Processing of FOI requests
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.
Dear Department of Immigration and Border Protection,
I would like to see all internal correspondence within the department regarding the processing of FOI requests.
I'm only interested in documents that relate to the internal processing of FOI requests, not FOI requests themselves. I don't consent to the redaction of departmental employee names or positions, but feel free to redact contact numbers.
Please limit the time period to the last 12 months, and exclude FOI requests for personal information. If this is too onerous let me know what a good timeframe would be.
As always, please process this request under administrative access. If it can't be processed that way, treat it as a formal FOI request.
Yours faithfully,
Ben Fairless
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Your email has been received by the Department of Immigration and Border
Protection’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Section. Please note that we
will only action and respond to FOI requests and other matters relating to
the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request. Please be aware that there has been a
significant increase in the number of FOI requests received and that there
may be delays in the processing of your request. Please do not send
duplicate emails as this may also cause delays in processing times.
For matters not relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, your
email will not be actioned by the FOI Section. As a matter of guidance,
please refer to the information below to assist in the resolution of your
enquiry.
General information regarding travelling 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.
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 [4]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
[5]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 [6]here.
Australian Citizenship
If you are seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship, you should
complete Form 119, which can be found [7]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 [8]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 [9]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
[10]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
[11]here.
Notification of Change in Circumstances
If you have lodged a visa application and your circumstances have changed,
you should submit [12]Form 1022 to the office where you lodged your visa
application. Details of our offices located around the world can be found
[13]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 [14]Form 1023 to the Department. Details of our offices
located around the world can be found [15]here. The FOI Section does not
process these forms.
Duty Free concessions
Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [16]here.
General Enquiries
If you have a question, which has not been answered above, and which is
about visa, citizenship, trave or trade, including brining goods in and
out of Australia, please refer to our general enquiries web form [17]here.
Yours Sincerely
FOI Helpdesk
Freedom of Information Section
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Information updated 30 September 2016
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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. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
5. https://www.mara.gov.au/
6. https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Immi...
7. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
8. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi
9. http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocumen...
10. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
11. http://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/Form/...
12. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
13. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
14. http://www.border.gov.au/Forms/Documents...
15. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/o...
16. http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Ente/Duty-...
17. http://www.border.gov.au/about/contact/m...
Our references: FA 16/11/00182; ADF2016/65888
Good morning Mr Fairless
Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
On 4 November 2016, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection
(the Department) received an access request under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).
Your request has been allocated FOI request number FA 16/11/00182. Please
include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section.
Scope of request
You have requested access to:
'all internal correspondence within the Department regarding the
processing of FOI requests, specifically documents that relate to the
internal processing of FOI requests, not FOI requests themselves. I don't
consent to the redaction of departmental employee names or positions, but
feel free to redact contact numbers. Please limit the time period to the
last 12 months, and exclude FOI requests for personal information'
I note that the scope of your request is potentially broad in its nature,
and in order to clarify the type of documents that you intend to capture
by the scope of your request, could you please confirm the following:
· Your request is for documents addressed to the FOI Section,
either to the Director, or the Section in generally, regarding broad
instructions and directions concerning FOI requests generally, and
specifically excludes correspondence about the management of individual
FOI requests.
· You do not require any correspondence that concerns the
processing of requests for personal information, noting that the majority
of the 24,000 requests processed by the Department in the past 12 months
have been requests from individuals for access to their own personal
information.
· The scope of your request relates specifically to general policy
and/or instructions, from the Executive regarding the processing of
non-personal information requests, to the FOI Section.
If the above is an accurate reflection of the intent of your request, may
I suggest that we modify the wording of your request to clarify the type
of documents you are seeking access to, as follows:
'all correspondence from the Executive to the FOI Section, either
generally or to the Director, which specifically contains policy or
instructions regarding the general processing of FOI requests by the
Department, but expressly excluding correspondence that relates to the
processing of specific FOI requests. I do not require any correspondence
that relates specifically to the processing of the FOI requests that the
Department receives from individuals for access to their own personal
information. I don't consent to the redaction of departmental employee
names or positions, but feel free to redact contact numbers. Please limit
the time period to the last 12 months'
Request for an extension of time
Please be aware that the Department has seen a significant increase in the
number of FOI requests received. 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.
For this reason the Department seeks your agreement (under s.15AA of the
FOI Act) to extend the timeframe for the processing of your request by 30
days. It would assist the Department in managing its FOI caseload if you
could provide a response to this request by close of business, Friday 11
November 2016.
Contacting the FOI Section
If you wish to discuss your access request you may contact the FOI Section
using the details provided below
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss.
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer/Freedom of Information Section
Information Management Branch | Corporate Services Division
Corporate Group
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
E: [1][email address]
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]
Dear FOI,
Responses below:
· Your request is for documents addressed to the FOI Section,
either to the Director, or the Section in generally, regarding broad
instructions and directions concerning FOI requests generally, and
specifically excludes correspondence about the management of individual
FOI requests.
My response: My request is for documents addressed to the FOI section, and documents internally within the FOI section, that relate to the processing of all requests or a group of requests by a specific subject (for example FOI requests on Nauru).
· You do not require any correspondence that concerns the
processing of requests for personal information, noting that the majority
of the 24,000 requests processed by the Department in the past 12 months
have been requests from individuals for access to their own personal
information.
My Response: I don't require anything related to a request for personal information unless it's part of a group of requests being processed in a specific way. Personal information of members of the public are explicitly excluded.
· The scope of your request relates specifically to general policy
and/or instructions, from the Executive regarding the processing of
non-personal information requests, to the FOI Section.
My Response: Please refer to my previous answers for information on what sort of documents I'm requesting.
If it's easier, is there someone I can call to discuss this request further?
Thanks,
Ben Fairless
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Fairless,
I need to discuss your request with you to obtain further clarity. I think telephone will be easiest; if you could send an email to [email address] from a private email address, I'll send you my telephone number so that we can discuss further.
Regards,
Brad Collins
Freedom of Information Officer
Information Management Branch
Department of Immigration and Border Protection [email address]
UNCLASSIFIED
Our references: FA 16/11/00182; ADF2016/65888
Dear Mr Fairless,
This email refers to your FOI request received on 2 November 2016 seeking
access to:
I would like to see all internal correspondence within the department
regarding the
processing of FOI requests.
I'm only interested in documents that relate to the internal processing of
FOI requests,
not FOI requests themselves. I don't consent to the redaction of
departmental
employee names or positions, but feel free to redact contact numbers.
Please limit the time period to the last 12 months, and exclude FOI
requests for
personal information.
On 11 November 2016 you provided the following clarification:
My request is for documents addressed to the FOI section, and documents
internally
within the FOI section, that relate to the processing of all requests or a
group of
requests by a specific subject (for example FOI requests on Nauru).
I don't require anything related to a request for personal information
unless it's part of
a group of requests being processed in a specific way. Personal
information of
members of the public are explicitly excluded.
The purpose of this email is to advise you, as required under s.24AB of
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) that I consider a practical
refusal reason exists under s.24AA of the FOI Act in relation to your
request. I have set out my reasons and the actions required by you (to
consult on the scope of your request) in the attached notice.
The current due date for your FOI request is 2 December 2016. In
accordance with s.24AB(8) of the FOI Act the legislated processing time
for your request is suspended during the consultation period. Please refer
to the attached notice for further details.
The FOI Act requires that you respond to this notice before the end of the
consultation period, which is close of business Tuesday 13 December 2016.
You may consult with me by replying to this email: [1][email address]
Yours Sincerely,
Brad Collins
Freedom of Information Officer
Information Management Branch
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
[2][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]
2. mailto:[email address]
Dear Brad,
Can you give me your best contact number? I'm in Perth so if you work back later than others I can call you after 5pm AEDT, otherwise what did you need to clarify?
Yours sincerely,
Ben Fairless
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Mr Fairless.
Thank you for your email. I was hoping to clarify what you were looking for with your request, in order to narrow the scope enough to make it manageable. As I mentioned in the notice I sent you yesterday, in its current form, your request is so unwieldy that it's going to be almost impossible to narrow it sufficiently within the current parameters. If you're able to provide some more targeted subject matter, then it may be possible to reduce the size of your request to be manageable.
I'm reluctant to send my phone number to be published on the Right To Know website; however, if you'd prefer to discuss this by phone, you can either send me your phone number and a convenient time to call, or an email from a different email account and I'll provide you my number that way. I'm also happy to discuss this by email if you would prefer.
Regards,
Brad Collins
Freedom of Information Officer
Information Management Branch
Department of Immigration and Border Protection [email address]
UNCLASSIFIED
Our references: FA 16/11/00182; ADF2016/65888
Dear Mr Fairless,
Thank you for your FOI request received on 2 November 2016 for:
I would like to see all internal correspondence within the department
regarding the processing of FOI requests.
I'm only interested in documents that relate to the internal processing of
FOI requests, not FOI requests themselves. I don't consent to the
redaction of departmental employee names or positions, but feel free to
redact contact numbers.
Please limit the time period to the last 12 months, and exclude FOI
requests for personal information.
On 11 November 2016 you provided the following clarification:
My request is for documents addressed to the FOI section, and documents
internally within the FOI section, that relate to the processing of all
requests or a group of requests by a specific subject (for example FOI
requests on Nauru).
I don't require anything related to a request for personal information
unless it's part of a group of requests being processed in a specific way.
Personal information of members of the public are explicitly excluded.
I am writing to you about the s.24AB notice that I sent to you on 29
November 2016.. The consultation period under the FOI Act expired at
close of business on 13 December 2016. As you did not respond to me by the
end of the consultation period, your request is deemed to have been
withdrawn by the operation of the FOI Act (s.24AB (6) and (7)). The
attached letter provides more detail.
Yours sincerely,
Brad Collins
Freedom of Information Officer
Information Management Branch
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
[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]