Latest WhatsApp Message

Jackson Gothe-Snape made this Freedom of Information request to Minister for 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 refused by Minister for Home Affairs.

Jackson Gothe-Snape

Dear Minister for Home Affairs,

This is a request under the FOI Act.

Can you please provide the latest WhatsApp message sent by the Minister, including who it was sent to, when it was sent and the content of the message.

Yours faithfully,

Jackson Gothe-Snape

FOI, Minister for Home Affairs

** This is an automated response. Please do not reply to this email **

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

 

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For matters not relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, please
refer to the information below to assist in the resolution of your
enquiry.

 

General information regarding travelling to Australia

Information for visitors to Australia can be found [1]here.

Information regarding potential visa options can be found [2]here.

 

Updating your details once a visa has been granted, including minor
corrections to date of birth and name

The Department has an administrative process for minor corrections to date
of birth or name due to client error (such an a typographical error in an
online application) where the visa application has already been finalised.

You can update your details online if your application is available in
ImmiAccount. Go to the Department’s website [3]here.
Alternatively, you can complete a form 929, which can be found [4]here.
The completed form and attachments should be sent by email to
[5][email address]. This form will not be actioned by the FOI
Section.

Request for a copy of your Visa Refusal or Visa Grant letter

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visa application. 

Details of our offices located around the world can be found [6]here.

 

Queries regarding your current Visa status

You can check your visa details and conditions on the Department’s Visa
Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal.  If you do not have the
necessary reference numbers to access the VEVO portal, you should contact
the office where you lodged your visa application for further information.

 

Refund of Visa fees

If you are seeking a refund of fees associated with your Visa, you should
contact the office where you lodged your visa application.  Details of our
offices located around the world can be found [7]here.

 

Making a Visa application

Registered migration agents are authorised to provide immigration advice
or assistance, including advice regarding the lodgement of visa
applications. Further information on migration agents may be found
[8]here.  Please note that the Department is unable to assist you in this
regard.

 

If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your visa
application through ImmiAccount, you should submit your concerns through
the ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [9]here.

 

Australian Citizenship

If you are seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship, you should
complete Form 119, which can be found [10]here.  Details on where to send
your completed form may be found on page 8 of the Form.  This form will
not be actioned by the FOI Section.

 

Information on how to apply for Australian citizenship, information for
Australian citizens and Australian Citizenship Day can be found [11]here.

 

Movement Records/Travel History

If you are seeking evidence of your own travel movements/history you
should complete Form 1359, which can be found [12]here. Details on where
to send your request may be found on page 1 and 2 of the Form. This
request will not be actioned by the FOI Section.

 

Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status

If you are seeking evidence of your own immigration status for
superannuation purposes, you should complete Form 1194, which can be found
[13]here. Details on where to send your completed form may be found on
page 1 of the Form. This request will not be actioned by the FOI Section.

 

Update Passport Details

Information on how to update your address or passport details can be found
[14]here.

 

Notification of Change in Circumstances

If you have lodged a visa application and your circumstances have changed,
you should submit [15]Form 1022 to the office where you lodged your visa
application. Details of our offices located around the world can be found
[16]here. The FOI Section does not process these forms. 

 

Notification of incorrect answers

If you wish to correct answers that you have provided to the Department
either:

·         in a visa application

·         on a passenger card or

·         in response to a notice given to you by the Department inviting
you to comment on possible non-compliance with an obligation to correct
incorrect information

You should submit [17]Form 1023 to the Department. Details of our offices
located around the world can be found [18]here. The FOI Section does not
process these forms. 

 

Duty Free concessions

Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [19]here.

 

General Enquiries

If you have a question, which has not been answered above, and which is
about visa, citizenship, travel or trade, including bringing goods in and
out of Australia, please refer to our general enquiries web form [20]here.

 

 

Thank you

 

Information updated 13 November 2018

 

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi
2. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1
3. http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/immiaccount
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/form-lis...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
7. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
8. https://www.mara.gov.au/
9. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi...
10. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
11. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi
12. http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen...
13. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
14. http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/...
15. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
16. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
17. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
18. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
19. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Duty-...
20. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...

FOI, Minister for Home Affairs

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Gothe-Snape

FOI request FA 18/11/00692

I refer to your FOI request received on 13 November 2018.

Please find attached the decision record.

This request has now been closed.

With kind regards
Freedom of Information Section
FOI, Privacy and Records Management Branch
Productivity and Compliance Division | Corporate and Enabling Group
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Minister for Home Affairs request email]
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. The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.

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

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

The agency has replied and said that the application is not a valid request under the FOI Act. Because it is not (according to the agency) a valid request, they believe that the decision by the agency to ignore the request (they say "this request is now closed") is not a reviewable decision so they did not bother to tell the applicant about his review rights. However, the Information Commissioner has previously decided that ANY decision to refuse an applicant's request for documents is an "access refusal decision" under the Act. This includes a decision that an application was not valid. So, the applicant could have asked for IC review if he wanted to do this. It is not too late to make an application for IC review but he could make the same request as before to the agency and when the agency again says the application is not valid, then he can ask for IC review.

I cannot today remember exactly which IC review contains the decision I have described but if you cannot find it yourself, please contact me and I will get it quickly.

Locutus Sum left an annotation ()

The decision that I was thinking about is Parnell and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport [2011] AICmr 3 (11 April 2011). The Information Commissioner says:
"The decision under review is the decision made on behalf of the Minister, reported to Mr Parnell on 17 November 2010, to refuse to respond to Mr Parnell’s request, on the basis that the documents sought were not covered by the FOI Act. The Department characterised this decision as being ‘an administrative response’ and not ‘a formal decision under the FOI Act’.[1] If Mr Parnell’s request was not valid, because the documents sought were not covered by the FOI Act, then there was no IC reviewable decision for the purposes of Part VII of the Act. However, it is well established that it is within the power of a merit review body to decide whether its own jurisdiction has been enlivened.[2] Accordingly, I can consider whether Mr Parnell’s request was validly made under the FOI Act and, if it was, conduct an IC review of the decision to refuse access. As explained in [14] below, a personal reference signed by a minister can be a ministerial document for the purposes of the FOI Act. Accordingly the Minister’s decision was ‘a decision refusing to give access to a document in accordance with a request’ and was, therefore, an access refusal decision (s 53A(a)). Access refusal decisions are IC reviewable decisions for the purposes of Part VII of the FOI Act (ss 54K(a) and 54L)."