Clearance Sponsorship

All AGSVA security clearances must be sponsored by an approved sponsoring entity. Individuals are not eligible to sponsor a security clearance.

Defence enables industry partners and non-government organisations doing work on behalf of the Department of Defence to sponsor security clearances up to Negative Vetting 2.

As a member of the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP), WorkSec is able to sponsor clearances for individuals working in or applying to Defence Industry roles.

Am I Eligible?

In order to be eligible for an Australian Government security clearance, you must have:

• • Australian Citizenship
  • Checkable Background

AGSVA will also determine if an individual is suitable to hold a security clearance, by making an assessment of overall integrity using the following character traits:

• • Honesty
  • Trustworthiness
  • Maturity
  • Tolerance
  • Resilience
  • Loyalty

Does it Cost Anything?

Yes. AGSVA charges fees to government agencies and defence industry sponsors for security clearance assessments. This is to ensure adequate resourcing and recovery of security vetting services costs in an environment of growing demand for security clearances. AGSVA’s current fee schedule is available here.

WorkSec passes through AGSVA’s vetting fees and also charges a sponsorship fee for Security Officer and Governance duties required for you to maintain a security clearance.

Often-times employers will cover these fees where security clearances are required for them to engage with Defence Industry. In some circumstances these can also be tax-deductible, so check with your accountant.

How Do I Get Started?

Prior to sponsoring a security clearance, WorkSec screens suitable candidates in alignment with AS4811:2022 Workforce Screening Standards. This involves verification checks of your identity, integrity and credentials to ensure suitability to progress an application to AGSVA.

Initial checks include:

• • Identification Verification
  • National Police Check
  • Character Reference Check

To begin an application you will need to provide:

• • 100 points of identification
  • 5 years of residential address history
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Character References
    

Note that once the security clearance process is initiated with AGSVA, a significant number of additional checks are conducted by AGSVA as part of the vetting assessment process. These are documented here.

How Can I Find Out More?

The Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website provides detailed information about the security clearance and vetting process.

For more information on WorkSec’s sponsorship process, reach out to our security advisory team using the form below.