Average Citizenship Processing Times

M Taha made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Home Affairs

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department of Home Affairs,

Please provide access to the following documents where possible.

1. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Melbourne or whose applications are being processing By a Victorian Homeaffairs based office over the past 12 months

2. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Sydney or whose applications are being processing By a New South Wales Homeaffairs based office over the past 12 months.

3. Any documents or statistical breakdown that show the processing time frames for citizenship by conferral applications broken down by state over the past 12 months.

Sincerely,

FOI, Department of Home Affairs

** This is an automated response. Please do not reply to this email **

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

show quoted sections

FOI, Department of Home Affairs

OFFICIAL

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 21/09/00996
File Number: OBJ2021/28995

Dear M Taha

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

I refer to your correspondence received on 22 September 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:

1. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Melbourne or whose applications are being processing By a Victorian Homeaffairs based office over the past 12 months.

2. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Sydney or whose applications are being processing By a New South Wales Homeaffairs based office over the past 12 months.

3. Any documents or statistical breakdown that show the processing time frames for citizenship by conferral applications broken down by state over the past 12 months.

Your request was received by the Department on 22 September 2021 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 21/09/00996 . 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,

Michael
Position number: 60028261
Authorised FOI Officer
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy and National Resilience Group
Department Of Home Affairs
E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

show quoted sections

FOI, Department of Home Affairs

OFFICIAL

In reply, please quote:

Client Name:  Taha, M

FOI Request:  FA 21/09/00996

File Number:   OBJ2021/28995 

FOI due date:  22 Ocober 2021 

 

Dear M Taha

 

Request for an extension of time:

 

This correspondence refers to an access request received by the Department
of Home Affairs (‘the Department’) under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (the FOI Act) on 22 September 2021, seeking access to:

 

‘1. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship
processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship
by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Melbourne or
whose applications are being processing By a Victorian Homeaffairs based
office over the past 12 months

 

2. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship
processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship
by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Sydney or whose
applications are being processing By a New South Wales Homeaffairs based
office over the past 12 months.

 

3. Any documents or statistical breakdown that show the processing time
frames for citizenship by conferral applications broken down by state over
the past 12 months.’ 

 

Timeframe for processing your request:

The FOI Act provides a statutory period for processing your request of 30
calendar days unless an extension of time is agreed to, or provided for,
under a provision of the FOI Act.

 

The due date for a decision on your request is 22 October 2021.

 

Request for an extension of time:

Unfortunately, the search and retrieval of documents related to the scope
of your request is taking longer than anticipated. The Department
therefore seeks your agreement (under section 15AA of the FOI Act) to
extend the timeframe for the processing of your request by 30 days. The
additional time will support completing this process, and assist us in
making a decision on access within statutory timeframes.

 

If you agree to the extension of time please advise the Department before
22 October 2021 close of business, by email at: [1][Department of Home Affairs request email].

 

I apologise for the short notice.

 

For more information on section 15AA and the FOI Act:

[2]The Australian Information Commissioner FOI Guidelines

[3]Freedom of Information Act 1982

 

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request and I look forward to
hearing from you.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Karen

Position: 60114871

Assistant Director | Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information & Records Management Branch | Data Division

Strategy and National Resilience Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [4][Department of Home Affairs request email]

 

 

 

 

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. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]
2. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
3. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2...
4. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

Dear FOI,

Thanks for advising me that you need additional time. I accept that you require additional time to process my FOI request.

Please advise when will the department be able to advise on an outcome for my request.

Yours sincerely,

M Taha

FOI, Department of Home Affairs

2 Attachments

OFFICIAL

Dear M Taha

 

FOI request FA 21/09/00996

 

I refer to your FOI request received on 22 September 2021, seeking access
to the following:

1. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship
processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship
by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Melbourne or
whose applications are being processing By a Victorian Homeaffairs based
office over the past 12 months

2. Any documents or statistical breakdown for the average citizenship
processing timeframes from date of application to decision for Citizenship
by Conferral Applicants who are residents of Metropolitan Sydney or whose
applications are being processing By a New South Wales Homeaffairs based
office over the past 12 months.

3. Any documents or statistical breakdown that show the processing time
frames for citizenship by conferral applications broken down by state over
the past 12 months. 

The Department has made a decision on this request. Please find attached
the documents released under the FOI Act.

 

This request has now been closed.

 

Kel

Position No: 60100052

Freedom of Information (FOI) Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division

Strategy & Law Enforcement Group

E: [1][Department of Home Affairs request email]

Department of Home Affairs | [2]www.homeaffairs.gov.au

 

 

 

 

 

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. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]
2. http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/