Understanding when — and why — a police check can be prioritised.
We understand that waiting for a police-check result can be frustrating, especially if you’re eager to start work. Many people in this situation also need a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for employment or onboarding. However, Worker Checks and all other ACIC-accredited providers must follow national processing rules.
Police checks cannot be escalated or fast-tracked unless they meet strict ACIC “Urgent Priority” criteria.
Once your Worker Checks police check is submitted, it’s securely processed through the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and state and territory police agencies. After submission, no provider — including Worker Checks — can change the order, speed, or manual-review timing.
There is no general escalation process for standard checks. All requests must meet ACIC’s definition of an Urgent Priority.
An Urgent Priority may only be applied where a delay in results could directly affect the care, safety, or provision of essential community services. ACIC recognises four broad categories:
These are understandably important, but do not meet ACIC’s urgent-priority threshold.
If you believe your circumstances genuinely fit one of the urgent categories above, please contact [email protected] with evidence (e.g. an agency letter or emergency request). Worker Checks will review your situation and, if applicable, formally submit an urgent-priority request to ACIC.
Otherwise, your check will continue through the standard processing queue. Worker Checks’ efficient processing returns 80% of Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks within 1–3 minutes, depending on review requirements.
Contact our Australian-based support team via the chat icon, or email [email protected]. We’re happy to help you understand your result and next steps.