This Privacy Policy applies to migration services offered by Migration Plus ABN 45 136 723 987 (we, our or us) to our clients (you or your).

1. Statement of Commitment

Migration Plus complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and the General Data Protection Regulation. We are fully committed to protecting your privacy and any personal information that we collect.

This Privacy Policy explains how we may collect, use, disclose, store and otherwise handle personal information (and where applicable, sensitive information), including how you may access such information held by us.

2. Consent

We are committed to safeguarding personal privacy. We recognise that individuals have a right to control how their personal information is collected and used. Providing personal information is an act of trust, and it is taken seriously by us. Unless given consent to do otherwise, we will only collect and use personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

Notwithstanding the above, this Privacy Policy applies to your personal information regardless of the way in which we collect it. By completing any document that we require during the provision of services, or by otherwise submitting information to us, you consent to us using and disclosing your personal information in the ways described in this Privacy Policy.

3. Your Personal Information

Personal information is collected by us where necessary, or where related to one or more of our functions or activities. The types of personal information collected may depend on the type of interaction that you have with us, and includes (but is not limited to):

• name and contact details;
• age, date of birth and place of birth;
• biometrics;
• current living circumstances, including current address and country of residency;
• immigration history and status;
• passport, citizenship and other identity or travel details;
• details about your education, employment history and referees;
• debit/credit card details, bank account details and/or tax file numbers;
• health or medical information;
• criminal history details;
• bankruptcy details; and
• sensitive information.

4. Collecting Personal Information

We will only collect your personal information (including sensitive information, where applicable) by lawful and fair means including directly from you or authorised third parties. We may also use the information for a variety of reasons, such as to complete an application for a visa or citizenship, or for any other purpose permitted under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

We may collect your personal information in a number of ways, including (but not limited to):

• when you send us an email, client portal message, “contact us” message, or any other form of written communication;
• when you visit or telephone our office; and
• when you complete the Agreement to Provide Migration Services.

Personal information may be requested for a variety of reasons, including (but not limited to) enabling us to provide the services requested by you, or to update information presently held on file. You are not obligated to provide the requested information, however failure to do so may result in us being unable to provide services to you.

We may also collect information (including sensitive information, where applicable) from third parties, including (but not limited to) the following third parties:

• someone duly authorised to act on your behalf;
• parents or guardians of underage applicants;
• commonwealth, state or territory government departments;
• law enforcement bodies;
• skills assessing authorities;
• the person or entity that is endorsing, sponsoring or nominating your application;
• the person whom you are endorsing, sponsoring or nominating for a visa;
• your family members;
• regional certifying bodies;
• designated area representatives;
• educational institutions;
• our professional advisors, such as legal professionals and accountants; and
• any other person for any other purpose that would be reasonably expected (including if required by law).

5. Collecting Sensitive Information

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, sensitive information is a subset of personal information, and means the information disclosed to us about your racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs or criminal record.

Sensitive information will only ever be used for the purpose of providing services to you. Such information will not be used or disclosed for any other purpose without your consent, except in exceptional cases when disclosure may be required, as set out in this Privacy Policy.

6. Anonymity and Pseudonyms

We can only deal with individuals who have identified themselves to us. If you do not provide us with certain information that we require, we may not be able to provide you with the services or respond to your communications.

7. Our Website & Use of Cookies

We use tracking technologies such as cookies or web beacons to make use of our website and services as convenient as possible. Cookies are pieces of information that a website transfers to a computer's hard disk for record keeping purposes. A web beacon is a technical method that sends information related to the access to websites, when you browse websites, or open or preview an HTML-formatted email. Most web browsers are set to accept tracking technologies such as cookies or web beacons. These tracking technologies do not personally identify users, although they do identify a user's browser. They allow us to monitor our website, and to record how many people are using the different parts of the site. It is possible to set the browser to refuse tracking technologies such as cookies or web beacons, however this may limit the services provided by our website.

Our website and online services use web analytics such as Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. These use cookies to help us analyse how users use our website. Information generated by the cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by the web analytics provider on servers that may be located overseas.

This information is used for the purpose of evaluating your use of our website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators, and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Web analytics providers may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on its behalf. Web analytics will not associate your IP address with any other data that it holds. By using our website, you consent to the processing of data about you by web analytics in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

8. Using and Disclosing Your Personal Information

Personal information (including sensitive information, where applicable) may be used by us for any of the following primary purposes:

• to render services to you;
• to respond to a query or feedback;
• to provide information about services;
• to assist with internal business processes;
• for any other purposes that could reasonably be expected of us; or
• to enable us to comply with our obligations under law.

We may employ or contract other companies or service providers to assist in the provision of services, including (but not limited to) marketing, market research, mail-house services, and/or consultant services. These third parties may have access to personal information that is needed to perform their specific function(s), and cannot use that information for other purposes beyond those functions.

The third parties to which we may disclose personal information include:

• contractors, agents and suppliers that we engage to perform services;
• commonwealth, state or territory government departments;
• law enforcement bodies;
• skills assessing authorities;
• the person or entity that is endorsing, sponsoring or nominating your application;
• the person whom you are endorsing, sponsoring or nominating for a visa;
• your family members;
• regional certifying bodies;
• designated area representatives;
• educational institutions;
• our professional advisors, such as legal professionals and accountants; and
• any other person for any other purpose that would be reasonably expected (including if required by law).

We will not sell your name or other personal information to third parties.

We recognise the trust with which individuals provide personal information, and such information (including sensitive information, where applicable) will not be used or disclosed for any other purposes beyond those set out in this Privacy Policy without consent, except in exceptional cases when disclosure may be required by law, or where it is necessary to protect our rights or property, or any member of the public, or to lessen a serious threat to a person’s health or safety.

9. Contact by Migration Plus

We do not send marketing or advertising information without obtaining your prior consent. If you receive communications from us which you do not wish to receive, you may request to have your details removed from our database by contacting us at email/visa)(migrationplus.com.au.

10. Individual’s Right of Access

We endeavour to ensure that the personal information that we collect and use is accurate, complete and upto-date. However, the accuracy of such information is dependent to a large extent on the information provided to us. Individuals have the right to review, amend or delete personal and/or sensitive information that may be recorded on our database.

Information may be reviewed, amended or deleted by contacting us at email/visa)(migrationplus.com.au.

Should you seek to review, amend or delete personal and/or sensitive information, we must respond to your request within thirty (30) days of receipt. If we refuse your request, we will provide a written notice within a reasonable period, setting out the reasons for the refusal and how you can make a complaint in relation to the refusal. We may refuse such a request if it falls into any of the following categories:

• poses a serious threat to the life, health or safety of others;
• would have an unreasonable impact on privacy of others;
• is frivolous or vexatious;
• relates to legal proceedings;
• reveals our intentions or prejudices any negotiations;
• would be unlawful;
• is required or authorised by law or court/tribunal order;
• is likely to prejudice enforcement related activities; or
• relates to a commercially sensitive decision process.

Where a request is made to delete personal and/or sensitive information, all reasonable steps to delete the information will be taken, except where the information is required for legal reasons. Deletion of information may result in in our being unable to provide services to you.

11. Storage and Security of Personal and/or Sensitive Information

We take all reasonable steps to keep secure personal information recorded by us, and to keep this information accurate and up-to-date. The personal information is stored on secure servers (if in digital format) or in locked areas (if in hardcopy format). These repositories are protected in controlled facilities. Personal information that is stored in digital format may be stored on third party servers that are located outside of Australia. We will make all reasonable endeavours to only store digital personal information in countries that have adequate privacy protections.

Our employees and data processors are obliged to respect the confidentiality of any personal and/or sensitive information held by us. We will only permit authorised personnel to access your information, and information will only be disclosed to third parties where they have the appropriate authority. Wherever possible, we destroy or de-identify personal information no longer needed.

12. Problems, Queries or Complaints

For further information regarding this Privacy Policy, or to make a complaint about the steps taken by us to protect your personal information or privacy, please contact us at email/visa)(migrationplus.com.au.

We will investigate any complaints received in writing and take all reasonable steps to resolve them as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied with the result of your complaint to us, you can refer your complaint to:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Phone: 1300 363 992
Post: GPO Box 5218 , Sydney NSW 2001
Online Form: www.oaic.gov.au (Privacy Complaint Form)

13. Updates

We reserve the right to review, amend, update and change this Privacy Policy from time to time, to reflect our practices and obligations. Any changes will take effect when they are made.

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1 This Privacy Policy is incorporated into the Agreement to Provide Migration Services, along with our Terms and Conditions of Service and any attached Schedules.