Teacher Migration Services and Support Privacy Statement

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Teaching Migration Services and Support (TMSS) is committed to protecting the privacy rights of all individuals with respect to any personal information provided to TMSS as part of the teacher migration assessment application services (Application).

As part of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited, ABN 17 117 362 740 (AITSL), TMSS must comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and all other applicable privacy legislation (Australian Privacy Laws) together with AITSL’s Privacy Policy: AITSL Privacy Policy with respect to information TMSS collects and uses from an Application.

This privacy statement provides explanation as to how TMSS collects, uses and discloses personal information.

1. Australian Privacy Principles

1.1 As part of the Privacy Act 1988(Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) set out what, how and for what purpose personal information may be collected. TMSS must adhere to the APPs in its collection of personal information as part of the Application process.

1.2 Collection of Personal Information

(a) ‘Personal information’ is information about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable and includes:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Date of birth
  • Email address
  • Birth Certificate
  • Passport details
  • Photographic images
  • Education Qualifications
  • Employment history

(b) TMSS will only collect personal information for the purposes of the Application process including, but not limited to:

  • provision of skills assessment including, but not limited to, assessment of educational qualifications and employment skills for migration to Australia
  • verification of the identity of applicants
  • improvement of the quality of TMSS services
  • research and analysis relating to the quality of our services
  • dealings with Australian, State and Territory governments and agencies
  • record keeping and administrative purposes.

(c) How TMSS collects personal information depends on the circumstances, for example, the Application portal, emails to you requesting further information in support of your Application, emails you send us providing additional information required for your Application, emails regarding assessment of the Application, emails regarding Australian government migration programmes or research matter related to your applying for teacher migration to Australia, etc.

(d) However, TMSS may also be required to collect personal information as part of completing your Application or post-completion of your Application from an agent acting on your behalf and from third parties such as:

  • Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)
  • Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs (DHA)
  • Australian Teacher Registration Authorities
  • Australian education providers
  • Overseas education providers.

(e) Where TMSS requests that you provide your personal information and you elect not to provide it, TMSS may not be able to complete your Application.

1.3 Use and Disclosure

(a) Information provided will be used for the purpose of a skilled migration assessment and related services by TMSS. As part of this process, TMSS may disclose some or all of the Application to a third party (including, but not limited to, Universities, educational institutions and language assessment organisations both in Australia and internationally, as specified in the Application), in order to complete the assessment of the Application. Third parties must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

(b) In certain circumstances under the Migration Act 1958, information and documents provided as part of the Application may be provided to the Department of Home Affairs, who may use the information for their lawful purposes and in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or, where TMSS may obtain personal information from overseas, whether it is obtained directly from you or is collected and provided to TMSS by your specified migration agent, certain additional rights and obligations may attach to that information.

(c) Additionally, AITSL may share information provided as part of this application to Australian Teacher Registration Authorities in order to verify documents provided for assessment, where applicants have provided Australian teacher registration details as part of their submission. AITSL may also share such information with Australian Teacher Registration Authorities where requested to do so in accordance with applicable Teacher Registration Authority State and Territory laws.

1.4 TMSS may utilise the data for a variety of purposes such as, but not limited to, research, developing, delivering, and updating TMSS’s services, programs and policies, conducting analysis, identifying and reporting on trends. TMSS is committed to protecting all personal information and ensures that the data used for such purposes will be de-identified and/or your consent is provided as part of the Application process for identifiable data, consent of which can be withdrawn at any time. All data included in reports for internal and external use will be anonymous. From time to time, TMSS may contact the applicant for educational and/or promotional purposes. If the applicant does not wish to be contacted in this way or wishes to withdraw their consent for use of identifiable data, they can email [email protected] As noted above, where the applicant withdraws their consent for use of personal information in their Application, it can affect the ability of TMSS to undertake the skill assessment process and therefore the Application will be closed.

2. Data Quality

2.1 TMSS will take all reasonable steps to ensure the personal information is collected, used, or disclosed is complete, accurate and current, however, the accuracy of your information depends on the information you provide and whether you keep TMSS updated on changes. Any request to update or correct the information TMSS hold should be addressed to the email address [email protected].

2.2 You can also contact the Privacy Officer at [email protected] if you wish to:

  1. obtain a copy of any personal information TMSS holds that relates to you
  2. request, where authorised, that TMSS correct that information
  3. make a complaint relating to TMSS’ collection or use of your personal information.

3. Data Security

3.1 Personal information is held by TMSS on a secured electronic database on AITSL’s website or within AITSL’s secure servers. TMSS has taken all reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected from:

  1. misuse;
  2. unauthorised access;
  3. loss
  4. modification or disclosure.

3.2 All personal information not required will be destroyed in accordance with either:

  1. Australian Privacy Laws; or
  2. National Archives Authority guidance and requirements.

4. Website Usage and Cookies

4.1 AITSL’s website may use ‘cookies’ to make your experience of the AITSL website easier and more efficient. A cookie is a small data file placed on your hard drive by the web page server. A cookie cannot retrieve any other data from your hard drive, pass on a computer virus, or capture your email address.

4.2 In using cookies, AITSL does not record any personal information or collect names or details of commercial transactions nor does AITSL use cookies as the basis for direct marketing.

4.3 You can configure your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, providing you with the opportunity to either accept or reject it. You can also refuse all cookies by turning them off in your browser or deleting all cookies from your computer if required.

5. Provision of False and Misleading Information

5.1 If TMSS discovers that you have provided false, misleading, or incorrect information to support your Application and AITSL has relied on that information to award a successful skills assessment outcome, TMSS may recommend that your assessment outcome be changed to unsuccessful and advise the DHA and any Australian, State or Territory government agency that has also relied on the information.

5.2 Fraud relating to skilled migration visas including provision of false documents can be disclosed to the DHA and suspected fake or falsified documents can be disclosed to the relevant issuing institution or to the business or service that is relying on the validity of the document. The DHA’s Public Interest Criterion 4020 sets out how the DHA deals with bogus documents and false and misleading information of skilled migrants in terms of the grounds available to the DHA to refuse the grant of a skilled migration visa.

5.3 This may apply at any time, even after your application or assessment has been finalised, and TMSS may verify such information with the issuing authority prior to assessment, close your Application, reject your skills assessment and notify the DHA and, where applicable, other government agencies or education institutes who have also relied on the accuracy of the information as part of a migration application, Australian teacher registration and confirmation of skilled employment.

5.4 TMSS will also advise you in writing of what actions TMSS has taken and who TMSS has disclosed the personal information with and on what grounds, for example, in accordance with Australian, State or Territory laws.

6. Further Information

6.1 Please contact [email protected] for further information about this Privacy Statement.