1. About This Privacy Policy

Amity Lawyers Pty Ltd (ABN XX XXX XXX XXX) (“Amity Lawyers”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is a registered Australian law firm providing immigration legal services. We are required to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained within it.

This Privacy Policy describes how Amity Lawyers handles personal information — including sensitive information — collected from clients, prospective clients, website visitors, and other individuals who interact with us. By engaging our services, providing us with personal information, or using our website, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this policy.

This policy should be read alongside our Terms and Conditions and any engagement letter or retainer agreement provided to you at the commencement of legal services.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on the nature of your interaction with us. We collect only the information that is reasonably necessary to provide our legal services or to respond to your enquiry.

General Personal Information

• Full legal name, date of birth, gender
• Contact details — postal address, email address, telephone numbers
• Passport details and travel document information
• Visa history, immigration status, and ImmiAccount details
• Employment history, qualifications, and professional registrations
• Financial information relevant to visa applications (where required by the Department of Home Affairs)
• Family relationship information including spouse, partner, and dependent children’s details

Sensitive Information

Immigration law matters often require us to collect sensitive information as defined under the Privacy Act. This may include:

• Health information (medical records, health assessments required for visa applications)
• Criminal history information (police clearances, court records)
• Country of origin and nationality information
• Religious or political beliefs (in some protection visa matters)
• Sexual orientation or gender identity (where relevant to a visa application, particularly protection visas)
• Biometric data collected by the Department of Home Affairs (not held by us directly)

Website and Technical Information

• IP address and general location data
• Browser type, operating system, and device information
• Pages visited on our website, time and duration of visits
• Information submitted through contact forms or enquiry forms

How We Collect Information

• Directly from you — when you contact us by phone, email, or through our website; during consultations; or when completing forms for visa applications
• From third parties — from government agencies such as the Department of Home Affairs; from medical practitioners and police agencies when obtaining required clearances
• Automatically — through cookies and analytics tools on our website

3. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected, or for related purposes that you would reasonably expect. Primary purposes include:

• Providing immigration legal advice, representation, and related services
• Preparing, lodging, and managing visa applications and related forms on your behalf
• Communicating with the Department of Home Affairs, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, or other relevant bodies on your behalf
• Responding to your enquiries and providing information about our services
• Sending service-related communications including appointment reminders, visa status updates, and important deadline notifications
• Maintaining client files and records as required by law and our professional obligations
• Billing and accounts administration
• Complying with our legal and regulatory obligations including MARA registration requirements
• Improving our services and website

Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you information about our services, legal updates relevant to your visa situation, or general immigration news. You may opt out at any time by clicking the ‘unsubscribe’ link in any marketing email, or by contacting us at privacy@amitylawyers.com.au. Opting out will not affect service communications related to your active legal matters.

4. When We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may disclose your personal information in the following circumstances:

Necessary Disclosures for Your Matter

• Department of Home Affairs — visa applications, nominations, and related correspondence
• Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) — where we represent you in a review or appeal
• Federal Court or other courts — where your matter involves judicial review
• Medical practitioners and panel physicians — where a health examination is required
• Police agencies — where police clearances are required
• Translators and interpreters — who are bound by confidentiality obligations
• Other legal practitioners — where we work with barristers or other solicitors on your matter

Service Providers

We may share information with third-party service providers including IT systems and cloud storage providers, practice management software providers, and billing software providers. All service providers are required to handle your information in accordance with the Privacy Act and are prohibited from using your information for their own purposes.

Overseas Disclosure

Some of our cloud-based systems may store data on servers located outside Australia (including in the United States and other jurisdictions). Before disclosing your information to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles your information in accordance with Australian privacy standards.

Disclosure Required by Law

We may be required to disclose your personal information where required by law — for example, under a court order, subpoena, or regulatory requirement. We will notify you of any such required disclosure where permitted by law to do so.

5. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously, particularly given the sensitive nature of immigration matters. We implement a range of technical and organisational measures to protect your information.

Security Measures

• Encrypted document storage and file management systems
• Password-protected access to client files with role-based permissions
• Secure, encrypted email communications for sensitive document exchange
• Staff training on privacy and confidentiality obligations
• Physical security measures for paper records held at our offices
• Regular security assessments of our IT systems
• Two-factor authentication for access to client management systems

Retention of Records

We retain client files and personal information for as long as required by law and our professional obligations. As a law firm, we are required to retain client files for a minimum of 7 years after the conclusion of a matter. After this period, records are securely destroyed in accordance with our document destruction policy.

Data Breach Response

In the event of a data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will comply with our obligations under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme, including notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the following rights in relation to your personal information held by Amity Lawyers:

Right of Access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. Contact us in writing at privacy@amitylawyers.com.au. We will respond within 30 days. Access may be declined in limited circumstances such as where providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals.

Right to Correction

If you believe that personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, or misleading, you have the right to request correction. We will correct or update your information as soon as reasonably practicable.

Right to Complain

If you believe we have handled your personal information in breach of the Privacy Act, you have the right to make a complaint. Please contact our Privacy Officer in the first instance at privacy@amitylawyers.com.au. If you are not satisfied with our response within 30 days, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.

7. Legal Professional Privilege and Confidentiality

As a registered law firm, all communications between Amity Lawyers and our clients are protected by legal professional privilege. This means that confidential communications made for the dominant purpose of obtaining or providing legal advice are protected from disclosure without your consent.

Legal professional privilege is your right as a client, not ours. Only you can waive it. We will never voluntarily disclose privileged communications without your express consent.

8. Information Relating to Children

Where we collect personal information about a child under 18, we do so through the child’s parent or legal guardian, who is responsible for providing consent. We handle children’s personal information with additional care and do not use it for any purpose beyond the visa matter for which it was collected. Our website is not directed at children under 18.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and to help us understand how visitors use our website. The following table describes the types of cookies we use:

You can control cookies through your browser settings. We use Google Analytics to collect aggregated, anonymised information about how visitors use our website. Google Analytics data is not linked to your personal identity.

10. MARA Registration and the Migration Agents Code of Conduct

Our registered migration agents are registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). MARA registration requires agents to comply with the Migration Agents Code of Conduct, which includes specific confidentiality obligations:

• Keep client information confidential and not disclose it without consent
• Keep client files secure and maintain their integrity
• Not use client information for purposes other than the provision of services to that client
• Maintain client files for a minimum period after the conclusion of the matter

If you have a complaint about a MARA-registered agent’s handling of your information, you may contact OMARA directly at www.omara.gov.au.

11. Contact Our Privacy Officer

For any questions, requests, or complaints relating to this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer: