309 finalisations
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
Please provide the following information
Number of 309 visa finalisations made in July 2021 at Colombo processing office
Number of 309 visa finalisations made in August 2021 at Colombo processing office
Yours faithfully,
Ned
** This is an automated response. Please do not reply to this email **
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your email has been received by the Department of Home Affairs Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section. Please note that we will only action and
respond to FOI requests and other matters relating to the Freedom of
Information Act 1982.
If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request. Please do not send duplicate emails
as this may cause delays in processing times.
For matters not relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, please
refer to the information below to assist in the resolution of your
enquiry.
General information regarding travelling to Australia
Information for visitors to Australia can be found [1]here.
Information regarding potential visa options can be found [2]here.
Request for a copy of your Visa Refusal or Visa Grant letter
If you have lost or misplaced correspondence regarding your Visa Refusal
or Visa Grant, or you wish to confirm the authenticity of your Visa
Refusal or Visa Grant, you should contact the office where you lodged your
visa application.
Details of our offices located around the world can be found [3]here.
Checking your current Visa details and conditions
You can check your visa details and conditions on the Department’s Visa
Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can be accessed
[4]here. If you do not have the necessary reference numbers to access the
VEVO portal, you should contact the office where you lodged your visa
application for further information.
Refund of Visa fees
If you are seeking a refund of fees associated with your Visa, you should
contact the office where you lodged your visa application. Details of our
offices located around the world can be found [5]here.
Making a Visa application
Registered migration agents are authorised to provide immigration advice
or assistance, including advice regarding the lodgement of visa
applications. Further information on migration agents may be found
[6]here. Please note that the Department is unable to assist you in this
regard.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your visa
application through ImmiAccount, you should submit your concerns through
the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [7]here.
Australian Citizenship
If you are seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship, please refer
[8]here.
Information on how to apply for Australian citizenship, information for
Australian citizens and Australian Citizenship Day can be found [9]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
Movement Records/Travel History
If you are seeking evidence of your own travel movements/history, complete
the online International Movement Records form [10]here. These requests
are not actioned by the FOI Section.
Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status
Information about accessing your superannuation after leaving Australia
can be found [11]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
Changes in your situation including updating your Passport Details
If your situation has changes or is about to change, you need to tell us
because your visa might be affected.
Information can be found [12]here about how to notify the Department of a
change in your situation.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
Duty Free concessions
Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [13]here.
General Enquiries
If you have a question, which has not been answered above, and which is
about visa, citizenship, travel or trade, including bringing goods in and
out of Australia, please refer to our general enquiries web form [14]here.
FOI progress up-date enquires
FOI requests are processed in date order from when they are submitted and
we are committed to finalising your request in accordance with the FOI
Act. Once we register your FOI request, we will send you an
acknowledgment letter so that you can rest assured that we are processing
your request.
Please read the acknowledgment letter carefully for further instructions,
such as if we require further information from you to progress your FOI
request.
After acknowledging your request, you can expect us to contact you as soon
as we have made a decision on your request.
Due to the current high volume of requests, we will not provide progress
up-dates on current FOI requests. No further response will be provided
unless it is necessary to process your request.
Please note that the FOI timeframes may be extended if your request seeks
a large volume of documents or the scope of your request is unspecific. To
ensure your FOI request can be processed as quickly as possible, please
make sure that the scope of your request clearly and precisely identifies
the specific documents you are seeking to access.
Afghanistan situation and contacting the Department of Home Affairs:
Thank you for your email. Foreign nationals, including from Afghanistan,
need a valid visa to enter Australia. People will not be able to settle
in Australia if they arrive illegally.
The Government is working to ensure that visa options continue to be
available to Afghan nationals, both within Afghanistan and those displaced
from their home country, through Australia’s long-standing Humanitarian
Program. Priority is given to persecuted minorities, women and children,
and those who have links to Australia. All applicants must meet the visa
criteria including character, security and health requirements. Afghan
nationals who meet the requirements for a humanitarian visa and wish to
seek Australia’s help are strongly encouraged to make an application.
Information on the process for making an application for Australia’s
Humanitarian Program is available on the Department of Home Affairs
[15]website.
In addition to the Humanitarian Program, there are other [16]visa options
available for people who wish to migrate on the basis of their skills or
family relationships in Australia.
Note: The correct process must be followed to make a valid application.
You cannot apply by sending an email to the Minister’s Office or to a
general Departmental mailbox.
Thank you
Information updated 30 August 2021
Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi
2. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1
3. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
5. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
6. https://www.mara.gov.au/
7. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi...
8. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
9. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
10. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
11. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
12. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
13. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Duty-...
14. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...
15. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
16. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
OFFICIAL
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
Dear Ned,
Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
I refer to your correspondence received on 31 August 2021 seeking access to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).
Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:
Please provide the following information
Number of 309 visa finalisations made in July 2021 at Colombo processing office
Number of 309 visa finalisations made in August 2021 at Colombo processing office.
Your request was received by the Department on 31 August 2021 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 21/09/00079 . Please include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.
Timeframe for receiving your decision
The statutory timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the date upon which your application was received by the Department.
Your review rights in relation to your request are available on the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner here.
Exclusion of staff details
The Department’s policy is to exclude the personal details of staff not in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as well as the direct contact details of SES staff, contained in documents that fall within scope of an FOI request. If you require personal details of non-SES officers, or direct contact details of SES staff, please inform us so the decision maker may consider your request. Otherwise we will take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your request.
Duplicate documents
If the FOI decision-maker deems a document to be a duplicate, they will not assess those pages as part of your FOI request. This means that if a there is a decision to release the document to you, you will receive only one copy, even if multiple copies of that document exists.
Publication of document
Where documents are released to you in response to your request, the Department may be required to publish these documents on its website within 10 working days in accordance with section 11C of the FOI Act. Publication will not be required where the documents contain personal or business affairs information.
Contacting the FOI Section
Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at [Department of Home Affairs request email].
Kind regards,
FOI Officer - Geoff
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Ned <[FOI #7787 email]>
Sent: 31 August 2021 10:45 AM
To: FOI <[Department of Home Affairs request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - 309 finalisations
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
Please provide the following information
Number of 309 visa finalisations made in July 2021 at Colombo processing office
Number of 309 visa finalisations made in August 2021 at Colombo processing office
Yours faithfully,
Ned
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #7787 email]
Is [Department of Home Affairs request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Department of Home Affairs? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this email.
Dear FOI,
RE FOI Request: FA 21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
This request is now overdue and I would like to check about the progress. The data is very simple and easy to access for this one and I don’t anticipate that it will take more than a few minutes to fulfil.
Yours sincerely,
Ned
Dear FOI,
RE FOI Request: FA 21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
Please fulfil this request as it is now overdue.
Yours sincerely,
Ned
Dear FOI,
RE FOI Request: FA 21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
This request is now 15 days past the statutory period. This is a very simple request. Please fulfil asap.
Yours sincerely,
Ned
Dear FOI,
RE FOI Request: FA 21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
This response is now 22 days overdue. Please action this as a matter of priority.
Yours sincerely,
Ned
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
RE FOI Request: FA 21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Home Affairs's handling of my FOI request '309 finalisations'.
The request is now 29 days past due and has not been attended.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/3...
Yours faithfully,
Ned
** This is an automated response. Please do not reply to this email **
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your email has been received by the Department of Home Affairs Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section. Please note that we will only action and
respond to FOI requests and other matters relating to the Freedom of
Information Act 1982.
If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request. Please do not send duplicate emails
as this may cause delays in processing times.
For matters not relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, please
refer to the information below to assist in the resolution of your
enquiry.
General information regarding travelling to Australia
Information for visitors to Australia can be found [1]here.
Information regarding potential visa options can be found [2]here.
Request for a copy of your Visa Refusal or Visa Grant letter
If you have lost or misplaced correspondence regarding your Visa Refusal
or Visa Grant, or you wish to confirm the authenticity of your Visa
Refusal or Visa Grant, you should contact the office where you lodged your
visa application.
Details of our offices located around the world can be found [3]here.
Checking your current Visa details and conditions
You can check your visa details and conditions on the Department’s Visa
Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can be accessed
[4]here. If you do not have the necessary reference numbers to access the
VEVO portal, you should contact the office where you lodged your visa
application for further information.
Refund of Visa fees
If you are seeking a refund of fees associated with your Visa, you should
contact the office where you lodged your visa application. Details of our
offices located around the world can be found [5]here.
Making a Visa application
Registered migration agents are authorised to provide immigration advice
or assistance, including advice regarding the lodgement of visa
applications. Further information on migration agents may be found
[6]here. Please note that the Department is unable to assist you in this
regard.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your visa
application through ImmiAccount, you should submit your concerns through
the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [7]here.
Australian Citizenship
If you are seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship, please refer
[8]here.
Information on how to apply for Australian citizenship, information for
Australian citizens and Australian Citizenship Day can be found [9]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
Movement Records/Travel History
If you are seeking evidence of your own travel movements/history, complete
the online International Movement Records form [10]here. These requests
are not actioned by the FOI Section.
Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status
Information about accessing your superannuation after leaving Australia
can be found [11]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
Changes in your situation including updating your Passport Details
If your situation has changes or is about to change, you need to tell us
because your visa might be affected.
Information can be found [12]here about how to notify the Department of a
change in your situation.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
Duty Free concessions
Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [13]here.
General Enquiries
If you have a question, which has not been answered above, and which is
about visa, citizenship, travel or trade, including bringing goods in and
out of Australia, please refer to our general enquiries web form [14]here.
FOI progress up-date enquires
FOI requests are processed in date order from when they are submitted and
we are committed to finalising your request. Once we register your FOI
request, we will send you an acknowledgment letter.
Please read the acknowledgment letter carefully for further instructions,
such as if we require further information from you to progress your FOI
request.
After acknowledging your request, you can expect us to contact you as soon
as we have made a decision on your request.
Due to the current high volume of requests, we will not provide progress
up-dates on current FOI requests. No further response will be provided
unless it is necessary to process your request.
Please note that the FOI timeframes may be extended if your request seeks
a large volume of documents or the scope of your request is unspecific. To
ensure your FOI request can be processed as quickly as possible, please
make sure that the scope of your request clearly and precisely identifies
the specific documents you are seeking to access.
If you wish to provide feedback about the Department’s processing of your
request, you may do so by contacting the Department’s Global Feedback Unit
at
[15]https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...
Afghanistan situation and contacting the Department of Home Affairs:
Thank you for your email. Foreign nationals, including from Afghanistan,
need a valid visa to enter Australia. People will not be able to settle
in Australia if they arrive illegally.
The Government is working to ensure that visa options continue to be
available to Afghan nationals, both within Afghanistan and those displaced
from their home country, through Australia’s long-standing Humanitarian
Program. Priority is given to persecuted minorities, women and children,
and those who have links to Australia. All applicants must meet the visa
criteria including character, security and health requirements. Afghan
nationals who meet the requirements for a humanitarian visa and wish to
seek Australia’s help are strongly encouraged to make an application.
Information on the process for making an application for Australia’s
Humanitarian Program is available on the Department of Home Affairs
[16]website.
In addition to the Humanitarian Program, there are other [17]visa options
available for people who wish to migrate on the basis of their skills or
family relationships in Australia.
Note: The correct process must be followed to make a valid application.
You cannot apply by sending an email to the Minister’s Office or to a
general Departmental mailbox.
Thank you
Information updated 30 August 2021
Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi
2. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1
3. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
5. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
6. https://www.mara.gov.au/
7. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi...
8. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
9. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
10. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
11. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
12. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
13. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Duty-...
14. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...
15. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...
16. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
17. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
OFFICIAL
In reply please quote:
FOI request: FA 21/09/00079
File number: OBJ2021/27054
Dear Ned
Notification of invalid Freedom of Information internal review request
I refer to your email received by the Department of Home Affairs (the
Department) on 29 October 2021 in which you requested an internal review
in relation to your Freedom of Information request FA 21/09/00079.
Whether internal review request valid
Under s54E(b) of the FOI Act, internal review does not apply to a decision
in relation to a provision of access to a document upon a request that is
taken to have been made under s15AC or 51DA. Under s15AC, a decision that
is not made within the statutory time for making a decision is a deemed
refusal. This deemed refusal is reviewable by the Information
Commissioner.
Consequently your internal review request is invalid and we cannot review
the decision.
Option for review: Review by the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner
You may instead apply for a review of the Department’s access decision by
the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. For further
information about review rights and how to submit a request for a review
to the OAIC, please see
[1]https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor....
More information about Information Commissioner review is available on the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website at
[2]www.oaic.gov.au.
Contacting the FOI Section
Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at
[3][email address].
Regards,
Dale
Position No. 60107416
FOI Officer, Reviews Team
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy and National Resilience
Department of Home Affairs
Email: [4][email address]
OFFICIAL
Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. http://www.oaic.gov.au/
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
OFFICIAL
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA21/09/00079
File Number: OBJ2021/27054
Dear Ned,
I refer to your FOI request received on 31 August 2021.
The Department has made a decision on this request. Please find attached
the decision record and any documents released under the FOI Act.
This request has been closed in our system.
Signed electronically
Derek
Position number. 60007884
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy and National Resilience Group
Department of Home Affairs
OFFICIAL
Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.