FOI Applications over 2015

Ben Fairless made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Home Affairs

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department of Immigration and Border Protection,

Can you please provide a copy of documents which contain the below information:
- Details of requests received by the Freedom of Information and Privacy section of the Department, categorised by month
- Details of requests completed by the Freedom of Information and Privacy section of the Department, categorised by month
- Details of requests completed by the Freedom of Information and Privacy section of the Department, categorised by month which were processed as Administratively
- Internal correspondence in relation to the current Automatic Reply which is sent from the FOI Mailbox.

Please can you process this request Administratively, however if it cannot be processed this way then please process this request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Fairless

**This is an automated response. Please do not respond to this email**
Information updated 17 November 2015

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Immigration and Border
Protection’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Section.  This response is
verification that we have received your email. Please be aware that if
your query is addressed by this email, you will not receive a further
individual response.  Please do not send duplicate emails as this may
cause delays in processing.

 

If your request is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you to
acknowledge your request. Please be aware that there has been a
significant increase in the number of FOI requests received and there may
be delays in the processing of your request.

 

Please note that the Department’s FOI Section does not process the
following types of requests:

 

Notification of Change in Circumstances

The FOI Section does not process these forms. You should resubmit Form
1022 to the office where you lodged your visa application or to the
nearest office of the Department.

 

Notification of incorrect answers

The FOI Section does not process these forms. You should resubmit Form
1023 to the office where you lodged your visa application or to the
nearest office of the Department.

 

Australian Citizenship Enquiries

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request.  Please complete form 119, by clicking on the
following link:
[1]http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
You may return the completed form and attachments to the Department by
mail. Please refer to page 8 of form 119 for details on where to send your
request.

 

Movement Records

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request.  Please complete form 1359, by clicking on the
following link:
[2]http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen....
You may return the completed form to the Department either by mail; or in
person, to your nearest office. Please refer to page 1 and 2 for details
on where to send your request.

 

Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request. Please complete form 1194, by clicking on the
following link:
[3]http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
You may return the completed form to the Department either by email; post;
or fax. Please refer to page 1 for details on where to send your request.

 

Update Passport Details

If your query relates to a updating your address or passport details,
please refer to the following link:
[4]http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/....

 

General Enquiries

If your enquiry is about visas, trade, or is general in nature, and does
not relate directly to a Freedom of Information request, you should
contact the department’s general enquiries line at the following link:
[5]http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m....

 

If your request does not relate directly to a Freedom of Information
request, and alternative contact details have been provided above, your
email will not be actioned by the FOI Section.

 

Yours Sincerely

FOI Helpdesk

Freedom of Information Section

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

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. 
DIBP respects your privacy and has obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
 

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

References

Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
2. http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen...
3. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
4. http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/...
5. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...

UNCLASSIFIED

Our references; FA 15/12/01767; ADF2015/70048

 

Dear Mr Fairless

 

I write to you in relation to your request seeking access to:

 

Can you please provide a copy of documents which contain the below
information:

1.    Details of requests received by the Freedom of Information and
Privacy section of the Department, categorised by month

2.    Details of requests completed by the Freedom of Information and
Privacy section of the Department, categorised by month

3.    Details of requests completed by the Freedom of Information and
Privacy section of the Department, categorised by month which were
processed as Administratively

4.    Internal correspondence in relation to the current Automatic Reply
which is sent from the FOI Mailbox.

 

Please accept this email as the acknowledgement of this request. Please
note I have numbered the request for ease of reference.

 

Please be aware that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection
(the Department) has seen a significant increase in the number of FOI
requests received by this agency. As a result there are expected delays
involved with the processing of FOI requests at the present time.
Generally, requests will be processed in the order that they are received.
The Department will endeavour to finalise your request as quickly as
possible.

 

Scope of the request

I have understood that you are seeking data in connection to parts 1-3 for
the year 2015. If this is not correct please notify me as soon as
possible.

 

In relation to parts 1 and 2 the Department is able to report on this type
of information however a report will need to be run for each month of
2015.

 

In relation to part 3 of your request the Department is unable to report
on this type of information. This is because our case management system
does not capture when an administrative release occurs. As a result no
documents exist for this part of your request.

 

The Department will consider the release of the available
documents/information to you administratively.

 

Exclusion of non-SES staff personal details and SES telephone contact
details

 

The Department’s policy is to exclude the personal details of officers not
in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as well as the mobile and work
telephone numbers of SES staff, contained in documents that fall within
scope of an FOI request. If you require names and contact details of
non-SES officers, or direct telephone numbers 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.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Janelle Raineri

A/g Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Access to Information | Information Management Task Force

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

P: 02 6264 1580 

E: [email address]

 

Please note I am out of the office from 2:30 PM

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Janelle,

Thanks for coming back to me. Can confirm I'm looking for data in 2015. I assume it's a few clicks in the case management system to get this data so I don't imagine there would be high charges

I would like the names or positions of non-SES staff but other personal info can be excluded.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Fairless

**This is an automated response. Please do not respond to this email**
Information updated 17 November 2015

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Immigration and Border
Protection’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Section.  This response is
verification that we have received your email. Please be aware that if
your query is addressed by this email, you will not receive a further
individual response.  Please do not send duplicate emails as this may
cause delays in processing.

 

If your request is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you to
acknowledge your request. Please be aware that there has been a
significant increase in the number of FOI requests received and there may
be delays in the processing of your request.

 

Please note that the Department’s FOI Section does not process the
following types of requests:

 

Notification of Change in Circumstances

The FOI Section does not process these forms. You should resubmit Form
1022 to the office where you lodged your visa application or to the
nearest office of the Department.

 

Notification of incorrect answers

The FOI Section does not process these forms. You should resubmit Form
1023 to the office where you lodged your visa application or to the
nearest office of the Department.

 

Australian Citizenship Enquiries

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request.  Please complete form 119, by clicking on the
following link:
[1]http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
You may return the completed form and attachments to the Department by
mail. Please refer to page 8 of form 119 for details on where to send your
request.

 

Movement Records

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request.  Please complete form 1359, by clicking on the
following link:
[2]http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen....
You may return the completed form to the Department either by mail; or in
person, to your nearest office. Please refer to page 1 and 2 for details
on where to send your request.

 

Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request. Please complete form 1194, by clicking on the
following link:
[3]http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
You may return the completed form to the Department either by email; post;
or fax. Please refer to page 1 for details on where to send your request.

 

Update Passport Details

If your query relates to a updating your address or passport details,
please refer to the following link:
[4]http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/....

 

General Enquiries

If your enquiry is about visas, trade, or is general in nature, and does
not relate directly to a Freedom of Information request, you should
contact the department’s general enquiries line at the following link:
[5]http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m....

 

If your request does not relate directly to a Freedom of Information
request, and alternative contact details have been provided above, your
email will not be actioned by the FOI Section.

 

Yours Sincerely

FOI Helpdesk

Freedom of Information Section

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

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. 
DIBP respects your privacy and has obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
 

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

References

Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
2. http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen...
3. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
4. http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/...
5. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...

Dear FOI,

This request is well and truly due. Can you let me know the status?

Yours sincerely,

Ben Fairless

**This is an automated response. Please do not respond to this email**
Information updated 17 November 2015

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Immigration and Border
Protection’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Section.  This response is
verification that we have received your email. Please be aware that if
your query is addressed by this email, you will not receive a further
individual response.  Please do not send duplicate emails as this may
cause delays in processing.

 

If your request is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you to
acknowledge your request. Please be aware that there has been a
significant increase in the number of FOI requests received and there may
be delays in the processing of your request.

 

Please note that the Department’s FOI Section does not process the
following types of requests:

 

Notification of Change in Circumstances

The FOI Section does not process these forms. You should resubmit Form
1022 to the office where you lodged your visa application or to the
nearest office of the Department.

 

Notification of incorrect answers

The FOI Section does not process these forms. You should resubmit Form
1023 to the office where you lodged your visa application or to the
nearest office of the Department.

 

Australian Citizenship Enquiries

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request.  Please complete form 119, by clicking on the
following link:
[1]http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
You may return the completed form and attachments to the Department by
mail. Please refer to page 8 of form 119 for details on where to send your
request.

 

Movement Records

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request.  Please complete form 1359, by clicking on the
following link:
[2]http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen....
You may return the completed form to the Department either by mail; or in
person, to your nearest office. Please refer to page 1 and 2 for details
on where to send your request.

 

Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status

The Department has an administrative process to assist individuals with
this type of request. Please complete form 1194, by clicking on the
following link:
[3]http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
You may return the completed form to the Department either by email; post;
or fax. Please refer to page 1 for details on where to send your request.

 

Update Passport Details

If your query relates to a updating your address or passport details,
please refer to the following link:
[4]http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/....

 

General Enquiries

If your enquiry is about visas, trade, or is general in nature, and does
not relate directly to a Freedom of Information request, you should
contact the department’s general enquiries line at the following link:
[5]http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m....

 

If your request does not relate directly to a Freedom of Information
request, and alternative contact details have been provided above, your
email will not be actioned by the FOI Section.

 

Yours Sincerely

FOI Helpdesk

Freedom of Information Section

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

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. 
DIBP respects your privacy and has obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.
 

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

References

Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
2. http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen...
3. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
4. http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/...
5. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...

UNCLASSIFIED

Dear Mr Fairless

Thank you for your email dated 14 March 2016 seeking an update on the below request.

I apologise for the delay in the processing of this request.

To update you documents have been sourced for this request and the request is currently awaiting an available FOI decision maker. Requests are generally being allocated in the order that they were received and there are some delays due to the significant number of FOI requests that the Department currently has on hand.

Yours sincerely

Janelle Raineri
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section Information Management Branch | Corporate Services Division Corporate Group Department of Immigration and Border Protection
P: 02 6264 1580
E: [email address]

Please note I am out of the office from 2:30 PM on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

show quoted sections

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

The reason I write a comment here is to show something interesting. In the 14 March 2016 email (https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/f...) Mr Fairless tells the agency that the request is "overdue". This is not exactly true. If Mr Fairless only made a formal FOI request, it would be true that a decision was overdue, but Mr Fairless told the agency that he would like the agency to process the request "administartively" if possible. The agency decided that it was possible, so the request was not a formal FOI request. For informal administrative requests, there is no time limit in the Act. This is a problem because the agency might delay and delay. I think this is not so here. The agency is trying to be helpful and it takes much time for them to get the information.

It is interesting to compare Mr Fairless's first request with a request from still one other user (https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/i...). This user tried to make a condition for the processing of an administrative request. It did not work. I think the agency made a delay for some reason.

2 Attachments

UNCLASSIFIED

Our references; FA 15/12/01767; ADF2015/70048

 

Dear Mr Fairless

 

I refer to your FOI request received on 25 December 2015.

 

The Department has made an access decision on this request. Please see the
attached decision and documents released.

 

This request has now been closed.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Janelle Raineri

Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

Information Management Branch | Corporate Services Division

Corporate Group

Department of Immigration and Border Protection

E: [1][email address]

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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. 
DIBP respects your privacy and has 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]