Privacy

What is the Privacy Act

The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) is concerned with the personal information of individuals. The rules governing how an agency (such as the department) deals with the personal information of individuals are contained in eleven Information Privacy Principles (IPP). IPP 6 states that an individual is entitled to access to their own personal information. It also allows a department to refer a request for a document to the FOI process.

Release of your own information

If you want access to any of your own information, you should contact the department first.  We can provide copies of some documents without the need for you to make an FOI request.
Example: We can provide a copy of the application you submitted to the department and copies of letters already sent to you such as decision letters.

Your original documents such as police checks, marriage certificates, academic records submitted by you can also be returned to you without having to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

If your request relates to such a document you can request it by using application Form 424A. You can post the form or contact your nearest departmental office. Departmental office addresses can be found on our website.
See:
Form 424A Request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (130KB PDF file)
Australian Offices
Immigration Offices Outside Australia

Note: If your request doesn't relate solely to your own personal information you may be asked to make an application and lodge it under the provisions of the Freedom Of Information Act 1982.
See: Freedom of Information

Changing your personal information

Information Privacy Principle 7 of the Privacy Act allows for the correction of client records where they are inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. It can be used where there are clear errors in a client's record and do not give rise to any questions of the person's identity.

Where our records about you are clearly wrong they may be amended under Privacy without requiring you to make a request for amendment under the FOI Act. Contact your nearest departmental office if you think there is an obvious error in your records.
See:
Australian Offices
Immigration Offices Outside Australia