Privacy policy.

1. Purpose of this policy

1.1. LMC Migration ("the Agency", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care, transparency, and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs").

1.2. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and disclose it, how we store and protect it, and how you can access, correct, or complain about it.

1.3. As a registered migration agency, we are also subject to the record-keeping obligations set out in the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and the Code of Conduct for Registered Migration Agents. Where those obligations require us to retain or disclose information, they override anything in this policy to the contrary.

2. Information we collect

2.1. We collect personal information that is necessary to assess your circumstances and, where engaged, to prepare and lodge visa applications and related matters. This may include:

• Identity and contact details: name, date of birth, nationality, passport details, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses.
• Immigration and travel history: previous visa applications, visa grants and refusals, travel movements, and correspondence with the Department of Home Affairs.
• Family and relationship information: marital status, dependants, and details of partners or family members relevant to your matter.
• Employment, education, and financial information: qualifications, employment history, skills assessments, income, and assets, where relevant to a visa category.
• Health and character information: where required by a visa category, including medical examination results and police clearances.
• Correspondence and records: emails, forms, documents, and notes generated in the course of your engagement with us.

2.2. We collect sensitive information (including health information and, in some cases, information about criminal records) only where it is reasonably necessary for the matter and where you have consented or the law requires or permits it.

2.3. We collect information primarily from you directly, but also from:

• Authorised representatives acting on your behalf (with your consent);
• Third-party referrers such as education consultants, employers, or real estate agents;
• Government agencies, including the Department of Home Affairs;
• Publicly available sources where relevant to verifying information you have provided.

3. How we use your information

3.1. We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To assess whether we can assist you and to provide an initial consultation;
• To prepare, lodge, and manage visa applications, appeals, and related correspondence with the Department of Home Affairs;
• To communicate with you about your matter, including providing updates and seeking instructions;
• To comply with our legal, regulatory, and record-keeping obligations as a registered migration agency;
• To manage our business, including billing, accounting, and internal record-keeping;
• To improve our services and, where you have consented, to send you updates or information we think may be relevant to you.

3.2. We will not use your personal information for any purpose unrelated to the above without your consent, unless the law requires or permits us to do so.

4. Disclosure of your information

4.1. We may disclose your personal information to:

• The Department of Home Affairs and other Australian government agencies, where necessary to lodge or progress your matter;
• Third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, such as IT providers, cloud storage providers, email providers, and accountants. These providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and only receive the information needed to perform their function;
• Referrers who introduced you to us, but only with your consent and only to the extent necessary to acknowledge the referral;
• Professional advisers (such as lawyers or accountants) where we seek advice in relation to your matter;
• Other parties where you have instructed us to, or where the law requires or permits disclosure.

4.2. We do not sell your personal information.

4.3. Where we disclose information to a service provider located outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to ensure the provider handles the information consistently with the APPs.

5. Storage and security

5.1. Your personal information is stored in secure systems, including cloud-based document management and case management platforms. We take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

5.2. These steps include access controls, encryption in transit, secure credential practices, and regular review of who within our team can access your records.

5.3. No method of transmission or storage over the internet is completely secure. While we take privacy seriously, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you suspect any unauthorised access to your information, please contact us immediately.

6. Retention of records

6.1. As a registered migration agency, we are required by the Code of Conduct and the Migration Act 1958 to retain certain client records for a minimum period, typically seven years from the date of the last service provided. We retain records for at least this period.

6.2. Where records are no longer required for a legal, regulatory, or business purpose, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify them.

7. Access and correction

7.1. You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond within a reasonable time (usually 30 days) and may charge a small administrative fee where the request is complex.

7.2. You have the right to ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, or misleading. We will take reasonable steps to correct it.

7.3. To make a request, contact us using the details in section 10 below.

8. Cookies and website analytics

8.1. This website may use cookies and similar technologies to enable basic functionality and, where you consent, to understand how the site is used. Non-essential cookies are only set with your consent, and you can withdraw that consent at any time.

8.2. Where we use third-party analytics (such as website traffic measurement), the information collected is aggregated and does not, on its own, identify you.

9. Complaints

9.1. If you believe we have breached the APPs or mishandled your personal information, please contact us first using the details below. We will acknowledge your complaint within a reasonable time and work with you to resolve it.

9.2. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

9.3. If your complaint relates to the conduct of a registered migration agent, you may also raise it with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA).

10. Contact us

10.1. For any question about this policy, or to exercise your rights under it, please contact:

• Email: desk@lmcmigration.com
• Phone: +61 2 0000 0000
• Post: LMC Migration, [postal address], Victoria, Australia

10.2. We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date.