Australia confirms TSP is a nightmare

Update June 17, 2019: We have launched a TSP Victim Support Group for OPSGROUP members, so we can share experiences, and help each other to get the approval. We feel the pain!

Access the TSP group

Oops, Freudian slip: What we meant was, Australia confirms TSP is required. But trust us, it’s a nightmare.

A TSP is a Transport Security Program, and if you don’t know what that is yet, prepare for some painful bureaucracy.

Over the last few years, they exempted lots of corporate and private ops. Now they say they’ve changed their mind. Everybody operating a jet needs one – Private, Charter, Commercial, Air Force One – whoever. You have got to do one, no exceptions.

The official line is that it takes two months to get one. The best we’ve heard from OPSGROUP members is 40 days.

If you’ve got a trip planned and need TSP approval quicker than that, you can always check with guidancecentre@homeaffairs.gov.au to be sure – they might be able to help you with a shorter timeframe, but there are no guarantees.

The official guidance on how to apply can be found here, and they have at least been good enough to provide a template application form (all 66 pages of it – ouch!!) which can be found here. If at all possible, save yourself some misery and get someone else to apply on your behalf!

Have you applied for a TSP before? What do they want to see, exactly? What does a good TSP look like? Are you willing to share your approved TSP as a guide to help others? If you send us yours, we’ll anonymize it completely, and it will be used internally within the group as a shining example of perfection!

Australia confirms TSP is a nightmare