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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Home Affairs Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section.

The FOI section only responds to valid FOI requests and other matters
relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).  Visit the
FOI Information on our Website for more information on what [1]information
can be accessed under the FOI Act 1982.

What is a valid FOI request?

A valid FOI request may be for:

- documents you previously provided to the Department as part of a visa
application

- a copy of a decision record made by the Department

- statistical information held by the Department

- papers or briefings the Department prepared.

If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request.

A valid FOI request must:

o Be in writing and state the request is for consideration under the FOI
Act.
o Have enough information for us to be able to identify the documents
you are seeking.
o Provide a physical or electronic address where we can send our
decision.

Do not send duplicate emails as this may cause longer delays in processing
times.

What is an invalid FOI request?

Invalid FOI requests may include:

- Making a visa application

- Seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship

- Seeking information about traveling to or departing Australia.

If your email is not specific an FOI request or FOI related matter, the
FOI section will not respond.

What happens next?

Once we receive and have registered your FOI request, we will send you an
acknowledgment letter by email. Read the acknowledgment letter carefully
for further instructions.

FOI requests are generally processed in the order they are received.

We will contact you as soon as the Department has assessed your request
under the FOI Act.

We’re responding to a large volume of requests

Due to the current high volume of requests, we will not provide progress
up-dates on current FOI requests.  This is to ensure we are able to
process as many requests as possible, including yours.

If processing your request is going to take us a lot of time and because
it is large or unspecific, it may be refused.  

Still have a question or request?

If you still have a question, which has not been answered above, and which
is about the work of the Department, use our general enquiries web page

[2]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...

You may be able to resolve your enquiry faster using these other resources

We only action and respond to FOI requests that are valid under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982. You may be able to resolve your enquiry
faster by using these resources:

General information about travelling to Australia:

The Department of Home Affairs, “Entering Australia” site
[3]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...

·       For visa and our requirements for entry to Australia
[4]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...

For a copy of your visa refusal or visa grant letter you should contact
the office where you lodged your visa application. 

·       To check your current visa details and conditions use the
Department’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can
be accessed [5]here

·       If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your
visa application through ImmiAccount, submit your concerns through the
ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [6]here.

·       For evidence of your Australian Citizenship please refer [7]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.

·       For movement records or travel history complete the online
International Movement Records form [8]here. The FOI Section does not
process these requests.

·       To update your details, including your Passport details, you can
notify the Department [9]here. The FOI Section does not process these
requests.

We appreciate your feedback         

We appreciate your feedback to help improve our services.

If you would like to provide feedback to us please use our Compliments,
complaints and suggestions form.
[10]https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

Thank you

Information updated 11 January 2022

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.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/access-an...
2. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
3. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
5. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
6. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
7. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
8. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
9. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-i...
10. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

26 August 2022

Tharun Thatikonda
BY EMAIL: [FOI #9305 email]

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 22/08/01326
File Number: OBJ2022/22953

Dear Tharun Thatikonda

I refer to your email dated 24 August 2022, in which you requested access to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

You have requested access to the following:

I request to release all the documents in relation to SkillSelect invitation round details held on 22nd August 2022 like correspondence details exchanged between various business areas of skillSelect department.
I request to release the information in line with document released for the FOI request fa-200700958.

Intention to refuse request

I am writing to tell you that I intend to refuse your request on the basis that a practical refusal reason exists. However, before I make a final decision to do this, you have an opportunity to revise your request to remove the practical refusal reason. This is called a ‘request consultation process’. You have 14 days to respond to this notice in one of the ways set out below.

Power to refuse request

Section 24 of the FOI Act provides that if the Department is satisfied that a practical refusal reason exists in relation to a request, the Department must undertake a consultation process with you, and if, after that consultation process, the Department remains satisfied that the practical refusal reason still exists, the Department may refuse to give you access to the documents subject to the request.

Practical refusal

A practical refusal reason exists under section 24AA of the FOI Act if either (or both) of the following applies:
(1)(a)(i) the work involved in the processing of the request would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the Department from its other operations
(1)(b) the request does not satisfy the requirement in section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act, which requires you to provide such information concerning the document you are seeking access to, to enable the Department to be able to identify it.

I consider that the request does not satisfy the requirements of section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act, and accordingly that practical refusal reasons exist under section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act.

Reasons for practical refusal

The Department has considered the scope of this request and its capacity to conduct searches of relevance based on the current scope. The Freedom of Information Act 1982 provides a right to obtain access to “a document of an agency”. It is my preliminary view that your request, in its current form, does not satisfy the requirement in section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act and is therefore not valid.

In consideration of the above, I am satisfied that the Department is currently unable to identify documents of relevance based on the information provided in scope. I consider that this would result in the decision maker being unable to certify that all relevant documents have been provided and considered in the assessment of this request and that a practical refusal reason exists in relation to this request.

As such, I am satisfied that your request is not valid and a practical refusal reason exists in this request.

Request Consultation Process

To enable the Department to consider your request for access under the FOI Act, the Department will require sufficient information concerning the specific existing documents you are seeking access to, so as to enable the Department to identify those documents.

Please be advised that your request for “all the documents” is too broad to identify relevant business areas of the Department and/or conduct effective searches.

To assist the Department with searches, please specify the type of documents you seek.

You now have an opportunity to revise your request to enable it to proceed.

Your request is currently not a valid request for the purposes of section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act. As part of this practical refusal consultation, you have 14 days to do one of the following:

• withdraw your request;
• make a revised request;
• indicate that you do not wish to revise your request.

If you do not do one of the three things listed above during the consultation period (14 days) or you do not consult the contact person listed below during this period, the Department will take no further action with your request.

Contact

Should you wish to revise your request or have any questions in relation to this process, please do not hesitate to contact [Department of Home Affairs request email].

Kind regards

Jade
Position number: 60107422
Authorised FOI Officer
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy and National Resilience Group
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

FOI Request: FA 22/08/01326
File Number: OBJ2022/22953

Dear Tharun Thatikonda

Thank you for your email. We will re-commence processing your request, and you will be notified of the outcome.

Kind regards

Jade
Position number: 60107422
Authorised FOI Officer
FOI and Records Management Branch | Data Division
Strategy and National Resilience Group
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 22/08/01326
File Number: OBJ2022/22953

Dear Tharun Thatikonda

I refer to your request received on 24 August 2022 for access to documents under the FOI Act.

The current due date for your request is 26 September 2022.

In order for the Department to complete the process of retrieving all the documents that fall within the scope of your request the Department will require additional time to process your request.

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 Sunday 23 October 2022. However, as this date falls on a non-working day, section 36(2) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 provides that the latest date the Department may issue a decision would be the next working day, which is Monday 24 October 2022.

It would assist the Department in managing its FOI caseload if you could provide a response to this request by close of business, Monday 19 September 2022

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

Kind regards

FOI Officer - Jade
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
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 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.

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

FOI Request: FA 22/08/01326
File Number: OBJ2022/22953

Dear Tharun Thatikonda

Thank you for your email enquiring about the progress of your FOI request.

Please be advised that the Department is currently processing a large number of FOI requests. Our staff are working hard and the Department is committed to processing your request as quickly as possible.

A number of documents have been identified as falling within the scope of your request and an FOI Officer will be reviewing those documents in due course. A decision on access will be made on your request and you will be notified of this as soon as possible.

Kind regards

FOI Officer - Jade
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs
E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL

In reply please quote:

FOI Request:       FA 22/08/01326

File Number:       OBJ2022/22953

Dear Tharun Thatikonda,

This email refers to your FOI request received on 24 August 2022 seeking
access to:

I request to release all the documents in relation to SkillSelect
invitation round details held on 22nd August 2022 like correspondence
details exchanged between various business areas of skillSelect
department.

The purpose of this email is to advise you (as required under s.24AB of
the FOI Act) that I consider a 'practical refusal reason' exists under
s.24AA of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) in relation to
your request.  I have set out my reasons in the attached notice. 

The FOI Act requires that you respond to this notice before the end of the
consultation period, which is close of business Australian Eastern
Standard Time (AEST) Thursday 17 November 2022.  

As advised in the notice, you may reply to me at this email address
([1][Department of Home Affairs request email])

Signed electronically

Glen

Position number 60081621

Authorised Decision Maker | Freedom of Information Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division | Strategy and National Resilience Group

Department of Home Affairs

OFFICIAL

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.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

In reply please quote:

FOI Request:       FA 22/08/01326

Dear Tharun Thatikonda,

I refer to your FOI request received on 24 August 2022.

The Department has made a decision on this request. Please find attached a
decision record and any documents released under the FOI Act.  

This request has been closed in our system.

Signed electronically

Glen

Position number 60081621

Authorised Decision Maker | Freedom of Information Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data and Economic Analysis Centre | Executive Group

Department of Home Affairs

OFFICIAL

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.