Nationwide Migration and Education respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information, and how you can access it, correct it or complain about how we have handled it.

We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Because we are a registered migration practice, we also have confidentiality obligations under the Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021.

1. Who we are

In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Nationwide Migration and Education, a registered business name of The Trustee for Nationwide Consulting Family Trust, ABN 75 101 041 932.

Immigration assistance is provided by Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1800859, who is also a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser, Licence No. 202600739.

Our registered office is 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD 4000. Consultations at this office are by appointment only.

2. What this policy covers

This policy applies to personal information we collect through our website, our booking and enquiry forms, our social media accounts, phone and email contact, and in the course of providing migration and education services.

It does not cover the privacy practices of third party websites we link to. Those sites have their own policies.

3. What personal information we collect

The kinds of personal information we collect and hold depend on your dealings with us. They generally include:

• Name, date of birth, gender, contact details, postal and residential address
• Citizenship, nationality, passport and travel document details, and visa history
• Immigration history, including previous applications, refusals, cancellations and any review or tribunal history
• Education, qualifications, skills assessments and English test results
• Employment history, occupation, employer details and salary information
• Relationship and family details, including information about your partner, children and other family members
• Financial information relevant to a visa application, such as evidence of funds, tax records and notices of assessment
• Payment details for our fees
• Records of our communications with you, file notes and advice given

Sensitive information

Migration matters often require sensitive information, which the Privacy Act gives extra protection. We may collect and hold:

• Health information, including visa health examination results and medical reports
• Criminal record information, including police clearances and character declarations
• Biometric information, where required for a visa application
• Racial or ethnic origin, and religious or political information, where it is relevant to a claim (for example in a protection or humanitarian matter)

We only collect sensitive information with your consent and where it is reasonably necessary for our services, or where the law requires or authorises it.

Information about other people

If you give us personal information about another person, such as a partner, child, employee or sponsor, you should only do so with their knowledge, and you should tell them about this policy.

4. How we collect personal information

We collect personal information directly from you wherever we can. That includes:

• Enquiry, booking and contact forms on our website
• Consultations in person, by phone or by video
• Email, WhatsApp, SMS and social media messages
• Documents and forms you provide for your matter
• Subscribing to our mailing list

Sometimes we collect information about you from others, for example from your sponsoring employer, your education provider, a family member who is also our client, the Department of Home Affairs, or a referrer. We do this only where it is reasonably necessary for your matter or where you have consented.

You can deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym for general enquiries. We cannot provide immigration assistance or lodge an application without your identifying information, because the law and the Department require it.

5. Why we collect, hold, use and disclose your information

We use your personal information to:

• Assess your eligibility and advise you on your options
• Prepare, lodge and manage visa, nomination, sponsorship and review applications
• Prepare and lodge education and course admission applications
• Communicate with the Department of Home Affairs, the Administrative Review Tribunal and other authorities on your behalf
• Verify your identity and meet our obligations under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct
• Issue invoices, take payment and keep our accounts
• Respond to your enquiries and provide client support
• Keep the records the Code of Conduct requires us to keep
• Send you updates and marketing about our services, where you have not opted out
• Improve our website and services
• Meet our legal and regulatory obligations

6. Who we disclose your information to

We may disclose your personal information to:

Who	Why
Department of Home Affairs, and the Administrative Review Tribunal	To lodge and progress your application or review
Your sponsoring employer, or a worker you sponsor	Where we act on an employer-sponsored matter and both parties are involved
Education providers and skills assessing authorities	To arrange enrolment, assessment or admission
Panel physicians, health providers and police agencies	To arrange health examinations and character checks
Our IT, CRM, booking, email and payment service providers	To run our practice
Our professional advisers, insurers and auditors	Where reasonably required
OMARA, the Immigration Advisers Authority (NZ), and regulators	Where required by law or in response to a complaint or audit

We do not sell your personal information. We do not disclose it for any purpose other than those set out in this policy, unless you give us your written consent or the law requires or authorises it.

7. Overseas disclosure

8. How we hold and protect your information

We hold personal information in secure electronic systems and, where relevant, in physical files at our Brisbane office. Our security measures include access controls, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations and secure disposal of records we no longer need.

No system is completely secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data breaches

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will assess it and, where required, notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

9. How long we keep your information

Section 56 of the Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021 requires us to take all reasonable steps to keep a client file for 7 years after the last action on that file. We keep client records for at least that period, and for as long as other applicable laws require.

When we no longer need your information and are not required to keep it, we destroy it or de-identify it securely.

10. Our website, cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help it function, remember your preferences and understand how the site is used.

We use analytics and advertising services, including those provided by Google and Meta, which may set cookies and collect information about your device, IP address, pages viewed and how you reached our site. This information is generally not used by us to identify you personally.

You can control or block cookies through your browser settings. Some parts of the site may not work properly if you do.

Our website also embeds third party content, such as YouTube videos and a Google reviews widget. Those providers may collect information when the content loads.

11. Marketing and how to opt out

If you have enquired, booked a consultation, become a client or joined our mailing list, we may send you information about our services, migration updates and events.

Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also opt out at any time by emailing us at the address below, and we will action it promptly. Opting out of marketing does not affect communications about your own matter.

12. Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

To make a request, contact our Privacy Officer using the details below. We will need to verify your identity. We will respond within a reasonable period, usually within 30 days.

Access is free. If a request requires substantial work we may charge a reasonable cost, and we will tell you before we do. In limited circumstances the law allows us to refuse access or correction. If we do, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to complain.

13. Complaints

If you think we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information, please tell us first so we can try to fix it.

• Step 1. Put your complaint in writing to our Privacy Officer using the details below. Give us as much detail as you can.
• Step 2. We will acknowledge your complaint, investigate it and respond in writing, usually within 30 days.
• Step 3. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au, by phone on 1300 363 992, or by post to GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001.

Complaints about the conduct of a registered migration agent are handled separately, through the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. See our Code of Conduct page for that process.

14. Changes to this policy

We review this policy regularly and may update it. The current version is always available on this page, and the date at the top shows when it was last updated. Material changes will be notified on our website.