The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), on behalf of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Section of the Department of Home Affairs, has issued a communication to all Registered Migration Agents announcing significant improvements to the FOI request process.
This update reflects the Department’s commitment to refining service delivery and ensuring a faster, more efficient experience for migration professionals seeking access to personal information.
Below is the full content of the email sent to Registered Migration Agents:
FOI Update – Improvements to serve you better
In the Freedom of Information Section, we are committed to constantly refining our services to ensure a smoother and faster experience for you. Behind the scenes, we have been streamlining the FOI request process.
Here is what’s new and how it will help us – and you
To maximise the benefit to you from these improvements our preferred submission method is via the online form found here: submit a request for personal information
A new mailbox – a sharper focus
We have renamed our FOI VIC email to: request.personal.information@homeaffairs.gov.au. This change better reflects our core function: handling requests for access to personal information.
Smarter processing with our web form
We have introduced new automation through our online web form, making it easier and quicker for us to clearly identify the nature of incoming requests, so we can allocate them to the most efficient processing stream.
Why this matters:
- Requests are registered correctly and acknowledgment letters automatically sent out.
- The automation allows us to identify requests that can be processed more quickly under the Privacy Act provisions.
Clarifying your request: Handy hints
You may start to see some of your requests processed as Privacy Access rather than Freedom of Information requests. The reference numbers will commence with ‘FA’ for FOI requests and ‘PA’ for Privacy Access.
To help us help you!
We encourage you to use our online webform to submit your requests to maximise the benefit to you of these new automated processes.
- If you are requesting a visa file, this is typically more efficiently processed under Privacy Act provisions, and we have designed our new automation tools with this efficiency in mind.
- If you are happy for your request to be released under the Privacy Act, we encourage you to make this clear in your requests to us.
- It is also helpful if you avoid specifically mentioning FOI or the Freedom of Information Act 1982 in your request if you are not specifically seeking consideration of the provisions of the FOI Act. Otherwise, our automation tools will incorrectly categorise your request.
Some things won’t change
We will continue to manage all FOI requests—both access and amendment—under the FOI Act, as always. The new processes simply offer an optional faster route when appropriate.
If you can, use our online webform—it’s the fastest way to get started.