Procedural document Individualised Assessments consultations

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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.

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

If you have lost or misplaced correspondence regarding your Visa Refusal
or Visa Grant, or you wish to confirm the authenticity of your Visa
Refusal or Visa Grant, you should contact the office where you lodged your
visa application.

Details of our offices located around the world can be found [3]here.

Checking your current Visa details and conditions

You can check your visa details and conditions on the Department’s Visa
Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can be accessed
[4]here. 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.

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If you are seeking a refund of fees associated with your Visa, you should
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offices located around the world can be found [5]here.

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or assistance, including advice regarding the lodgement of visa
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regard.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your visa
application through ImmiAccount, you should submit your concerns through
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Australian Citizenship

If you are seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship, please refer
[8]here.

Information on how to apply for Australian citizenship, information for
Australian citizens and Australian Citizenship Day can be found [9]here.

The FOI Section does not process these requests.

Movement Records/Travel History

If you are seeking evidence of your own travel movements/history you
should complete Form 1359, which can be found [10]here.

The FOI Section does not process these requests.

Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status

Information about accessing your superannuation after leaving Australia
can be found [11]here.

The FOI Section does not process these requests.

Changes in your situation including updating your Passport Details

If your situation has changes or is about to change, you need to tell us
because your visa might be affected.

Information can be found [12]here about how to notify the Department of a
change in your situation.

The FOI Section does not process these requests.

Duty Free concessions

Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [13]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 [14]here.

Thank you

Information updated 9 September 2020

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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.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
5. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
6. https://www.mara.gov.au/
7. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi...
8. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
9. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
10. https://www.abf.gov.au/form-listing/form...
11. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
12. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
13. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Duty-...
14. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...

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OFFICIAL

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 20/09/01170
File Number: OBJ2020/30645

Dear Mr Ross

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

I refer to your correspondence received on 24 September 2020 seeking access to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:

Please provide all communications between the Department and the following organisations that were consulted for the purposes of producing the procedural instruction Individualised Assessments (document ID: VM-5272):

- Refugee and International Law Section, Legal Advice and Operational Support Branch
- Temporary Protection Visa Assessment Branch
- Secrecy and Disclosure Section
- Status Resolution Framework Return & Removal Policy Section, Community Protection and Border Policy Branch
- Child Welfare Policy Section, Child Protection and Wellbeing Branch
- Onshore Protection Policy Section, Humanitarian, Family and Citizenship Policy Branch
- Joint Agency Taskforce, Operation Sovereign Borders
- Counter People Smuggling Section, Pacific and Transnational Issues Branch
- Records Management Section, FOi Privacy and Records Management Branch.
Your request was received by the Department on 24 September 2020 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 20/09/01170 . Please include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.

Timeframe for receiving your decision

The statutory timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the date upon which your application was received by the Department.

Your review rights in relation to your request are available on the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner here.
Exclusion of staff details

The Department’s policy is to exclude the personal details of staff 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.

Duplicate 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 exists.
Publication of document

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.
Contacting the FOI Section

Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at [DIBP request email].

Yours sincerely,

FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy & Law Enforcement Group
Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]

OFFICIAL

-----Original Message-----
From: Elias Ross <[FOI #6753 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 24 September 2020 3:39 PM
To: FOI <[DIBP request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Procedural document Individualised Assessments consultations

Dear Department of Home Affairs,

Please provide all communications between the Department and the following organisations that were consulted for the purposes of producing the procedural instruction Individualised Assessments (document ID: VM-5272):

- Refugee and International Law Section, Legal Advice and Operational Support Branch
- Temporary Protection Visa Assessment Branch
- Secrecy and Disclosure Section
- Status Resolution Framework Return & Removal Policy Section, Community Protection and Border Policy Branch
- Child Welfare Policy Section, Child Protection and Wellbeing Branch
- Onshore Protection Policy Section, Humanitarian, Family and Citizenship Policy Branch
- Joint Agency Taskforce, Operation Sovereign Borders
- Counter People Smuggling Section, Pacific and Transnational Issues Branch
- Records Management Section, FOi Privacy and Records Management Branch

Yours faithfully,

Elias Ross

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6753 email]

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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.

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OFFICIAL

Good morning,

I refer to your request received on 24 September 2020 for access to documents under the FOI Act.

The current due date for your request is 24 October 2020.

Due to the number of requests currently being processed by our office, we will not be able to finalise your request by the original due date.

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 23 November 2020.

It would assist the Department in managing its FOI caseload if you could provide a response to this request by close of business, Friday 16 October 2020.

If you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI section on the details below.

Yours sincerely,

FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy & Law Enforcement Group
Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]

OFFICIAL

-----Original Message-----
From: FOI
Sent: Friday, 25 September 2020 2:21 PM
To: 'Elias Ross' <[FOI #6753 email]>
Subject: HPRM: Acknowledgement – FOI request FA 20/09/01170 [SEC=OFFICIAL]

OFFICIAL

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 20/09/01170
File Number: OBJ2020/30645

Dear Mr Ross

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

I refer to your correspondence received on 24 September 2020 seeking access to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:

Please provide all communications between the Department and the following organisations that were consulted for the purposes of producing the procedural instruction Individualised Assessments (document ID: VM-5272):

- Refugee and International Law Section, Legal Advice and Operational Support Branch
- Temporary Protection Visa Assessment Branch
- Secrecy and Disclosure Section
- Status Resolution Framework Return & Removal Policy Section, Community Protection and Border Policy Branch
- Child Welfare Policy Section, Child Protection and Wellbeing Branch
- Onshore Protection Policy Section, Humanitarian, Family and Citizenship Policy Branch
- Joint Agency Taskforce, Operation Sovereign Borders
- Counter People Smuggling Section, Pacific and Transnational Issues Branch
- Records Management Section, FOi Privacy and Records Management Branch.
Your request was received by the Department on 24 September 2020 and has been allocated FOI request number FA 20/09/01170 . Please include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.

Timeframe for receiving your decision

The statutory timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the date upon which your application was received by the Department.

Your review rights in relation to your request are available on the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner here.
Exclusion of staff details

The Department’s policy is to exclude the personal details of staff 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.

Duplicate 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 exists.
Publication of document

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.
Contacting the FOI Section

Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at [DIBP request email].

Yours sincerely,

FOI Officer
Freedom of Information
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division Strategy & Law Enforcement Group Department of Home Affairs | Email: [DIBP request email]