Hamilton Watts undertakes to protect the information you give us. Hamilton Watts adopts a strict principle that corporate information provided by clients and personal information provided by applicants is treated with utmost confidentiality.

Only information relevant and necessary to the legislative decision making process is provided to Government authorities responsible for those decisions. Aside from the formal process of Sponsorship, Nomination or visa applications to Australian Government authorities and representatives, (and excepting those cases mentioned below) Hamilton Watts has no other purpose or obligation to disclose corporate client or applicant information.

Hamilton Watts has a unique and valued relationship with its clients. Part of that relationship is founded upon a genuine respect for your privacy and that of your personal and business information. 

From December 21^st 2001, new sections of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 set out a range of additional issues affecting the use, protection of and access to your personal information.  The purpose of this document is to articulate Hamilton Watt's position on these issues with respect to: 

• how we collect information

• why we collect it

• who we make it available to and why

• how you can access it

• accuracy of your information

• secure storage of your information

In the course of doing business with Hamilton Watts, we may at times be required to gather information about you or your business. The reasons for collecting this information can vary and may include the following: 

• to identify you as an authorized person to act on behalf of the business you represent or own
• to make an accurate assessment on how best to resolve an issue with respect to the use of one of our services
• to provide accurate and relevant guidance to you with respect to procedures and practices relevant to or connected with the use of our consulting services
• to ensure we are able to contact you efficiently for accounts-related issues
• to better understand your business requirements and translate those into more advanced services
• To provide you with tailored information and marketing material relevant to an enquiry

There are a number of ways in which we collect information, including: 

• directly from you – at the time of enquiry about or request for service
• from an employee or representative of your company (e.g. external accountant)
• from public domain sources like industry bodies and directories
• from your web site
• through telephone calls made by you or a representative

Occasionally, this information is made available to organizations or individuals outside Hamilton Watts and may include the following: 

• your representatives – internal or external
• credit providers, where such providers are instrumental in the execution of a service
• our own advisers in such issues as law, accounting and auditing
• debt collection agencies
• government or regulatory bodies where required or authorized by law
• your Managers/Directors in Help Desk call-reports when required

Any information we hold about you is always available for you to review and amend. It is important that information held about you is relevant, accurate and beneficial to both parties. As such, you are welcome to request a copy of all the information we hold about you. You can make this request by any of the following methods: 

• Write directly to us at:

Hamilton Watts International Migration Services
Level 3, 627 Chapel Street
South Yarra 3141
Victoria Australia  

• Send an email to: privacy@hwims.com.au

Please note that we will need to take reasonable steps to identify you before providing you with the information you require. We may also levy a fee for the costs incurred in the search and recovery of your information. 

In certain circumstances, we may refuse access to your information. Such situations may include: 

• providing access would have an unreasonable impact upon the privacy of other individuals; or
• the request for access is frivolous or vexatious; or
• the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between the organisation and the individual, and the information would not be accessible by the process of discovery in those proceedings; or
• providing access would reveal the intentions of the organisation in relation to negotiations with the individual in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations; or
• providing access would be unlawful; or
• denying access is required or authorised by or under law; or
• providing access would be likely to prejudice an investigation of possible unlawful activity; or
• an enforcement body performing a lawful security function asks the organisation not to provide access to the information on the basis that providing access would be likely to cause damage to the security of Australia.
• Providing access to certain documents we prepare and produce would prejudice our commercial or proprietorial business processes.

Further information about access rights to your information can be obtained from the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner:

• Privacy Hotline on 1300-363-992
• their web site at www.privacy.gov.au
• The Federal Privacy Commissioner
  GPO Box 5218
  Sydney NSW 1042

The information we hold about you is only as accurate as the information supplied by you or your representative/s. For this reason, it’s very important that you contact us when changes to your details are imminent or you suspect that information we’re holding about you is inaccurate. You can either contact us in writing at the address above or via the Enquiry area on our web site: www.hwims.com.au.

Security and protection of your personal information is a priority.

Protection of your information from unauthorized or unlawful use has always been an important issue for us. Access to your information is given only to authorized personnel and is protected through multiple layers of network and program security.

Data collected through our web site is stored on a server that is protected through multiple hard and soft security layers. These include firewalls, virus protection agents and physical access protection via security codes and security personnel. These protection layers are provided by a third party who specializes in the hosting and protection of web sites and the data they contain.

Any information you elect to submit online however, or via email cannot be guaranteed 100% to be secure and you should proceed accordingly.