[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,
Court, Ministerial Intervention, Visa cancellation deadline since you
submitted your initial request, please provide a physical evidence to
support your priority claim.

We’re responding to a large volume of requests

Due to the high volume of requests we receive, we will not be able to
respond to requests to provide status updates on current requests for
information.  We prioritise processing the requests we receive, including
yours.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

If your email relates to other matters then please contact the relevant
area of the Department or review the frequently asked questions below. The
mailbox is unable to respond to visa and citizenship status updates or
questions. If your query is answered by this information you will not
receive another response to your email.

Your Query General Information
If you applied [4]Our online services (homeaffairs.gov.au)
online, you can
check your visa [5]Ceremony wait times (homeaffairs.gov.au)
application status
in [3]ImmiAccount.
I want to access [6]Check visa details and conditions
my visa details (homeaffairs.gov.au)
I want to apply [7]Applying online in ImmiAccount
for a visa to (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Australia
My visa has [8]Your visa is expiring or has expired
expired (homeaffairs.gov.au)
I want to apply [9]Become a citizen (homeaffairs.gov.au)
for Australian
Citizenship or [10]Evidence of citizenship and certificates Change
access/amend my a citizenship certificate (homeaffairs.gov.au)
citizenship
details  
I want my travel [11]Requesting travel records (homeaffairs.gov.au)
records in and out
of Australia
I am having Use our [12]technical guide to troubleshoot in
technical problems [13]ImmiAccount.
lodging an
application If you are still unable to resolve your issue submit
the [14]ImmiAccount Technical Support Form
I wish to provide Provide information by [15]ImmiAccount. After you
information about submit your application, use [16]ImmiAccount to:
a visa application
or provide ·       apply for a bridging visa
information about
changes to my ·       access the My Health Declarations service
situation
·       attach documents to your online application
 
·       check the progress of your application

·       update your passport or address details

·       notify of incorrect information in your
application

Further details and instructions refer to
[17]ImmiAccount Help & Support

[18]Changes in your situation (homeaffairs.gov.au)
I have made an If you have been sent a request letter to complete
appointment for a health but are experiencing delays you can attach
health/biometrics details of your appointment to [19]ImmiAccount. 
examination
I want to withdraw [20]You want to withdraw an application
my visa or (homeaffairs.gov.au)
citizenship
application
I want to update [21]Changes in your situation (homeaffairs.gov.au)
my address,
contact or
passport details
Can my visa fee be Refunds can only be made in very limited
refunded? circumstances governed by legislation. 

For further information see  [22]Getting a refund
(homeaffairs.gov.au)
Visa eligibility Information on [23]visa options is available on the
query Department’s website.
Since my visa was [24]Changes in your situation (homeaffairs.gov.au)
granted I have had
a child born in
Australia
 I want to report [25]Border Watch Online Report (homeaffairs.gov.au)
suspicious or
illegal
immigration, visa,
customs and trade
activity.
I want to lodge Find out how to provide [26]Compliments, complaints
feedback about a and suggestions
Department service

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, the ABF and the National Emergency
Management Agency 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
2. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
3. https://online.immi.gov.au/ola/app
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
5. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
6. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
7. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
8. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/vi...
9. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
10. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
11. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
12. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
13. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa...
14. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
15. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Visa...
16. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa...
17. file:///tmp/chttps:/immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/applying-online-or-on-paper/online
18. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
19. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa...
20. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
21. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
22. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
23. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
24. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
25. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...
26. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:

FOI Request:         FA 25/06/00890

File Number:          FA25/06/00890 

Dear David Iorlano (Right to Know)

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

This letter acknowledges that on 13 June 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:

This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

I am seeking access to any documents held by the Department of Home
Affairs, or any of its agencies (including but not limited to the
Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, and the Australian
Security Intelligence Organisation), relating to:

1. The use, testing, authorisation, or monitoring of technologies that
involve electromagnetic fields (EMF), directed energy weapons (DEWs),
microwave auditory effect, or other methods capable of surveillance,
behavioural influence, or physical/neurological disruption in Australian
civilians;

2. Any documents or correspondence that reference or identify myself,
David Iorlano, in relation to:
      --> Surveillance, targeting, testing, or non-consensual monitoring
involving the above-mentioned technologies;
     --> Any form of program or initiative where individuals are targeted
despite having no criminal convictions or pending matters;

3. The legal frameworks, ministerial approvals, or internal policy
documents that justify or regulate such programs, if they exist.

For clarity, these technologies may operate through cellular networks
(e.g., 4G, 5G), satellite links, Wi-Fi networks, or directed EMF
transmissions and may result in symptoms such as sleep deprivation,
auditory phenomena, headaches, cardiac symptoms, or mobility impairment.
If documents are subject to exemption, I request that partial releases be
made with redactions, and that the reasons for exemptions be provided.
I request to receive the documents electronically via this email:
[email address].

Your request has been allocated FOI request number FA 25/06/00890. 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
[Department of Home Affairs request email].

Kind Regards

David (he/him)
Team Leader – Authorised FOI Officer, Freedom of Information
Position Number 60157647

Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch

Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [4][Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:

FOI Request:         FA 25/06/00890

File Number:          FA25/06/00890 

Dear David Iorlano (Right to Know)

I refer to your email dated 13 June 2025, in which you requested access to
documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department ) under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

You have requested access to the following:

This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

I am seeking access to any documents held by the Department of Home
Affairs, or any of its agencies (including but not limited to the
Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, and the Australian
Security Intelligence Organisation), relating to:

1. The use, testing, authorisation, or monitoring of technologies that
involve electromagnetic fields (EMF), directed energy weapons (DEWs),
microwave auditory effect, or other methods capable of surveillance,
behavioural influence, or physical/neurological disruption in Australian
civilians;

2. Any documents or correspondence that reference or identify myself,
David Iorlano, in relation to:
      --> Surveillance, targeting, testing, or non-consensual monitoring
involving the above-mentioned technologies;
     --> Any form of program or initiative where individuals are targeted
despite having no criminal convictions or pending matters;

3. The legal frameworks, ministerial approvals, or internal policy
documents that justify or regulate such programs, if they exist.

For clarity, these technologies may operate through cellular networks
(e.g., 4G, 5G), satellite links, Wi-Fi networks, or directed EMF
transmissions and may result in symptoms such as sleep deprivation,
auditory phenomena, headaches, cardiac symptoms, or mobility impairment.

If documents are subject to exemption, I request that partial releases be
made with redactions, and that the reasons for exemptions be provided.

I request to receive the documents electronically via this email:
[1][email address].

Intention to refuse request

I am writing to advise you that I intend to refuse your request on the
basis that a practical refusal reason exists. However, before I make a
final decision to do this, you have an opportunity to revise your request
to remove the practical refusal reason. This is called a ‘request
consultation process’. You have 14 days to respond to this notice in one
of the ways set out below.

Power to refuse request

Section 24 of the FOI Act provides that if the Department is satisfied
that a practical refusal reason exists in relation to a request, the
Department must undertake a consultation process with you, and if, after
that consultation process, the Department remains satisfied that the
practical refusal reason still exists, the Department may refuse to give
you access to the documents subject to the request.

Practical refusal

A practical refusal reason exists under section 24AA of the FOI Act if
either (or both) of the following applies:

(1)(a)(i) the work involved in the processing of the request would
substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the Department from
its other operations

(1)(b)      the request does not satisfy the requirement in section
15(2)(b) of the FOI Act, which requires you to provide such information
concerning the document you are seeking access to, to enable the
Department to be able to identify it.

I consider that the request does not satisfy the requirements of section
15(2)(b) of the FOI Act, and accordingly that practical refusal reasons
exist under section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act.

Reasons for practical refusal

In order for your request to be valid for the purposes of the FOI Act, it
must provide such information concerning the documents that you are
seeking access to, as is reasonably necessary to enable the Department to
identify the documents.

Given the broad nature of the activities undertaken by the , I do not
consider that you have provided a reasonable description of the documents
to which you are seeking access.

As such, I am satisfied that your request is not valid and a practical
refusal reason exists in this request. You have not provided sufficient
information concerning the document you are seeking to access, to enable
the Department to be able to identify it.

Request Consultation Process

To enable the Department  to consider your request for access under the
FOI Act, the  will require sufficient information concerning the specific
existing documents to which you seek access, in order to enable the
Department   to identify those documents. 

You do not necessarily need to be able to identify the exact documents you
are seeking, but you need to provide the Department with sufficient
information to enable us to identify them. Given the very broad nature of
the functions that this  has responsibility for, at a very minimum, we
will require advice as to which business areas might hold the documents
you are seeking to access. A copy of the Department’s organisation chart
is available on the Department’s website [2]here which may assist you with
this.

In addition, you may wish to consider providing a timeframe for your
request to assist the Department’s officers to reasonably be able to
identify the documents to which you seek access.

You now have an opportunity to revise your request  to ensure it is a
valid request under section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act and to enable it to
proceed.

·         The Department can only provide documents related to our
agency.  We ask that you revise your scope removing any reference to other
agencies, specifically Australian Federal Police and the Australian
Security Intelligence Organisation.

·         If you are wanting to request information from Australian
Federal Police, please note they have their own separate FOI function.
  You can lodge a request directly with them via web link [3]Freedom of
Information access requests - AFP  or via email [4][email address].

·         ASIO is not subject to the same freedom of information
requirements as other government agencies. That means access to ASIO
records is only available through the Archives Act 1983, via the National
Archives of Australia.   For further information about this please refer
to web link :- [5]ASIO records | naa.gov.au which has a link to
[6]Intelligence or surveillance records inquiry form - RefTracker which
NAA submit to ASIO to request search of relevant records.

·         FOI and the relevant business area require your assistance to
narrow down the scope of your request due to its broad nature and the
amount of Departmental resources involved in processing this
request.  Please assist by specifying the exact documents you are after.

Under section 24AB(6) of the FOI Act, you have 14 days to do one of the
following:

·         withdraw your request;

·         make a revised request;

·         indicate that you do not wish to revise your request.

If you do not do one of the three things listed above during the
consultation period (14 days), or you do not consult the contact person
listed below during this period, your request will be taken to have been
withdrawn in accordance with section 24AB(7) of the FOI Act.

Contact

Should you wish to revise your request or have any questions in relation
to this process, please do not hesitate to contact [Department of Home Affairs request email].

Kind Regards

David (he/him)
Team Leader – Authorised FOI Officer, Freedom of Information
Position Number 60157647

Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch

Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [7][Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote: 

FOI Request:     FA 25/06/00890     

File Number:      FA25/06/00890

Dear David Iorlano (Right to Know)

Thank you for revising the scope of your FOI request. 

On 19 June 2025 you amended the scope of your request to: 

Revised Scope 19 June 2025

I am writing to revise my request under section 24AB of the FOI Act.

I now seek access only to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs
that contain information about me, David Iorlano, in accordance with
section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act.

Specifically, I request access to:

--> Any correspondence, notes, assessments, case files, visa applications,
incident reports, or internal communications that refer to me by name or
unique identifiers (e.g. passport number, visa grant number, etc.).

--> Any documents that reference surveillance, investigation, monitoring,
or security assessments conducted in relation to me.

--> Any documents created or received by the Department between 1 January
2019 and the date of this request.

For clarity, this request excludes:

--> Any documents originating from or held solely by the Australian
Federal Police, ASIO, or other agencies not under the Department of Home
Affairs.

--> Any information not directly pertaining to myself.

If required, I am happy to provide proof of identity or additional details
(e.g. date of birth, passport number, visa reference) to assist in
locating the correct records.

If documents are subject to exemption, I request that partial releases be
made with redactions, and that the reasons for exemptions be provided.

I request to receive the documents electronically via this email: 
[email address]

Your scope has been accepted and our Personal FOI team will continue to
process your revised FOI request and notify you of the outcome after a
decision is made on your request. 

Kind Regards

David (he/him)
Team Leader – Authorised FOI Officer, Freedom of Information
Position Number 60157647

Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch

Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs

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

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections