OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 22/07/00415
File Number: OBJ2022/18288

Dear Hume Resident,

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
This letter acknowledges we received your request on 7 July 2022 to access documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). This letter also provides important information about your request.

Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:
Could you please let us know what is the Oldest file/ Application Lodgment date under Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream that has still not processed?
Does this Visa is processed from Australia only?
The people who lodged their application in November & December 2021 retrospectively under Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream has all been processed?
Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream longest wait time from Application lodgment since November 2021 to decision.. as at 07th July 2022?
Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream current wait times excluding when borders were open?

Your request was received by the Department on 7 July 2022 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 22/07/00415. 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.

Fees and Charges
Charges do not apply to requests from individuals seeking access to documents about themselves. However, a charge may apply to all other requests for access to documents.
Charges are based on the amount of time the Department spends on your request. Charges can range from $10 to over $1,000 depending on the complexity and scope of your request. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reported that across the public service, the average charge notified was $335.50 in 2020-21.
If a charge applies, you will be issued with a Notice of Charge that explains the charge and your options.
Detailed information about FOI charges that may apply to your FOI request is available on the Department’s website.

We do not provide personal details of staff
The Department’s practice 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. However names of staff that have previously been released in departmental correspondence may be disclosed.

We do not provide duplicated 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.

Released documents you request may be published to our website
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.

How to reduce or withdraw your request
Reducing the scope of your request can reduce the time and charges associated with processing your FOI request.
To reduce or withdraw your request, contact the FOI section at [Department of Home Affairs request email] and include your FOI request number.

Kind regards,

FOI Officer - Geoff
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs

E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL

Dear Hume Resident,

FOI request: FA 22/07/00415

I refer to your FOI request received on 7 July 2022. 

Preliminary assessment of charges

This email is to advise you that I have made a preliminary assessment that
you are liable to pay a charge in respect of the processing of your FOI
request in accordance with s.29 of the FOI Act.  Please see the attached
notice for further information.

The FOI Act provides you with 30 days to respond, in writing, to this
notice, which is close of business Thursday, 18 August 2022.

Details on how to make a payment to the Department are included in the
notice. Please ensure that you include your FA reference number with your
payment. If this information is not included with your payment details it
may delay the processing of your request.

Please note if you make the payment by EFT, please advise the FOI section
at [1][Department of Home Affairs request email] immediately to avoid delays in the processing
of your payment.

Regards

Vythees - Position Number: 60141911

Freedom of Information (FOI) Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division

Strategy and National Resilience Group

E:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

Department of Home Affairs  | 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:[email address]

OFFICIAL

Dear Hume Resident,

I refer to your email dated 7 July 2022 in which you request access to
documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (Department) under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

You have requested access to:

'Could you please let us know what is the Oldest file/ Application
Lodgment date under Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream
that has still not processed?

Does this Visa is processed from Australia only?

The people who lodged their application in November & December 2021
retrospectively under Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream
has all been processed?

Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream longest wait time from
Application lodgment since November 2021 to decision.. as at 07th July
2022?

Visitor visa (subclass 600) Sponsored family stream current wait times
excluding when borders were open? .'

On 19 July 2022, Department notified you of a requirement to pay a
processing charge of $18.75 in respect of your request. 

In particular, Department notified you that, within 30 days of receipt of
that letter, you must either:

•           agree to pay the charge; or

•           contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed, should be
reduced, or should not be imposed; or

•           withdraw the request.

Department notified you that if, within 30 days of receipt of that letter,
you failed to notify Department of one of the above matters, your request
would be considered to have been withdrawn.

The 30 day period has now expired and Department does not appear to have
heard from you in response to that Notice.  As such, in accordance with
section 29 of the FOI Act, Department considers that your request has been
withdrawn.

If you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please do not hesitate
to contact on [1][email address].

Regards

Vythees - Position Number: 60141911

Freedom of Information (FOI) Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division

Strategy and National Resilience Group

E:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

Department of Home Affairs  | 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:[email address]