Most SIL operators we speak to know 1 July 2026 was the day their supports needed to be delivered under registration. What fewer have a clear picture of is what registration actually involves: that it's an independent audit, run by a third party from the Commission's approved list, and that the audit needs real lead time, not a last-minute booking.

This is the plain-English walkthrough: what registration means, which audit type applies to you, the steps end to end, what an auditor actually samples on the day, and the realistic timeline. The pillar page on NDIS compliance software covers the day-to-day systems underneath all of this. Here we're mapping the path to the certificate.

The short version

SIL is a higher-risk support, so you need a certification audit: the more thorough of the two audit types. From engaging an auditor to a Commission decision is often six to twelve weeks, and auditor calendars can fill up, so it pays to book early.

If you haven't booked an approved quality auditor yet, that's the first move this month.

Why this changed: Butler's 2026 reforms

On 22 April 2026, Health Minister Mark Butler announced the biggest overhaul of the NDIS since it began: $15 billion in projected annual savings by 2030, the scheme's growth rate cut from 10% to 5%, and mandatory registration expanded to cover higher-risk supports. Of roughly 260,000 NDIS providers, only about 16,000 of them, 6%, were registered at the time. SIL's 1 July 2026 deadline was the first wave; personal care and other closed-setting supports are expected to follow from July 2027.

The reforms also tighten who qualifies for the scheme, and this is the change that hits a SIL provider's customer base directly. Standardised, evidence-based functional-capacity assessments are replacing diagnosis-based eligibility lists, and the change applies to people already on the scheme, not just new applicants. The government's target is roughly 600,000 participants by 2030, down from a forecast of 900,000-plus. Participants with mild-to-moderate needs may move off the NDIS to the new Thriving Kids program for children, or a state-based program for adults.

Two more changes from the same reform package matter beyond registration itself. Average plan spend is targeted to fall from around $31,000 back toward 2023 levels, near $26,000, which means less funding per participant to plan around. And the government has committed to cutting providers' administrative and compliance costs by 30%, which is the direct political case for software that reduces compliance overhead rather than adding to it.

The reforms themselves, introduced to Parliament as the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill during the May 2026 budget sittings, have not yet passed both houses. What's already in force, regardless of the Bill's progress, is the 1 July 2026 SIL registration requirement this page walks through.

Verification or certification: which audit you need

The NDIS Commission sets your audit type by the risk of the supports you deliver, not by how big you are. A sole operator delivering a higher-risk support faces the same audit type as a larger provider delivering the same support. There are two pathways.

  • Verification, the lighter pathway: a desktop review for lower-risk, lower-complexity supports (some therapeutic supports, equipment, plan management).
  • Certification, the thorough pathway, for higher-risk and complex supports. Supported Independent Living sits firmly on the certification side. It's assessed against the NDIS Practice Standards Core Module, the supplementary modules that apply to you, and, from 1 July 2026, the new SIL-specific module.
What this means for SIL

You're on the certification track

Plan for a two-stage audit with an on-site component, not a desktop check. The new SIL outcomes are covered in plain English in our guide to the new SIL Practice Standards, and the 40 Commission-aligned policy templates map to the modules an auditor works through.

The steps, end to end

Registration runs as a sequence. Each step depends on the one before it, which is why the calendar matters more than the effort: you can't compress an auditor's availability or the Commission's decision into the final week. Here's the path, with rough timing.

Step 1
Self-assess against the Practice Standards. Work through the Core Module and the new SIL outcomes and find your gaps before an auditor does. This is exactly what an audit-ready score is for.
Step 2
Apply through the NDIS Commission. Lodge in the Commission's application portal, choosing the registration groups for the supports you deliver. You complete a self-assessment as part of the application.
Step 3
Choose and engage an approved quality auditor. Auditors are independent third parties from the Commission's approved list: you pick one and pay for the audit. Get two or three quotes; fees vary with your size and the registration groups you apply for.
Step 4
Stage 1: the document review. The auditor checks your policies, procedures and systems against the standards. Gaps here come back as things to close before Stage 2.
Step 5
Stage 2: the main audit. On-site (sometimes partly remote): interviews with you, your workers and (with consent) participants, plus sampling of real records. This is where evidence tied to a real participant on a real date is everything.
Step 6
The Commission decides. Your auditor submits the outcome; the Commission runs its suitability assessment of the provider and key personnel, then makes the registration decision. Approved providers receive a certificate of registration (typically valid up to three years) listing the registration groups, sometimes with conditions or corrective actions.

Booking is the bottleneck, not the audit. Auditor slots fill up fast: the booking is a now job, not a someday job.

What auditors actually sample

A certification audit isn't about whether you own the policies: it's about whether you can produce the evidence. Auditors sample real records: shift notes, incident reports, restrictive-practice records, worker screening and training currency, support plans, medication records. Each has its own way of passing or failing: we've written a plain-English guide to each:

How to walk in audit-ready

You can do most of the preparation for free. Aura OS gives you a six-pillar audit-ready score that shows exactly what's dragging you down (worker screening, training currency, supervision, policy reviews, incidents, restrictive practices) and a "what's next?" panel once you cross 90% that links straight to the Commission's approved-auditor list and the registration portal. The 40 Commission-aligned policy templates are on the free tier too. And when the auditor asks for evidence, the Audit Evidence engine builds the pack (shifts, notes, incidents, policies, screening as at that date) in about a minute.

Audit-ready on free.

Build the evidence before you book the auditor.

Start free → Take the readiness check

Questions

Do SIL providers have to register?

From 1 July 2026, SIL was brought under registration: if you deliver SIL, you need to be registered to keep delivering it. If you're already delivering SIL and still unregistered, 1 October 2026 is the date that matters: apply by then or you'll need to stop delivering SIL. (If you're still weighing it up, see our framework on registering versus staying unregistered.)

Do I need a verification or a certification audit?

Certification: the thorough, two-stage audit. SIL is a higher-risk support, assessed against the Core Module plus the new SIL module.

How long does NDIS registration take?

Commonly six to twelve weeks from engaging an auditor to a Commission decision, though auditor availability can be the real constraint, so book early.

How much does the audit cost?

Auditor fees are set by the independent auditor and vary with your size and registration groups. Get two or three quotes; there's no fixed Commission fee for the audit itself.

What do auditors look at?

Evidence, not just policies. Real records tied to real participants and dates: shift notes, incidents, screening, training, support plans, medication, restrictive practices.

Can I get ready for free?

Yes. Aura OS is free for your first two participants: the audit-ready score, the 40 policy templates and the evidence tools are all included on the free tier. You only pay once you grow past two participants, where features like the branded audit PDF and PACE export come in.

This post is written from our experience building compliance software for SIL providers and from conversations with auditors and operators. It is not a substitute for the NDIS Practice Standards or formal advice from your approved quality auditor. Check the current audit types, registration groups, timelines and the new SIL module against the Commission's published guidance before you apply.