2 May 2017
In reply please quote
FOI Request FA 17/03/00593
File Number ADF2017/29612
Mr Steven LARKSON
Sent via email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Freedom of Information request
Dear Mr Larkson,
This letter refers to your request received on 15 March 2017 seeking access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the following documents:
The detail for processed visa subclass 820 and 801 applications for the financial
years of 2015 and 2016. If 2016 is not yet available, then please send for 2014 and
2015. Specifically, the documents containing the following information:
[1] - Percentage of applications approved / rejected
[2] - Reasons for rejected applications
[3] - Amount of rejections sent to tribunal and the percentage of those that
were then approved or rejected'
This letter is to provide you with the decision which is at Attachment A – Decision Record.
FOI Legislation
A copy of the FOI Act is available for your reference from:
www.legislation.gov.au/Browse/ByTitle/Acts/InForce/0/0/Principal
Review rights Internal review
If you disagree with the decision, you have the right to apply for an internal review of the
decision. If you wish to make a request for internal review this must be sent within 30 days of
being notified of the decision. Where possible please attach reasons why you believe review
of the decision is necessary. The internal review will be carried out by an officer other than
the original decision-maker and the Department must make a review decision within 30 days.
Applications for review should be sent to:
Freedom of Information
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
PO Box 25
BELCONNEN ACT 2617
Or by email to: xxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx
6 Chan Street Belconnen ACT 2617
PO Box 25 BELCONNEN ACT 2616 • Telephone: 02 6264 1111 • Fax: 02 6225 6970 • www.border.gov.au
2
Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
You may apply directly to the Australian Information Commissioner for a review of the
decision. You must apply in writing within 60 days of this notice. For further information about
review rights under the FOI Act please see FOI fact sheet 12 ‘
Freedom of information – Your
review rights’, available online at www.oaic.gov.au
How to make a complaint about the handling of your FOI request
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about
how the department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to
submit a complaint is also available at www.oaic.gov.au .
Contacting the FOI section
If you wish to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below.
Yours sincerely
(signed electronically)
Helen Simons
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information, Privacy & Records Management Branch
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Email: xxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx
Attachment(s)
Attachment A – Decision Record
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents
Attachment C – Documents released
Attachment A
DECISION RECORD
Request Details
FOI Request FA 17/03/00593
File Number ADF2017/29612
Original scope of request
1. On 15 March 2017 you requested:
The detail for processed visa subclass 820 and 801 applications for the financial
years of 2015 and 2016. If 2016 is not yet available, then please send for 2014 and
2015. Specifically, the documents containing the following information:
[1] - Percentage of applications approved / rejected
[2] - Reasons for rejected applications
[3] - Amount of rejections sent to tribunal and the percentage of those that
were then approved or rejected'
Documents in scope
2. There is one document within the scope of your request. This document is detailed in
Attachment B - Schedule of Documents and attached as Attachment C – Documents
released.
Authority to make decision
3. I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records.
Information considered
4. In reaching my decision, I have considered the following:
• The
Freedom of Information Act 1982;
• The document as listed in the Schedule of Documents;
• Consultations with relevant business areas; and
• The Australian Information Commissioner’s guidelines relating to access to
documents held by government.
Decision
Part 1 of the request
5. In response to Part 1 of your request, the Department created the attached document.
My decision is to release the document in full.
6 Chan Street Belconnen ACT 2617
PO Box 25 BELCONNEN ACT 2616 • Telephone: 02 6264 1111 • Fax: 02 6225 6970 • www.border.gov.au
2
Parts 2 and 3 of the request
6. The Department has undertaken searches to identify any documents that would be
relevant to Parts 2 and 3 of your request. After consulting with the relevant business area
I am satisfied that no documents (electronic or hard copy) are in possession of the
Department that fall within the scope of this part of your request.
7. Under s.17(1) of the FOI Act, where a discrete document does not exist, the agency is to
consider whether a document addressing the request could be produced through the use
of a computer or other equipment that is ordinarily available to the agency for retrieving or
collating stored information.
8. Advice from the relevant business area is that the data sought for Parts 2 and 3 of your
request are not readily producible from systems. I am therefore satisfied that this
information does not exist in discrete documents and cannot be readily produced. Access
to the information you have requested is therefore refused under s.24A(1) of the FOI Act.
9. Further, Part 3 of your request refers to statistics that are published and publicly available
on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AATs) website. The data can be located via the
following link: http://www.aat.gov.au/resources/statistics
The information you have requested can be found by clicking the link titled
MRD
Migration Caseload Statistics.
(signed electronically)
Helen Simons
Authorised decision maker
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Email: xxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx
2 May 2017
