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Cross-Border Immigration Information Sharing between Australia and Foreign Governments

Oliver Smith made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Home Affairs

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Dear Department of Home Affairs,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs relating to the exchange of immigration-related information between Australia and foreign governments.

This request is made with reference to publicly known data-sharing practices, such as:
• The ability of Australian authorities to identify individuals with prior visa refusals from Canada;
• The ability of New Zealand authorities to verify Australian permanent residence holders through immigration information exchanges.

Accordingly, I seek access to the most current version (regardless of original creation date) of any of the following types of documents, provided they are still in effect or in active use by the Department:
1. Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), agreements, protocols, or standard operating procedures that govern the sharing of immigration-related information between Australia and foreign governments — including but not limited to:
• Visa refusals, cancellations, or alerts;
• Visa or residency status (including permanent residency);
• Travel history;
• Biometric data (e.g., fingerprints, facial recognition).
2. Internal departmental guidelines, procedures, or policy frameworks that explain:
• How information from foreign governments (including but not limited to Canada and New Zealand) is accessed, verified, and used in the processing of Australian visa applications;
• Whether such information is considered in the context of Public Interest Criteria, such as PIC 4020;
• Safeguards or limitations on the use of shared information (e.g., retention, consent, re-use restrictions).

This request excludes:
• Case-specific records or operational logs;
• Personal information, which I consent to being redacted.

If any clarification is needed or scope refinement is required to proceed, I would be happy to assist.

If the scope remains too broad, I am happy to refine it further.

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Smith

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[1]Australian Government Department of Home Affairs logo

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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

If you have lodged a request for access to documents or amendment to
information, you will receive an acknowledgement letter within 14 days.

Please see our website for more information on submitting a valid request
for access to information. [2]Freedom of information
(homeaffairs.gov.au)

Legal priority: If your situation has changed to the extent that your FOI
request now have a legal priority such as Administrative Appeals Tribunal,
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References

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:

FOI Request: FA 25/08/00805

File Number: FA25/08/00805

Dear Oliver Smith

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

This letter acknowledges that on 8 August 2025 the Department of Home
Affairs (the Department) received your request to access documents held
by 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:

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to documents
held by the Department of Home Affairs relating to the exchange of
immigration-related information between Australia and foreign governments.

This request is made with reference to publicly known data-sharing
practices, such as:
• The ability of Australian authorities to identify
individuals with prior visa refusals from Canada;
• The ability of New Zealand authorities to verify
Australian permanent residence holders through immigration information
exchanges.

Accordingly, I seek access to the most current version (regardless of
original creation date) of any of the following types of documents,
provided they are still in effect or in active use by the Department:
     1.         Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), agreements, protocols,
or standard operating procedures that govern the sharing of
immigration-related information between Australia and foreign governments
— including but not limited to:
     •           Visa refusals, cancellations, or alerts;
     •           Visa or residency status (including permanent residency);
     •           Travel history;
     •           Biometric data (e.g., fingerprints, facial recognition).
     2.         Internal departmental guidelines, procedures, or policy
frameworks that explain:
     •           How information from foreign governments (including but
not limited to Canada and New Zealand) is accessed, verified, and used in
the processing of Australian visa applications;
     •           Whether such information is considered in the context of
Public Interest Criteria, such as PIC 4020;
     •           Safeguards or limitations on the use of shared
information (e.g., retention, consent, re-use restrictions).

This request excludes:
• Case-specific records or operational logs;
• Personal information, which I consent to being redacted.
.

Your request has been allocated FOI request number FA 25/08/00805 . Please
include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of
Information Section.

Timeframe

The timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the day we receive
your request, as set out in the FOI Act.

Your review rights in relation to your request are available on [1]Freedom
of information reviews | OAIC.

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 [2]the Department’s website.

We do not provide personal details of staff or non-public facing
operational email addresses

The Department’s practice is to exclude the personal details of Government
employees, including contractors, 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 as irrelevant under section
22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act. 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.

Publication of document

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
[3][Department of Home Affairs request email] and include your FOI request number.

Contacting the FOI Section

Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at
[4][Department of Home Affairs request email].

Kind Regards

Julie

Position no. 60210421

Authorised FOI Officer, Freedom of Information

Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch | Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [5][Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
3. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]
4. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]
5. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

Good morning, Oliver Smith (Right to Know),

I refer to your request received on 8 August 2025 for access to documents
under the FOI Act. 

The current due date for your request is 7 September 2025.

The scope of your request is as follows:

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request access to documents
held by the Department of Home Affairs relating to the exchange of
immigration-related information between Australia and foreign governments.

This request is made with reference to publicly known data-sharing
practices, such as:

• The ability of Australian authorities to identify
individuals with prior visa refusals from Canada;

• The ability of New Zealand authorities to verify
Australian permanent residence holders through immigration information
exchanges.

1. Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), agreements,
protocols, or standard operating procedures that govern the sharing of
immigration-related information between Australia and foreign governments
— including but not limited to:

• Visa refusals, cancellations, or alerts;

• Visa or residency status (including permanent
residency);

• Travel history;

• Biometric data (e.g., fingerprints, facial
recognition).

2. Internal departmental guidelines, procedures, or
policy frameworks that explain:

• How information from foreign governments
(including but not limited to Canada and New Zealand) is accessed,
verified, and used in the processing of Australian visa applications;

• Whether such information is considered in the
context of Public Interest Criteria, such as PIC 4020;

• Safeguards or limitations on the use of shared
information (e.g., retention, consent, re-use restrictions).

This request excludes:

• Case-specific records or operational logs;

• Personal information, which I consent to being
redacted.

In order for the Department to complete the consultation process with the
relevant business areas, assess the documents provided and the decision
making process in relation to the documents that fall within the scope of
your request, the Department will require additional time to process your
request.

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 Tuesday, 7 October 2025. 

The Department will endeavour to process your request before this date.

It would assist the Department in managing its FOI caseload if you could
provide a response to this request by close of business, Monday, 18 August
2025.

If you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to
contact me by return email.

Kind Regards

Lucksika

Position number 60016902

Freedom of Information

Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch | Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [1][Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

Dear FOI Section,

Thank you for your correspondence regarding FA 25/08/00805. I agree to the 30-day extension under section 15AA of the FOI Act, extending the due date to Tuesday, 7 October 2025.

Yours sincerely,
Oliver Smith

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1 follower

Right to Know

Cross-Border Immigration Information Sharing between Australia and Foreign Governments

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