Proposed pilot for a Refugee Student Settlement Pathway
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
Under the FOI Act, please provide a copy of the brief titled “Proposed pilot for a Refugee Student Settlement Pathway” sent to the Minister for Immigration’s office on 05/01/2024 with the PDR number: MS23-002069
Yours faithfully,
Oliver Smith
[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.
 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.
 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
 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 examination details of your appointment to [19]ImmiAccount. 
 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 lodge Find out how to provide [25]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-...
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
 Personal-Privacy
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 24/08/01004
File Number: FA24/08/01004
Dear Oliver Smith (Right to Know)
Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
 This letter acknowledges that on 16 August 2024 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:
 Under the FOI Act, please provide a copy of the brief titled “Proposed
 pilot for a Refugee Student Settlement Pathway” sent to the Minister for
 Immigration’s office on 05/01/2024 with the PDR number: MS23-002069.
 Your request has been allocated FOI request number FA 24/08/01004. 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
 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
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
 Personal-Privacy
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 24/08/01004
File Number: FA24/08/01004
Dear Oliver Smith (Right to Know)
 I refer to your request received on 16 August 2024 for access to documents
 under the FOI Act. 
 The current due date for your request is 15 September 2024. 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 15 October 2024. 
 The reason we are seeking an extension of time is due to demand for
 Departmental documents is high and we continue to experience increasing
 volumes of incoming requests particularly in recent months. Each request
 received by the Department is managed in the context of this large volume
 which can impact the timeliness of our decisions and as such we seek
 agreement from applicants on extensions of time where possible. We are
 endeavouring to ensure, as an applicant, you understand the likely
 timeframe for your request to be finalised. We continue to try to process
 requests as quickly as possible regardless of if an extension is provided.
 If you could please provide a response to this request by close of
 business, 02 September 2024.
Kind Regards,
 David
 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
Dear FOI,
Thank-you for your email. This FOI request relates to a single document where I have provided the document’s name, the date it was sent and its identifying number within your filing system. While I am sympathetic to your workload, the solution is not asking citizens to give up their legal rights, it is expecting the government of the day to provide the resources for the department to meet its legal obligations. In this case, the department has not even attempted to meet its legal obligations to respond within 30 days. I am willing to consider an extension closer to the 30 day deadline if the department can demonstrate it has made genuine efforts to meet its legal obligations in the first instance rather then send a template request. I do not agree to the request for an extension at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Smith
Dear Department of Home Affairs,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Home Affairs's handling of my FOI request 'Proposed pilot for a Refugee Student Settlement Pathway'.
This FOI request relates to a single document where the document’s name, the date it was sent and its identifying number within the Home Affairs filing system were all provided.
The Department has not provided any specific update on the progress of this request that would suggest it cannot meet its legal obligations beyond a generic extension request following the original lodgement.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/p...
Yours faithfully,
Oliver Smith
[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
Dear Oliver Smith
I refer to your email received by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) on 18 September 2024 in which you requested an internal review of Freedom of Information request for FA24/08/01004. Please find attached Acknowledgement letter.
Kind regards,
Nurun
Freedom of Information Reviews Team
Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch | Legal Group Department of Home Affairs
E: [email address]
Date: 20/09/2024
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Dear Oliver Smith
FOI request FA 24/08/01004
 I refer to your FOI request received on 16 August 2024, seeking access to
 the following:
 Under the FOI Act, please provide a copy of the brief titled “Proposed
 pilot for a Refugee Student Settlement Pathway” sent to the Minister for
 Immigration’s office on 05/01/2024 with the PDR number: MS23-002069
 .
 The Department has made a decision on this request. Please find attached
 the decision record and documents released under the FOI Act.
This request has now been closed.
Kind regards,
Lyn
Position Number: 60201320
Privacy, FOI & Records Management Branch | Legal Group
Department of Home Affairs
Email: [1][Department of Home Affairs request email]
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
 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
 1. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

