Loading
Gimy83(Newbie)Newbie
1 July 2026

Hello myID Support,

I am having trouble accessing my ATO account because my myID identity strength has been reduced to Basic.

Here is my situation:

  • I previously held a Subclass 417 Working Holiday Visa.
  • I successfully linked my myGov account with the ATO and have lodged my tax returns online in previous years.
  • At that time, my myID worked without any issues.
  • I have since changed to a new phone because my old phone is broken and no longer accessible.
  • After setting up my myID on my new phone using the same email address, my identity strength is now only Basic.
  • When I try to access ATO through myGov, I receive the message “Strengthen your Digital ID” and cannot continue.
  • I am currently living in Taiwan and will not be returning to Australia.
  • My 417 visa has expired, so I no longer have a valid Australian visa to verify.
  • I still have a valid Western Australia driver’s licence, but the Driver Licence verification option does not appear in my myID app. I can only see options such as Australian passport, Australian visa, Medicare card, ImmiCard and Citizenship certificate.

Could you please advise:

  1. Why is the Western Australia Driver Licence verification option not available in my myID app?
  2. Is there a way to restore my previous identity strength after changing phones?
  3. How can I regain access to my ATO account if I no longer have access to my old phone and my 417 visa has expired?

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Kind regards,

[name removed by moderator]

31 views
3 replies
31 views
3 replies

All replies

YellowPotato(Taxicorn)Taxicorn
2 July 2026

Don't think whether or not you can verify your WA driver licence is going to make a difference. You need two documents to be able to get standard or strong ID strength


Q2: no, the documents were verified on that phone so needs to be that phone but unsure if having that phone would make a difference since you said the visa is expired


Q3: Log into MyGov the 'normal' way? - username/password with a 2FA? MyID is recommended but not mandatory

"To link the ATO to your myGov account, you must sign in using one of the following options:

  • myID (recommended) – set up to a Strong or Standard identity strength
  • passkey
  • an authenticator to generate a one-time code
  • get a code by SMS using an Australian mobile number.

Use your myID, passkey, or authenticator if you:

  • don’t have an Australian mobile number
  • are overseas
  • have poor mobile reception."


Personally, I don't think MyID is a good option for temporary residents as generally, most likely would have only 2 documents to use to verify - visa and driver licence

Featured articles

How to access myGov and ATO online services while overseas

16 June 2026 · 3 min read time

Can’t sign in to myGov to access ATO online services?

19 June 2026 · 3 min read time

Linking the ATO to your myGov account

16 June 2026 · 2 min read time

Top liked users

  1. BroncosvRabbits

    (Devotee)

    61 likes

  2. YellowPotato

    (Taxicorn)

    34 likes

  3. PayrollDeanne

    (Taxicorn)

    28 likes

  4. mi_guv_eye_d

    (Master)

    27 likes

  5. taxfriend

    (Superuser)

    27 likes

Top contributors

  1. BroncosvRabbits

    (Devotee)

    303contributions

  2. YellowPotato

    (Taxicorn)

    250contributions

  3. mi_guv_eye_d

    (Master)

    175contributions

  4. YEP

    (Devotee)

    129contributions

  5. taxfriend

    (Superuser)

    129contributions

Loading
How can I increase my myID identity strength after changing phones? | ATO Community