**, except in **urgent public-safety circumstances** authorised by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (**ACIC**). Once your…"
url: "https://workerchecks.com/docs/can-i-speed-up-my-police-check/"
updated: "2026-08-28"
category: AFP Police Checks
---

# Can I speed up my police check?

### *Understanding Processing Times and What You Can (and Can’t) Do to Help*

**Short answer:** ⛔ **No — a police check cannot be manually fast-tracked**, except in **urgent public-safety circumstances** authorised by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (**ACIC**).

Once your application is submitted through **Worker Checks**, it enters a **national matching process** across multiple police jurisdictions. This process cannot be influenced or prioritised.

---

### ⚙️ **Why You Can’t “Speed It Up”**

After submission, your **Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC)** is securely transmitted to the **ACIC** and relevant state and territory police agencies.
From that point, the process is **automated and regulated** — meaning no provider (including Worker Checks) can alter its speed or sequence.

Checks are completed as quickly as possible, but some are delayed for reasons such as:

- A potential match requiring **manual review by police**
- Missing or inconsistent personal information
- Out-of-date or invalid identification documents

---

### ⚡ **How to Avoid Delays**

While you can’t control the back-end process, you *can* help ensure your check runs smoothly by completing everything correctly.

✅ **Follow these steps for faster processing:**

1. **Enter your details carefully** — including spelling, spacing, and date formats.
2. **Use valid ID documents** — check expiry dates before uploading.
3. **Complete all biometric prompts** — ensure clear photos and a live selfie.
4. **Avoid multiple or duplicate submissions** — one clean application is best.
5. **Double-check email and mobile phone number accuracy** — so you receive your confirmation link immediately.

> 💡 **Worker Checks Tip:**
> 80% of Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks through **Worker Checks** are finalised in within **1–3 minutes**whe n applications are submitted correctly.

---

### 🚨 **When a Police Check Can Be Prioritised**

Expedited processing applies *only* in **rare public-safety or government-authorised cases**.

Urgent, priority processing is strictly limited to the following categories:

- **Emergency or Disaster Situations:** Cases where volunteers or workers are urgently needed to respond to disasters.
- **Medical Reasons:** Urgent, time-critical, or high-risk medical roles, such as specialists or locums required for immediate, critical care in remote or high-demand areas.
- **Child-Related Processes:** Immediate, critical needs such as emergency foster care placements or urgent child-related employment.
- **Political or National Security Reasons:** Specific situations requiring urgent, high-level vetting, usually for government purposes. 

**What is NOT considered an urgent reason:**
The ACIC does not consider the following as grounds for urgent priority, even if they cause inconvenience:

- Employment starting immediately (e.g., "starts tomorrow").
- An expired police check.
- Inability to begin work without the check.
- Pending professional registration. 

**Common Reasons for Standard Delays (Non-Urgent):**
Most checks are delayed because they require manual processing (approx. 30% of checks). Common reasons include: 

- **Common Name Match:** Similarities with a "Person of Interest" on police systems.
- **Old Record Retrieval:** Need to access archival, hardcopy records.
- **Data Inaccuracy:** Police records needing verification.
- **Agency Workload:** High volumes within state or territory police agencies. 

If your check is delayed, the ACIC generally does not allow for it to be fast-tracked unless the strict criteria above are met. 

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