USI Number & AVETMISS
Australian RTOs delivering nationally recognised training are required to collect specific student information for government reporting. Two key components of this are the Unique Student Identifier (USI): a nationally assigned reference number every student must have before receiving a qualification, and AVETMISS, the national data standard that governs how training activity is reported to state and federal authorities.
Nimbu stores both USI and AVETMISS data on the student profile, and exports this information in a format suitable for submission to your relevant State Training Authority (STA).
What's Covered in This Article
This article explains how USI and AVETMISS compliance data is managed in Nimbu.
- What USI Is: The purpose of the Unique Student Identifier and when it applies.
- When USI Is Required: Accredited vs. non-accredited training obligations.
- Entering USI for Students: How and where to record a USI on a student profile.
- AVETMISS Form Data: The fields Nimbu collects and exports for compliance reporting.
- Exporting AVETMISS report: Understanding the data columns in the Nimbu AVETMISS file.
Who can do this: Administrators with AVETMISS permission can access and export AVETMISS data. Administrators and Trainers with Student Management permission can edit student profile fields including USI.
What USI Is
A Unique Student Identifier (USI) is a nationally assigned reference number issued by the Australian Government to every person undertaking nationally recognised training. It creates a lifelong record of an individual's training history, accessible through the USI Registry.
Key facts about USI:
- It is a ten-character alphanumeric code (for example, 3AW88YH9U5).
- Every student has a single USI that follows them regardless of which RTO delivers their training.
- Students can create their own USI at usi.gov.au at no cost.
- RTOs are legally required to collect and verify a student's USI before issuing any nationally recognised qualification, statement of attainment, or record of results.
Note: Nimbu stores the USI on the student's profile but does not automatically validate it against the USI Registry.
When USI Is Required
USI requirements depend on the type of training being delivered.
| Training Type | USI Required? |
|---|---|
| Accredited training (nationally recognised qualifications and units of competency delivered by a registered RTO) | Yes: required before issuing any qualification or statement of attainment |
| Non-accredited training (short courses, professional development, internal training not leading to a qualification) | No: USI is not required |
For accredited training, collecting the USI at the point of enrolment is best practice. Waiting until completion creates a compliance risk - if a USI cannot be verified before a qualification is due to be issued, you cannot legally award the credential.
Entering USI for Students
USI is recorded on the individual student's profile in Nimbu. It can be entered when the student account is first created or updated at any time afterwards.
Entering USI on a Student Profile
- Navigate to Settings > Users or the Student Registry and locate the student.
- Open the student's profile by clicking their name.
- Locate the USI field in the profile form.
- Enter the student's ten-character USI exactly as provided.
- Save the profile.
Students Can Provide Their Own USI
Students can also enter or update their own USI through their My Profile page after logging in. Encourage students to have their USI ready before their first session, particularly for accredited courses.
If a Student Does Not Have a USI
Direct the student to usi.gov.au to create one. The process takes approximately five minutes and requires a form of identification. Students can create a USI themselves at no cost.
AVETMISS Form Data
AVETMISS (Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard) is the national data standard for VET reporting. RTOs are required to submit AVETMISS data to their State Training Authority periodically. Nimbu collects AVETMISS-relevant fields across both student profiles and class/enrolment records.
Student Profile Fields
The following fields on the student profile feed into AVETMISS reporting. Required fields must be collected for accredited training; optional fields should be collected where possible to ensure a complete and compliant report.
| Field | Required For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Name | All training | System required field |
| Last Name | All training | System required field |
| All training | Used as login, must be unique | |
| Phone | Optional | Contact field |
| USI | Accredited training | Required before issuing any qualification |
| Date of Birth | AVETMISS reporting | Used for identification and demographics |
| Address | AVETMISS reporting | Residential address for geographic reporting |
| Country of Birth | AVETMISS reporting | Demographic reporting |
| Indigenous Status | AVETMISS reporting | Self-reported — required for government reporting |
| Language Background | AVETMISS reporting | Self-reported demographic field |
| Disability Status | AVETMISS reporting | Self-reported is required for government reporting |
Note: AVETMISS demographic fields (Indigenous Status, Language Background, Disability Status, Country of Birth) are technically optional at the point of student account creation in Nimbu. However, incomplete demographic data may result in a non-compliant AVETMISS submission. Best practice is to collect this information at enrolment.
Class and Enrolment Fields
In addition to student profile data, AVETMISS reporting draws on class and enrolment-level information recorded in Nimbu.
| Field | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Course National Code | Course record | Required for accredited courses |
| Course National Title | Course record | Required for accredited courses |
| Course Internal Code | Course record | Required for non-accredited courses |
| Course Internal Title | Course record | Required for non-accredited courses |
| Course Type | Course record | Accredited or non-accredited |
| Class Name | Class record | — |
| RTO Number | RTO Settings | Optional string |
| RTO Name | RTO Settings | Optional |
| Primary Trainer First Name | Class record | Required - first assigned trainer |
| Primary Trainer Last Name | Class record | Required - first assigned trainer |
| Primary Trainer Email | Class record | Required - first assigned trainer |
| Enrolment Start Date | Enrolment record | See priority order below |
| Enrolment End Date | Enrolment record | — |
| Unit National Code | Unit record | Required for accredited training |
| Unit National Title | Unit record | Required for accredited training |
| Unit Internal Code | Unit record | Required for non-accredited training |
| Unit Internal Title | Unit record | Required for non-accredited training |
| Unit Start Date | Enrolment record | Date the student first accessed the unit |
| Unit End Date | Enrolment record | Date the student completed the unit |
| Unit Result | Marking record | Competent or Not Yet Competent |
Enrolment Start Date Priority
Nimbu determines the Enrolment Start Date using the following priority order:
- The optional start date entered when the class was created.
- The first date the student accessed (clicked into) the class.
- The date the student was added to the class.
Enrolment Status Values
The AVETMISS export includes an enrolment status for each student–class record. Nimbu reports the following status values:
| AVETMISS Status Code | Nimbu Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | Inactive | Student has not yet logged in, or their profile has been set to Inactive |
| 70 | In Progress | Student has logged in and is actively working through the course |
| 20 | Competent | All units have been completed with a Competent result |
| 30 | Not Yet Competent | Course completed but one or more units resulted in Not Yet Competent |
Exporting the AVETMISS Report
The AVETMISS export is accessed via AVETMISS Data in the left-hand sidebar of the Settings area. The page is divided into two sections: Report Summary for configuring and generating a new export, and Last Exporting for accessing previously generated files.
Generating an Export
- Navigate to AVETMISS Data in the left-hand sidebar.
- In the Report Summary section, set the Date Range for the reporting period.
- Use the Course dropdown to filter by one or more courses, or leave it empty to include all courses.
- Use the Class dropdown to filter by one or more classes, or leave it empty to include all classes.
- Use the Student dropdown to filter by specific students, or leave it empty to include all students.
- Toggle Export one row per unit on or off depending on your reporting requirement:
- On: Each student–unit combination is exported as a separate row. Use this when your STA requires unit-level granularity.
- Off: Records are consolidated. Check your STA's submission requirements to confirm which format is expected.
- Click Exporting to generate the file. The button will show a loading indicator while the export is being prepared.
Once complete, the export will appear in the Last Exporting table below.
Downloading a Previous Export
The Last Exporting table shows a paginated history of all previously generated exports, including the date the export was run, the name and email of the administrator who generated it, and a Download button to retrieve the file.
- Click Download on any row to download that export as a file.
- If an export is still being processed, the Download column will show Exporting in place of the download button until the file is ready.
Tip: The Last Exporting history allows you to retrieve previously generated reports without re-running the export. This is useful for audit purposes or if you need to resubmit a prior period's data.
Before submitting your AVETMISS data to your State Training Authority, review the export for:
- Students missing a USI (for accredited training).
- Incomplete demographic fields (Indigenous Status, Disability Status, Language Background, Country of Birth).
- Missing national course or unit codes on accredited records.
- Enrolment start dates that appear incorrect based on the priority logic above.
Related Articles
- What is a Student?
- AVETMISS Reporting (Reports)