Melbourne waiting lists and processing times
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
Could we please understand the backlog of citizenship requests in Melbourne and see what date processing of these applications is up to? WA is a c. 3month turnaround end to end but Victoria seems significantly longer. COVID appears to have almost halted activity. Could we please understand the numbers behind this?
Yours faithfully,
Eager applicant
** 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 you
should complete Form 1359, which can be found [10]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
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.
Thank you
Information updated 9 September 2020
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://www.abf.gov.au/form-listing/form...
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...
OFFICIAL
Good morning,
We refer to your email below. We note that you have presented a series of questions to be addressed.
Please note that the Freedom of Information Act 1982 provides a right to obtain access to “a document of an agency”. As such, it is not possible for the Department to provide responses to questions under the FOI Act.
Should you wish to seek access to a document held by the Department, you may do so by complying with section 15 of the FOI Act. A request must:
1. be in writing (an email is sufficient)
2. state that it is a request for access to documents for the purposes of the FOI Act
3. Provide such information regarding the document as is reasonably necessary to enable a responsible officer of the Department to be able to identify it and
4. provide details of how formal notices under the FOI Act can be sent to you (an email address would be sufficient for these purposes).
Further details on how to make a valid FOI request can be found on the Department’s website here:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
We trust that this information is of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy & Law Enforcement Group
Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Eager Applicant <[FOI #6871 email]>
Sent: Friday, 6 November 2020 7:56 AM
To: FOI <[DIBP request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Melbourne waiting lists and processing times
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
Could we please understand the backlog of citizenship requests in Melbourne and see what date processing of these applications is up to? WA is a c. 3month turnaround end to end but Victoria seems significantly longer. COVID appears to have almost halted activity. Could we please understand the numbers behind this?
Yours faithfully,
Eager applicant
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6871 email]
Is [DIBP 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...
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,
Thanks for your clarification. Please confirm the number of applications outstanding for Victorian/Melbourne citizenship
Yours sincerely,
Eager Applicant
** 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 you
should complete Form 1359, which can be found [10]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.
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.
Thank you
Information updated 9 September 2020
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://www.abf.gov.au/form-listing/form...
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...
OFFICIAL
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 20/11/00415
File Number: OBJ2020/35349
Dear Eager Applicant
Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
I refer to your correspondence received on 6 November 2020 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:
The number of applications outstanding for Victorian/Melbourne citizenship .
Your request was received by the Department on 6 November 2020 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 20/11/00415 . 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 [DIBP request email].
Kind regards,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs
E: [DIBP request email]
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Eager Applicant <[FOI #6871 email]>
Sent: Friday, 6 November 2020 9:27 AM
To: FOI <[DIBP request email]>
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - Melbourne waiting lists and processing times [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear FOI,
Thanks for your clarification. Please confirm the number of applications outstanding for Victorian/Melbourne citizenship
Yours sincerely,
Eager Applicant
-----Original Message-----
OFFICIAL
Good morning,
We refer to your email below. We note that you have presented a series of questions to be addressed.
Please note that the Freedom of Information Act 1982 provides a right to obtain access to “a document of an agency”. As such, it is not possible for the Department to provide responses to questions under the FOI Act.
Should you wish to seek access to a document held by the Department, you may do so by complying with section 15 of the FOI Act. A request must:
1. be in writing (an email is sufficient)
2. state that it is a request for access to documents for the purposes of the FOI Act
3. Provide such information regarding the document as is reasonably necessary to enable a responsible officer of the Department to be able to identify it and
4. provide details of how formal notices under the FOI Act can be sent to you (an email address would be sufficient for these purposes).
Further details on how to make a valid FOI request can be found on the Department’s website here:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
We trust that this information is of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division Strategy & Law Enforcement Group Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]
OFFICIAL
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6871 email]
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...
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.
OFFICIAL
Good morning,
I refer to your request received on 6 November 2020 for access to documents under the FOI Act.
The current due date for your request is 6 December 2020.
Due to the number of requests currently being processed by our office, we will not be able to finalise your request by the original due date.
The Department seeks your agreement under section 15AA of the FOI Act to extend the timeframe for the processing of your request by 30 days. This would extend the due date for your request to 5 January 2021.
It would assist the Department in managing its FOI caseload if you could provide a response to this request by close of business, Friday 27 November 2020.
If you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI section on the details below.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy & Law Enforcement Group
Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: FOI
Sent: Tuesday, 10 November 2020 9:00 AM
To: Eager Applicant <[FOI #6871 email]>
Subject: HPRM: Acknowledgement – FOI request FA 20/11/00415 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 20/11/00415
File Number: OBJ2020/35349
Dear Eager Applicant
Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
I refer to your correspondence received on 6 November 2020 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:
The number of applications outstanding for Victorian/Melbourne citizenship .
Your request was received by the Department on 6 November 2020 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 20/11/00415 . 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 [DIBP request email].
Kind regards,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs
E: [DIBP request email]
OFFICIAL
-----Original Message-----
From: Eager Applicant <[FOI #6871 email]>
Sent: Friday, 6 November 2020 9:27 AM
To: FOI <[DIBP request email]>
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - Melbourne waiting lists and processing times [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear FOI,
Thanks for your clarification. Please confirm the number of applications outstanding for Victorian/Melbourne citizenship
Yours sincerely,
Eager Applicant
-----Original Message-----
OFFICIAL
Good morning,
We refer to your email below. We note that you have presented a series of questions to be addressed.
Please note that the Freedom of Information Act 1982 provides a right to obtain access to “a document of an agency”. As such, it is not possible for the Department to provide responses to questions under the FOI Act.
Should you wish to seek access to a document held by the Department, you may do so by complying with section 15 of the FOI Act. A request must:
1. be in writing (an email is sufficient)
2. state that it is a request for access to documents for the purposes of the FOI Act
3. Provide such information regarding the document as is reasonably necessary to enable a responsible officer of the Department to be able to identify it and
4. provide details of how formal notices under the FOI Act can be sent to you (an email address would be sufficient for these purposes).
Further details on how to make a valid FOI request can be found on the Department’s website here:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
We trust that this information is of assistance to you.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division Strategy & Law Enforcement Group Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]
OFFICIAL
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6871 email]
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...
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.
OFFICIAL
Dear Eager Applicant
FOI request FA 20/11/00415
I refer to your FOI request received on 6 November 2020, seeking access to
the following:
The number of applications outstanding for Victorian/Melbourne citizenship
.
The Department has made a decision on this request. Please find attached
the decision record and documents released under the FOI Act.
This request has now been closed.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy & Law Enforcement Group
Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP 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.