Australia Test 2
5 min40 WPM required311 words
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The Department of Home Affairs, established in December 2017 through the merger of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, components of the Attorney-General's Department, and the Australian Federal Police's protective security function, is the central national security and immigration policy department of the Australian Government, with responsibility for immigration and multicultural affairs, border security and customs, citizenship, national security policy, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity policy, emergency management coordination, and transport security. Administrative staff employed across the department's national network of offices and processing centres handle the high volumes of visa, citizenship, and travel applications submitted by Australian citizens and by foreign nationals seeking permission to enter, remain in, or become citizens of Australia. The department processes millions of visa applications each year across hundreds of visa subclasses covering visitors, students, temporary workers, working holiday makers, and permanent migrants in the skilled, family, and humanitarian streams, as well as citizenship applications from eligible permanent residents who have met the eligibility criteria for Australian citizenship by conferral. Correspondence prepared by administrative caseworkers and decision-makers must clearly and accurately communicate the outcome of applications including grant or refusal decisions, explain the reasons for any adverse decision in terms that the applicant can understand, identify the appeal or review rights available to applicants who are dissatisfied with a decision and the timeframes and bodies through which these rights must be exercised, and request any additional information or documentation required to finalise an assessment in terms that precisely identify what is needed and by when it must be provided. Staff must maintain current knowledge of the Migration Act 1958, the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, and the extensive body of policy guidance and procedural instructions that govern their decision-making, applying the relevant legislative provisions and policy criteria consistently and accurately to each individual case regardless of its complexity or the volume pressure under which it must be processed.