Linking and verification are only available if you have the Link service level for NDIS checks, with AI Pack 1 or AI Pack 2 as the automation level.
If you're not sure which service level you're on, speak to your Zipline contact.
If you engage workers in NDIS risk-assessed roles, every one of them needs a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check with a clearance, linked to your organisation in your NDIS Provider Portal. Linking is what makes you the worker's registered employer for screening purposes.
Zipline can handle this end to end for you. Below outlines how it's managed, what you'll see in QuickStart, and when we'll need something from you.
The starting question
Every NDIS workflow branches off one thing: Does the worker already have an NDIS Worker Screening Check?
If they do, we link them. If they don't, they apply — and we accept the verification request that comes through.
Workers who already have a check
The worker uploads proof of their existing check in QuickStart. Our Compliance Officers then search for them in your NDIS Provider Portal using their Worker Screening ID (WSI).
If we find a result
We check two fields: Worker Status and Eligibility to Work.
What we find | What we do | What you'll see in QuickStart |
Worker Status = Clearance and Eligibility to Work = Yes | We link the worker to your NDIS Provider Portal and screenshot the linkage as proof | Approved automatically on AI 2. On AI 1, it lands in Customer Review |
Either field is anything else (Excluded, Interim bar, Suspended, Revoked) | We still link the worker and screenshot the linkage, but we don't make the call for you | Customer Review — you decide whether to engage the worker |
Worker Status = Pending | We link the worker, screenshot the linkage, and put the requirement into Zipline Processing for daily monitoring | Zipline Processing, with a note recording the check dates |
If the status is Pending
A Pending status means the screening unit hasn't finished assessing the application. We don't leave these sitting — the application goes into our daily NDIS re-check process, and a Compliance Officer checks your portal once every 24 hours (excluding weekends) until the status moves.
If it changes to Clearance: we screenshot the new status and upload it. On AI pack 2 the requirement is approved automatically; on AI pack 1 it moves to Customer Review. The worker is already linked at this point.
If it stays Pending: we add a note to the worker's application recording the re-check date and check again the next day. No screenshot is taken while the status is unchanged.
After 30 days of continuous Pending: we add a note and move the requirement to Customer Review so you can decide how to proceed.
How long does Pending usually last? Most applications move from Pending to Clearance within about a week. Some take up to 90 days. Screening turnaround is controlled by the state or territory worker screening unit, not by Zipline.
If no result comes back
We take a screenshot of the empty search result, upload it to QuickStart, and move the requirement to Customer Review with the note "No result found in NDIS Provider Portal". From there it's your call — usually this means going back to the worker to confirm their Worker Screening ID.
Workers who don't have a check yet
Workers without an existing check need to apply for one. QuickStart shows each worker your organisation's unique employer number during their application steps, which is what ties their application back to you.
Here's the sequence:
The worker applies for their NDIS Worker Screening Check with their state or territory screening unit.
They upload their application confirmation email into QuickStart. This email contains their Application ID.
Our Compliance Officers search for that Application ID in the Screening verification requests list in your NDIS Provider Portal.
If we find the verification request
We accept it. Accepting the request links the worker to your organisation and surfaces their Worker Status and Eligibility to Work — at which point the workflows above apply exactly as they would for an existing check.
If we can't find the verification request
This usually comes down to one of three things:
Reason | What it means |
The application is brand new | It can take 24–48 hours to appear in the Screening verification requests list |
The application hasn't been paid for | Unpaid applications don't generate a verification request. There'll be no proof of payment |
The document isn't valid | The Application ID doesn't exist, or the document isn't genuine |
Rather than reject it straight away, we give it time. On the first unsuccessful search we add a note in this format:
New application ID: XXXXXXXX - First checked <date>.
Re-check for verification request on <date + 3 days>.
We then re-check three days later. If there's still no result, we screenshot the "There are no pending verification request records" message, upload it to QuickStart, and move the requirement to Customer Review.
Existing employees: renewals nearing expiry
NDIS Worker Screening Checks are valid for five years. Renewals work slightly differently to new applications.
Workers receive renewal notifications directly from their state or territory screening unit starting 90 days before expiry — they can't begin the renewal before that point. This part happens entirely outside Zipline.
Depending on your notification settings, Zipline reminds the employee to upload proof of their renewal. They're expected to upload a document showing the Application ID for their renewal, which enters our Compliance Officer review queue.
From there:
We move the requirement into Zipline Processing.
We check it daily as part of our re-check process until the new expiry date appears in your NDIS Provider Portal.
Once the new expiry date is confirmed, we screenshot it, upload it, and update the expiry date in QuickStart to match.
What each Worker Status means
Status | What it means |
Clearance / Cleared | No unacceptable risk of harm. Valid for five years, nationally portable, and the worker can work in risk-assessed roles |
Pending | The application is still being assessed. No decision has been made yet |
Excluded | Unacceptable risk of harm. The worker must not be engaged in any risk-assessed role |
Interim bar | A temporary bar applied while an application or reassessment is being decided. The worker can't work in risk-assessed roles while it's in force |
Suspended | An existing clearance has been paused, usually because new information triggered a reassessment. Same practical effect as a bar |
Revoked | A clearance cancelled following reassessment. Usually converts to an exclusion |
FAQs
A verification request isn't showing up — what else could cause that?
The most common cause is the worker using the wrong employer number on their application. QuickStart displays your employer number to workers during the application steps, but it can still be mistyped or the worker may have applied elsewhere first.
A requirement is in Customer Review and the worker has told me they've fixed the problem. Can I send it back to Zipline?
Yes. Add a note describing what the worker has done, then move the requirement into Zipline Review. It'll drop back into our queue and a Compliance Officer will pick it up from there. You don't need to complete the linking yourself.
Do I need to do anything in my NDIS Provider Portal?
No. Zipline Compliance Officers do the linking and accept verification requests on your behalf. You only need to act when a requirement is in Customer Review.
Why do some checks get approved automatically and others don't?
Automatic approval on a clean result (Clearance plus Eligibility to Work = Yes) is available on AI 2. On AI 1, every result is routed to Customer Review for you to confirm. Anything that isn't a clean result goes to Customer Review regardless of your AI Pack level — we won't make an engagement decision on your behalf.
💌 Still need help? Please contact Zipline, and one of our Support Heroes will be happy to assist.