We will always tell you in writing of the decision. A decision can be to:
- release personal documents to you under the Privacy Act
- release a document in full under the FOI Act
- release a document in part under the FOI Act, with some material redacted
- exempt a document in whole
- refuse your application as no document exists or where we cannot find documents.
Contact us
If you have a question about your request decision letter or you think there has been an error, you can reply to your decision letter.
Review of decisions
Internal review
If we processed your request under the FOI Act, you may be able to ask us to review our decision to refuse or only give partial access to a document.
You do not need to complete a specific form to request an internal review. However, you should include why you think we should review the decision.
You should email requests for internal review to foi@homeaffairs.gov.au
Information Commissioner
If your request was processed under the FOI Act, you can make an application to the Information Commissioner for a review of the following decisions:
- a decision to refuse access to a document
- a decision made by us on internal review to refuse access to a document
- a decision to refuse more time to apply for an internal review of a decision to refuse access to a document.
You may also be able to apply to the Information Commissioner to review our decision on the basis that we are deemed to have refused your request, if we do not finalise your request within the statutory timeframes.
For information about review rights and how to submit a review request to the OAIC, please refer to the information available at
Apply for an Information Commissioner review.
How to make a complaint
If you have concerns about how we have handled your request under the FOI Act or the Privacy Act, you can
make online complaints and suggestions. You can also make a complaint on the OAIC website.
Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)
If you are still unsatisfied after a review by the Information Commissioner, you can appeal to the ART. You must lodge an appeal to the ART in writing within 28 days of receiving a notification on the Information Commissioner's review decision.
Appeals have a lodgement fee. You may receive a refund of this fee in certain circumstances.
