Short Answer
From 1 July 2026, AusCheck background check fees rose by up to 174%, and the change applies to every MSIC and ASIC applicant in Australia regardless of which issuing body you use. It reflects a Department of Home Affairs decision to move AusCheck to a full cost recovery model. The new government fees are:
- 4 year MSIC (adult): $184.00 to $504.50 (up 174%)
- 2 year MSIC or ASIC (adult): $92.00 to $262.00 (up 185%)
- 2 year MSIC or ASIC (under 18): $38.00 to $87.50 (up 130%)
These are the AusCheck government fees only. They are already included in ClientView's card price, which starts from $451.82 ex GST for a 2-year MSIC and $765.45 ex GST for a 4-year MSIC when a trained workplace verifier confirms your identity (from $479.09 and $774.55 ex GST respectively if you verify at Australia Post). Registered post ($8.95 ex GST) is added to every card, and every charge is shown before you pay.
The background check is now the dominant cost in an MSIC, so it pays to compare the service fee each issuing body charges on top of it. See current ClientView pricing and service tiers.
From 1 July 2026, AusCheck background check fees rose by up to 174%, and the change applies to every MSIC and ASIC applicant in Australia. If you have received a notification from ClientView or another MSIC issuing body about a price increase, this article explains what changed, what an MSIC costs now, and how the transition to the new fees was handled.
The increase reflects a policy decision by the Department of Home Affairs to transition AusCheck to a full cost recovery model, a structural change that has been in development for some time. It applies regardless of which issuing body you use.
What is AusCheck and why does it drive your MSIC cost?
AusCheck is a unit within the Department of Home Affairs that conducts the mandatory background screening for MSIC and ASIC applicants. Every person who applies for a maritime or aviation security card must pass an AusCheck background check: a criminal history assessment, an identity verification, and in some cases a security assessment conducted through ASIO.
This background check is not optional. It is mandated by the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 and its associated regulations. Issuing bodies like ClientView cannot issue a card without one. The AusCheck fee is therefore a direct government charge that flows through to every applicant at cost, regardless of which issuing body processes their application.
Historically, AusCheck fees were set at levels established in 2015. For over a decade, the program operated with government revenue offsetting a portion of its costs. The 2026-27 Federal Budget confirmed a transition to full cost recovery, meaning the fees now reflect the actual cost of running the AusCheck program.
The new fees: what has changed
The following fees were published by the Department of Home Affairs on the AusCheck portal and took effect on 1 July 2026:
| Card type | Old fee | New fee (from 1 July 2026) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-year MSIC (adult) | $184.00 | $504.50 | +$320.50 (174%) |
| 2-year MSIC / ASIC (adult) | $92.00 | $262.00 | +$170.00 (185%) |
| 2-year MSIC / ASIC (under 18) | $38.00 | $87.50 | +$49.50 (130%) |
The AusCheck fee for a standard four-year adult MSIC background check now exceeds the total retail price that many issuing bodies were charging for the complete card service before the increase. The background check has become the dominant cost driver in MSIC pricing.
See current MSIC pricing and service tiers →
The maths behind the percentage
You may see this increase described elsewhere as a 274% rise. Trade publication Daily Cargo News put it that way on 3 June 2026, describing the four-year AusCheck renewal fee moving from $184 to $504.50 as "an increase of more than 274%". That figure is not a mistake in the sums, it is the right answer to a different question: how does the new fee compare to the old one, not how much did the fee go up.
Take the 4-year adult MSIC fee, which rose from $184.00 to $504.50.
- $504.50 is 274% of $184.00. That is the new fee expressed as a proportion of the old one, useful for comparing the two amounts side by side.
- The increase itself is $320.50, which is 174% of $184.00. That is what actually changed. The fee went up by 174%, not 274%.
The gap between the two figures is always the original 100%. A fee that stays exactly the same is 100% of what it was, a 0% increase. A fee that doubles is 200% of what it was, a 100% increase. The same logic applies here: $504.50 is 274% of the starting fee, so the increase is 274% minus the original 100%, which is 174%.
The same arithmetic holds for the other two fees above. The $262.00 fee is 285% of the original $92.00, an increase of 185%. The $87.50 under-18 fee is 230% of the original $38.00, an increase of 130%. Every percentage quoted in this article, and on our pricing page, is the increase, the amount the fee actually went up by, not the new-fee-as-a-proportion figure.
What this means for the total cost of your MSIC
Background check fees have historically represented approximately 70% of the total cost of obtaining an MSIC. That proportion has increased further under the new fee structure. Because issuing bodies like ClientView pass the AusCheck fee through at cost with no markup, the full amount flows directly to applicants.
The impact extends across the broader credentialing landscape. In the aviation sector, the cost of a two-year ASIC has approximately doubled, increasing from around $240 to $480. For workers in container logistics who hold combined MSIC and port induction products, total card costs have increased by over $600 in some cases.
An MSIC is a legal requirement under the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Regulations 2003 for anyone needing unmonitored access to a maritime security zone at least once each year (r. 6.07F(1)). It is not a discretionary purchase, it is a condition of employment for a significant portion of Australia's maritime and port workforce.
The industry response
A number of industry associations have made public statements about the fee increase and the process by which it was introduced.
The Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) raised concerns about the timeline of the announcement, confirmed in the Federal Budget on 12 May 2026 less than seven weeks before the change took effect, and noted that issuing bodies and transport operators had limited opportunity to prepare. CTAA has called for greater engagement between industry and the Department on future changes to the AusCheck framework.
In the aviation sector, Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) noted that the fee increase adds to existing cost pressures for small operators and independent workers, and has called for the funding model for national security infrastructure to be considered more broadly.
The Department of Home Affairs has published a formal feedback address for industry and individuals who wish to provide input: AusCheck.Engagements@homeaffairs.gov.au.
How the 1 July 2026 transition was handled
AusCheck could not guarantee that applications submitted in the final days of June 2026 would be processed before the pricing transition took effect. To protect applicants from being caught in a processing backlog and billed at the higher rate, ClientView and other issuing bodies moved their application submission deadline forward to 20 June 2026. Applications submitted and accepted before that date were priced at the pre-1 July rates.
That window has now closed. Every new MSIC application and renewal is priced at the current, post-increase rate shown on our pricing page. There is no remaining action needed to avoid the 2026 increase, it already applies to all applicants.
What this means if you are applying or renewing now
Every application and renewal is now priced at the current AusCheck fee, there is no earlier rate left to secure. The background check fee remains the largest single cost in the process, so it still pays to apply early and avoid processing delays, but timing no longer affects which fee you pay.
If you have questions about how the price change applies to your specific situation, whether you are an individual applicant, a contractor, or an employer managing renewals for a team, our team can help.
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Frequently asked questions
Why has the MSIC price increased?
The Department of Home Affairs transitioned AusCheck to a full cost recovery model in the 2026-27 Federal Budget. AusCheck fees had been held at 2015 levels for over a decade. The new fees reflect the actual cost of operating the background check program, with no ongoing government subsidy.
Is ClientView making more money from this increase?
No. The AusCheck background check fee is a direct government charge that ClientView passes through to applicants at cost. ClientView's own service fee has not increased. The entire price change is attributable to the AusCheck fee set by the Department of Home Affairs.
Does the increase affect 2-year MSIC renewals as well as 4-year cards?
Yes. The fee increase applies to both durations. The 2-year adult fee has increased from $92 to $262 (185%), and the 4-year adult fee has increased from $184 to $504.50 (174%).
Was there a deadline to avoid the increase?
Yes. Applications submitted and accepted before 20 June 2026 were priced at the pre-1 July rates. That window closed once the new fees took effect on 1 July 2026, and every application since has been priced at the current rate.
Can I provide feedback to the Department of Home Affairs?
Yes. The Department has published a feedback address for industry and individual input: AusCheck.Engagements@homeaffairs.gov.au.
Will MSIC prices come down in future?
There is no current indication from the Department of Home Affairs that these fees will be reduced. The transition to full cost recovery is a structural policy change. Any future adjustment would require a decision by the Department or action by Parliament.
How employers can blunt the increase
The AusCheck fee is set by government and applies to everyone, but the total cost of running MSICs is not fixed. Employers on a ClientView corporate account get Australia's lowest advertised card rate, can verify identity documents in-house to avoid Australia Post fees, and receive one consolidated invoice grouped by site or cost centre instead of chasing individual payments. If you manage MSICs for a team, that is where the real savings are. Explore ClientView Corporate Solutions → or arrange a callback →.
