This policy sets out the ways that Visa Lawyers Australia Pty Ltd (“our”, “we” and “us”) will collect, store and use the personal and sensitive information of our clients, their family members, their employees and any other person (“you” or “your”) for whom we hold personal and sensitive information in connection with our Immigration advice and assistance and legal services.
This policy outlines our ongoing policies to you in respect of how we manage the personal and sensitive information, how you can access your personal information, and how you can contact us in relation to our privacy policy.
WHAT IS PERSONAL AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION AND WHY DO WE COLLECT IT?
Personal information includes any information that identifies an individual. Examples of personal information that we collect as part of our operations include the names, addresses, passport details, salaries and wages, taxation data, email and phone numbers, and documents that contain such information.
Sensitive information includes information or opinions regarding an individual’s criminal record, person’s character, and health information relating to a person, and documents that contain such information.
We are required to collect both personal and sensitive information for the purpose of providing Immigration advice and assistance and legal services to you. The Immigration assistance we provide to you, includes preparing applications which are submitted with the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The applications must include your necessary and relevant personal and sensitive information and documents that contain such information.
We collect this information in many ways, including telephone, Skype consultations, email, online questionnaires and forms, uploads to our portal, and in person.
Save for the purpose of providing Immigration advice and assistance and legal services to you, and for the provision of information to Australian Department of Home Affairs (as mentioned above), we do not use or distribute your information to third parties for any purposes. We do not and will not sell your information.
THIRD PARTIES
Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your personal and sensitive information only from you. However, in some circumstances we may be provided with such information by third parties (eg, your prospective / current employer). It is usually the case that these third parties would have obtained such information from you or other persons. In such a case we will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the information provided to us by the third party.
SECURITY OF PERSONAL AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION
Your personal and sensitive information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.
Security measures in place include:
- Secured onsite data storage on our premises in Australia
- Secure locked, alarmed and monitored business premises
- Secured offsite data backups, stored in Australia by us (not third parties)
- Regular Internal training of employees regarding security measures
When your personal and sensitive information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your personal information. You may also ask us in writing to destroy such information, if you wish.
However, most of the personal and sensitive information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years as required by law and/or our professional obligations.
ACCESS TO PERSONAL AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION
You may access the personal and sensitive information we hold about you. If you wish to access your personal information, please contact us in writing.
We will not charge any fee for your access request.
PRIVACY POLICY ENQUIRIES
If you have any queries about our Privacy Policy please contact us at:
Dr Tatiana Paipetis
Manager
Visa Lawyers Australia Suite 2, 89-97 Jones Street Ultimo
NSW 2007
Phone: +61 2 9280 2591
Email: tatiana@visalawyers.com.au