In May 2026, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed what industry had suspected for months: the plan to centralise every ASIC and MSIC issuing body into a single, government-run issuing body inside AusCheck is not going ahead in its original form. Multiple issuing bodies, including ClientView, remain part of the scheme. Here is what actually changed, and what it means if you hold or manage an MSIC.
What was supposed to happen
Since July 2023, AusCheck had been working toward transitioning every existing MSIC and ASIC issuing body into a single centralised issuing body within the Department of Home Affairs, delivered in three tranches. The stated goal was to address systemic non-compliance issues under the Aviation Transport Security Regulations and the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Regulations by putting background checks, approvals and issuing decisions under one roof.
Why it was shelved
In practice, only two aviation sites, Canberra and Adelaide Airports, ever completed a transition to AusCheck as issuing body, and no MSIC issuing body transitioned at all before Home Affairs paused the project. Home Affairs has stated that the transition to a Single Issuing Body "will no longer continue in its original form," and that issuing bodies will instead remain partners in a broader reform of the background checking framework, focused on efficiency, streamlined processes and security outcomes, rather than centralising issuing responsibilities under AusCheck.
What this means for MSIC holders and issuing bodies
Nothing changes about who you apply through. Existing issuing bodies, including ClientView, continue to process applications, renewals and replacements exactly as before, and there is no scheduled transition date to prepare for. AusCheck continues to run the background check itself, as it always has, while Home Affairs works with issuing bodies on the shape of a future operating model.
What happens to the biometrics and smart-device plans
Before the Single Issuing Body project was shelved, AusCheck had flagged three capabilities it wanted the centralised model to support: biometric capture at enrolment, smart-device applications with automatic document scanning, and a longer background-check validity period. None of these were tied to a confirmed delivery date even under the original plan, and with that plan now discontinued, it is unclear which, if any, carry over into the future-state operating model Home Affairs says it is still developing. We will report on these separately if and when they are confirmed.
What has not changed
The AusCheck background check fee increase that took effect on 1 July 2026 is unaffected by this decision; that was a cost-recovery change, separate from the issuing body structure. We covered what it means for your renewal cost in our MSIC Price Increase 2026 article.
If you need an MSIC processed or renewed, see our current pricing or start your application with ClientView today.
