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Preparing for a security clearance? Your overseas travel history is one area worth getting organised early.

When completing an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) security clearance application, you will need to provide details of your overseas travel.

Remembering exact travel dates from several years ago can be difficult. The Department of Home Affairs International Movement Records can help by providing details of your recorded departures from and arrivals into Australia.

What overseas travel information does AGSVA require?

You will need to provide the country visited, dates of travel and reason for the visit.

The period required depends on your clearance level:

• Baseline: previous 5 years
• Negative Vetting 1 (NV1): previous 10 years
• Negative Vetting 2 (NV2): previous 10 years

What do International Movement Records show?

International Movement Records can include:

• departure and arrival dates
• travel document numbers
• Australian arrival and departure ports
• flight or vessel details.

• current and previous passports and passport stamps
• airline and accommodation bookings
• emails and calendar entries
• photographs
• bank or credit card statements.

Get organised early

Don’t wait until you receive your AGSVA application to start gathering your information.

Depending on the clearance level, you may also need detailed information about your address, employment and education history, passports, relationships and referees.

Getting organised early can make completing your security clearance application much simpler.

WorkSec’s security clearance sponsorship capability is focused on supporting Australia’s sovereign Defence capability and Defence Industry workforce. As a member of the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP), we can sponsor security clearances where there is a genuine Defence or Defence Industry business requirement, including for individuals and organisations intending to enter the Defence supply chain.

This means we cannot sponsor a clearance solely for someone seeking employment with a non-Defence Government agency. Unlike Defence Industry, there is currently no equivalent industry sponsorship framework that broadly allows private sector organisations to sponsor clearances for the wider Government sector.

That said, we recognise that many businesses operate across Defence, national security, critical infrastructure and other Government markets. Strategic workforce planning often requires personnel to support multiple agencies and contracts throughout their careers. Where a legitimate Defence-related requirement exists, obtaining and maintaining a clearance can form part of a broader workforce readiness strategy.

To maintain an active clearance under WorkSec sponsorship, individuals and organisations must be able to demonstrate an ongoing Defence or Defence Industry requirement. If that requirement later ceases, the clearance can generally be deactivated and subsequently reactivated within its revalidation period when a new Defence requirement arises, without requiring the individual to undergo the full vetting process each time.

Importantly, an Australian Government security clearance is not limited to Defence work. If a person later moves into a role with another Government agency, the clearance can typically continue under the sponsorship of that agency or another approved sponsoring organisation, subject to the agency’s requirements and transfer processes. Where the agency is unable or chooses not to sponsor the clearance directly, WorkSec may be able to provide an alternative sponsorship pathway.

In short, WorkSec cannot sponsor clearances purely for non-Defence Government employment. However, where there is a genuine Defence or Defence Industry requirement, security clearance sponsorship can support long-term workforce readiness across both Defence and adjacent Government sectors.

Yes. A clearance subject can have multiple sponsors at the same time.

A sponsor is WorkSec or another eligible sponsoring organisation (typically a Government agency, Defence, or a DISP member organisation) that endorses your need for access and provides the required personnel security governance.

How sponsorship works

• Each sponsor registers an interest in your clearance at the level required for the role you are performing for them.
• That sponsored level may be lower than your current (reinstatable) clearance level (e.g., you hold NV1, but the role only requires Baseline).
• If you have multiple sponsors, they may be sponsoring you at different clearance levels.

Privacy and visibility

• Only you can see your current sponsors in myClearance.
• Sponsors cannot see who else is sponsoring you.
• Existing sponsors are not notified when you gain a new sponsor.
• Existing sponsors are not removed automatically when you gain a new sponsor.

What it means for your clearance status

• Your clearance is considered active as long as you have at least one sponsor.
• The first sponsor to register interest is your primary sponsor. Some AGSVA/myClearance notifications may only be sent to the primary sponsor (for example, notifications triggered when you submit a Change of Circumstances).

What to watch for with multiple sponsors

• Expect duplicate governance/reporting requests from different sponsors.
• You generally don’t need to repeat the same activity for every sponsor (e.g., you wouldn’t typically do multiple defensive travel briefings for one trip), but other sponsors may still require written confirmation that you completed required briefings and reporting through another sponsor.
• If you’re unsure who to notify, report to all sponsors – the key is ensuring all clearance-holder responsibilities are met for any impacted entities (e.g., AGSVA, Defence SIC, and your sponsoring organisations).

Learn more about Security Clearance Sponsorship.

Once your security clearance request has been submitted, the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) will email you login details for the myClearance system. You’ll have up to 20 business days to complete your application and upload all required documents.

You’ll receive a personalised checklist of documents to provide – it’s important to upload everything listed. If a document is missing, you’ll need to complete a Statutory Declaration explaining why. AGSVA may contact you or your referees if any additional information is needed.

After your application is submitted, AGSVA will review it to ensure it’s complete. Once accepted, the vetting assessment begins. Depending on your clearance level, this may include:

• Identity verification and citizenship checks
• Referee interviews and background verification
• Travel history and digital footprint checks
• National Police and financial probity checks
• Security assessment interviews or psychological assessments, if required
• ASIO assessment for higher-level clearances

Your case will be assigned to a vetting officer, who reviews all information and makes a recommendation regarding your suitability to hold a clearance. A decision maker from AGSVA will then review the recommendation and make the final determination, with both you and your sponsor notified of the outcome.

Download the AGSVA Security Clearance Applicant Guide Book to understand what documents and checks may apply to your clearance level or Contact WorkSec for further information.

You cannot apply for a security clearance on your own; you need a sponsor to provide the personnel governance required for the maintenance of your clearance. A sponsor is a Government entity or a DISP member organisation that is able to formally endorse your need for access to classified information. They will facilitate your application and ensure that it adheres to the necessary protocols.

WorkSec can provide sponsorship for AGSVA Baseline, NV1, and NV2 personnel security clearances. As your sponsor, WorkSec assists in the application process and ensures that all necessary documentation and requirements are met for obtaining the respective security clearances. WorkSec provides the governance you need to attain and maintain a clearance.

Learn more about Security Clearance Sponsorship.