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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Home Affairs Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section.

The FOI section only responds to valid FOI requests and other matters
relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).  Visit the
FOI Information on our Website for more information on what [1]information
can be accessed under the FOI Act 1982.

What is a valid FOI request?

A valid FOI request may be for:

- documents you previously provided to the Department as part of a visa
application

- a copy of a decision record made by the Department

- statistical information held by the Department

- papers or briefings the Department prepared.

If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request.

A valid FOI request must:

o Be in writing and state the request is for consideration under the FOI
Act.
o Have enough information for us to be able to identify the documents
you are seeking.
o Provide a physical or electronic address where we can send our
decision.

Do not send duplicate emails as this may cause longer delays in processing
times.

What is an invalid FOI request?

Invalid FOI requests may include:

- Making a visa application

- Seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship

- Seeking information about traveling to or departing Australia.

If your email is not specific an FOI request or FOI related matter, the
FOI section will not respond.

What happens next?

Once we receive and have registered your FOI request, we will send you an
acknowledgment letter by email. Read the acknowledgment letter carefully
for further instructions.

FOI requests are generally processed in the order they are received.

We will contact you as soon as the Department has assessed your request
under the FOI Act.

We’re responding to a large volume of requests

Due to the current high volume of requests, we will not provide progress
up-dates on current FOI requests.  This is to ensure we are able to
process as many requests as possible, including yours.

If processing your request is going to take us a lot of time and because
it is large or unspecific, it may be refused.  

Still have a question or request?

If you still have a question, which has not been answered above, and which
is about the work of the Department, use our general enquiries web page

[2]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...

You may be able to resolve your enquiry faster using these other resources

We only action and respond to FOI requests that are valid under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982. You may be able to resolve your enquiry
faster by using these resources:

General information about travelling to Australia:

The Department of Home Affairs, “Entering Australia” site
[3]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...

·       For visa and our requirements for entry to Australia
[4]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...

For a copy of your visa refusal or visa grant letter you should contact
the office where you lodged your visa application. 

·       To check your current visa details and conditions use the
Department’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can
be accessed [5]here

·       If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your
visa application through ImmiAccount, submit your concerns through the
ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [6]here.

·       For evidence of your Australian Citizenship please refer [7]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.

·       For movement records or travel history complete the online
International Movement Records form [8]here. The FOI Section does not
process these requests.

·       To update your details, including your Passport details, you can
notify the Department [9]here. The FOI Section does not process these
requests.

We appreciate your feedback         

We appreciate your feedback to help improve our services.

If you would like to provide feedback to us please use our Compliments,
complaints and suggestions form.
[10]https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

Thank you

Information updated 5 November 2021

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
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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.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
2. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
3. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
5. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
6. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
7. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
8. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
9. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
10. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 21/12/00857
File Number: OBJ2021/36535

Dear Sam,

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
I refer to your correspondence received on 21 December 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:
The number of citizenship applications approved and waiting for a citizenship ceremony in the Canada Bay Council NSW from June 1st 2021 to December 2021.

Breakdown of the number of online and in person ceremonies, in the Canada Bay Council NSW Greater Sydney from June to December 2021.

The Department is unable provide the complete data set that you have requested, as the reporting period is incomplete. The Department will process your request to the nearest completed reporting milestone, which is November 2021.

If you would prefer to withdraw your request and resubmit it when the full data set is available mid-January 2022, please advise the Department via return email.

Your request was received by the Department on 21 December 2021 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 21/12/00857 . 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 exist.

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]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

-----Original Message-----
From: Sam <[FOI #8220 email]>
Sent: 21 December 2021 3:57 PM
To: FOI <[Department of Home Affairs request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Number of citizenship applications approved and waiting for a citizenship ceremony in Canada Bay Council NSW

Dear Department of Home Affairs,

The number of citizenship applications approved and waiting for a citizenship ceremony in the Canada Bay Council NSW from June 1st 2021 to December 2021.

Breakdown of the number of online and in person ceremonies, in the Canada Bay Council NSW Greater Sydney from June to December 2021

Yours faithfully,
Sam

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #8220 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.

hide quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply, please quote:

Client Name:     Sam

FOI Request:    FA 21/12/00857

File Number:     OBJ2021/36535

FOI due date:    20 January 2022

Dear Sam,

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 21 December 2021, seeking access to (as revised on
22 December 2021):

The number of citizenship applications approved and waiting for a
citizenship ceremony in the Canada Bay Council NSW from June 1st 2021 to
November 30th 2021.

Breakdown of the number of online and in person ceremonies, in the Canada
Bay Council NSW Greater Sydney from June 1st 2021 to November 30th 2021.

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 20 January 2022.

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
19 January 2022 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

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]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

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]

OFFICIAL

Dear Sam

FOI request FA 21/12/00857

I refer to your FOI request received on 2 December 2021, seeking access to
the following:

The number of citizenship applications approved and waiting for a
citizenship ceremony in the Canada Bay Council NSW from June 1st 2021 to
November 30th 2021.

Breakdown of the number of online and in person ceremonies, in the Canada
Bay Council NSW Greater Sydney from June 1st 2021 to November 30th 2021.

The Department has now 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/