Dealing with the Department of Immigration

Contributed by Michael Clothier and Mary-Anne Kenny and current to 1 September 2005

Whenever you make contact with the Department of Immigration you should keep a note of the time and the name of the officer with whom you spoke. Notes of the advice received from any officer should be kept. Copies of every document which is lodged with the Department should also be kept. Whatever application you make to the Department, a file number will be allocated to it; whenever you contact or write to the Department this file number should be quoted. Most application forms provide a space for you to give reasons in support of your application. These spaces are often not large enough to tell the complete story. Any further material you wish to put to the Department in support of your application should be attached to the application form.

Almost all applications take a long time to be processed by the Department. If you receive no response to your application for several months this is not unusual and not a cause for worry. However, if after contacting the Department to enquire as to the progress of your application, you do not receive a satisfactory explanation, then you may wish to contact your local Commonwealth Member of Parliament to make enquiries, or the Commonwealth Ombudsman, if you believe there has been unreasonable delay.

FEES

Fees for some of the Department’s services are shown in the table opposite. Payment must accompany your application. The fee will be charged whether or not your application is successful and is not refundable (except for successful review applications).

The fees change on 1 July every year; those set out in the table are correct as at 1 July 2004.

Immigration fees ($A)

The following list is a guide to fees for services: a full list is contained in the Regulations made under the Migration Act 1958. Further information may be obtained from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

Application for immigration
Migration to Australia Information Package	$10
Business Talent	$3,585
Carer/Orphan relative	$760
Most others	$1,245
Application to remain in Australia permanently
Spouse, interdependency, and Skilled Occupation, Remaining Relative	$1,845
Refugee applications	$30
Student entry and extensions
Student visa	$410
Application for Visitor visa
Short stay (up to 3 months)	$65
If applicant in Australia	$170
Long stay (over 3 months)	$200
Application for Resident Return visa
Made in Australia	$120
Made outside Australia	$120
Application for Australian citizenship
Application for Australian citizenship	$120
Declaratory certificate	$55
Citizenship by descent	$110
Resumption of citizenship	$65
Application to Migration
Review tribunal	$1,400

WHERE TO APPLY

The Department of Immigration Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Perth office is shown below. You may send your application, addressed to the Regional Director, to the office. The telephone number is 131 881.