FOI Request:
FOI2023/02632
03 February 2023
Venisha Jayona Cutinha
foi+request-9829-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Venisha Jayona Cutinha
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FOI REQUEST AND DECISION
We received your request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
FOI Act) on 24 January 2023 and the period for processing your FOI request commenced on
24 January 2023.
By email you requested the details of companies providing visa sponsorship, specifically sponsorship
for software developers.
I was not able to identify any documents held by the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA)
containing details of companies providing visa sponsorship. Given the IAA does not hold these
documents, the IAA is therefore not able to provide you the documents you are seeking and has
proceeded to process your request and made a decision in accordance with the FOI Act.
As an officer authorised under the FOI Act to make decisions on access, I have decided to refuse
access to the documents. The reasons for this decision are set out below.
Section 24A of the FOI Act provides that, after all reasonable steps have been taken to find the
documents, access to documents may be refused if the documents do not exist. To verify this, I have
taken the following steps to locate the requested documents:
On 24 January 2023, I conducted searches of the IAA network drive, the IAA intranet, the IAA Case
Management System (CMS) and all relevant mailboxes for details of companies providing visa
sponsorship. No documents held by the IAA that match this description exist.
On this basis that I am unable to find any of the documents you are seeking, I am satisfied that the
documents you have requested from the IAA do not exist and therefore refuse access under section
24A of the FOI Act.
Information about how you can apply for review of this decision or complain about how we have
dealt with this matter is set out in the attached fact sheet.
www.iaa.gov.au
xxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
GPO Box 9955, Sydney NSW 2001
1800 205 919
If you have any questions, please email
xxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or telephone 1800 205 919.
Yours sincerely
Rosalind Zika
Authorised FOI Officer APS 4
Immigration Assessment Authority
Attachments
F9 - Information about reviews and complaints under the FOI Act
Information about reviews and complaints under the Freedom of
Information Act
What should I do prior to applying for internal review or contacting the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner?
Before you apply for an internal review or contact the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner, we recommend that you telephone the officer who made the FOI decision. It is
often possible to resolve concerns or answer your questions using this approach and, if not, the
officer will be able to assist you in applying for review.
How do I apply for internal review to the Immigration Assessment Authority?
You can apply to us for an internal review of the FOI decision. The application for internal
review must be made within 30 days, or such further period as we allow, after the day the
decision is notified to you. To apply for an internal review you must do so in writing. You may
also wish to explain why you are not satisfied with the decision. A different and more senior
officer authorised under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) will conduct the
internal review and make a new decision within 30 days after receipt of your application.
If you have already applied for internal review and want to seek a further review of that
decision, you will need to apply to the Australian Information Commissioner.
How do I apply for review to the Australian Information Commissioner?
You may also apply directly to the Australian Information Commissioner for review of the FOI
decision. The application for review must be made within 60 days after the day notice of the
decision was given. An application for review must be in writing, include details of how notices
in relation to the review are to be sent to you, and include a copy of the decision. You may also
wish to explain why you are not satisfied with the decision. An online application form is
available on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website, details of which
are provided below.
What if I want to make a complaint about the handling of a Freedom of Information request?
If you have a complaint about the way in which we have processed your request for access
under the FOI Act, please contact the
Commonwealth Ombudsman. Complaints should be
made in writing and identify the ‘Immigration Assessment Authority’ as the agency in respect of
which the complaint is made. You should explain the circumstances surrounding your
complaint.
Where can I find further information or contact details for the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner?
Further information is available on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s
website at
www.oaic.gov.au and you can contact the office on 1300 363 992 or by email at
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.
F9 (March 2016)
