The Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 August 2023 transferred responsibility for protective security policy, including the Protective Security Policy Framework, to the Department of Home Affairs from the Attorney-General’s Department. These Machinery of Government (MOG) changes commenced on 4 August 2023.

Policy amendment – Eligibility and suitability of personnel

Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) Policy 12: Eligibility and suitability of personnel has been amended to remove the requirement for Commonwealth authorised vetting agencies to seek a statutory declaration from security clearance subjects, while retaining the requirement for state and territory agencies.

This amendment will support efforts to make the process of applying for a security clearance fully digital and allow the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency's (AGSVA) MyClearance portal to commence at Initial Operating Capability (IOC) compliant with the PSPF. It will also align lower level clearances with the TOP SECRET-Privileged Access (TS-PA) clearance which does not require statutory declarations from clearance applicants.