Obtaining your international arrival and departure history

[RooFlyer]

Obtaining one’s history of visiting various countries is necessary for obtaining some visas (eg Russia – 10 year history!!) and also helps in populating various flight ‘diary’ sites such as Flight Memory, AFF Flight Tracker etc.

On several other threads I was alerted by Mal of the ability to apply to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to get your arrival and departure records for no charge :

Obtaining flight history

I decided to go down this route to get my records back to 1975 and have come across several wrinkles and various doors, so am posting here to hopefully assist others and maybe others again can steer me to a better route. My thanks to others, including Mal who have been down at least part of this route and shared their experiences previously.

ps ugh. Pls excuse typo in heading. How do you correct a heading?

pps Thanks to whoever corrected my heading (Admin, or mod, I assume)

 

[RooFlyer]

Department of Immigration and Citizenship I

I filled out the request for my ‘movement records’ back to mid 1970s by filling out the form 1359 found here:

Movement Records - Monitoring People Movement - Border Security

... and I lodged it at my local Dept Immigration and Citizenship office.

About a week later I got an e-mail containing my departure and arrival details going back to 1990 (only), like this:

View attachment 16848

Note that the 'Port' code is the airport name. TU = Tullamarine; KI = Kingsford Smith; AD = Adelaide EA = Eagle Farm etc

A cover letter said apologetically that “records available to us only extend until 1990” not the 1975 date I requested and I was referred to National Archives of Australia for the records from 1989 to 1974 (in my case). This was incorrect (see part II below).

 

[RooFlyer]

National Archives of Australia

I visited my local National Archives office and with assistance from the staff member (who seemed befuddled at first by the nature of my request) I found several Archives Series which seemed relevant. If anyone has other references, I’d be pleased to know.

Series A12771 Microfiche Index to Passenger Cards 1973-1989
Search & Retrieve and, hopefully its parent

Series A2769 Incoming and outgoing passenger cards 1973 –It’s the actual arrival cards that I’m after, as they say where the incoming flight has come from and what countries most time was spent in (at least the more recent ones!).

I discovered that NAA won’t send microfilm reels to offices away from where the reel is held, so that meant a trip to Canberra. As it happens, I don’t need a status run right now!

I called the NAA reference help line. The series covering 1973-79 is open and OK (but I still have to get to Canberra or pay a researcher to look at it). However because the part of the series index 1980-1989 relating to my surname initial includes the years 1985-1989, which are ‘non access’ years covered by the Archives Act, I could not look at any of that series, including the ‘non blocked’ years. The first guy I spoke to more-or-less said that was that. I couldn’t look at any of that part of the series and staff wouldn’t go trawling for me.

I called back later for clarification and this guy was more helpful. Suggested I send a request that the 1980-1989 part series be looked at to see what’s actually in that name index series and if they could see my name, try to work out if there’s any way I could access the information 1980-85.

I’m awaiting a response to that request.

However the Archives guy also said that the period 1985-89, although blocked by Archives by the Archives Act, would still be accessible by and from the Department who owned the records. How easy it would be he didn’t know, but there was no reason why the Department of Immigration and Citizenship couldn’t give me my records going back past 1990, other than their convenience.

 

[RooFlyer]

Department of Immigration and Citizenship Part II

So, I went back to my local office and relayed all the above, to see if I could get the 1985-89 records, and hopefully even the actual arrival cards. After a bit of tapping on the screen, the guy first said they could give me my records 1987-89 no problem. Did a bit more tapping and then went into the back office.

On return, he said he’d spoken to some manager type and they had refreshed my original request, and that I would be getting the entire range 1975 onwards !!!!! But only in the format I got the first batch.
Better than nothing, but isn’t it frustrating when you interact with the bureaucracy, get told what you’ve asked for isn’t possible, please go somewhere else, but then on a bit of push-back or re-enquiry, the whole lot opens up! One reason I’m becoming a bit of an anarchist in my dotage.

Getting or seeing the actual arrival cards is still a problem. The Dept guy suggested ‘Freedom of Information’ and gave me the form. It may cost. I’ll be submitting the request and will report what happens.

 

[Mal]

Getting or seeing the actual arrival cards is still a problem. The Dept guy suggested ‘Freedom of Information’ and gave me the form. It may cost. I’ll be submitting the request and will report what happens.

What a PITA. My understanding is that seeing it is related to you personally it should be free... But who really knows.

 

[anat0l]

What a PITA. My understanding is that seeing it is related to you personally it should be free... But who really knows.

As I understand it from hearsay, FOI requests, under the relevant Act, may be provided for a reasonable fee.

Think I might try and get my history; would be rather interesting....

 

[Mal]

As I understand it from hearsay, FOI requests, under the relevant Act, may be provided for a reasonable fee.

Think I might try and get my history; would be rather interesting....

Took me a while (and I should be sleeping instead!)
FOI fact sheet 7: Freedom of information

It’s my personal information – is there a charge?

There is no charge for documents that contain your personal information. You may be asked to identify yourself so the agency can ensure the documents relate to you.

 

[albatross710]

Better than nothing, but isn’t it frustrating when you interact with the bureaucracy, get told what you’ve asked for isn’t possible, please go somewhere else, but then on a bit of push-back or re-enquiry, the whole lot opens up! One reason I’m becoming a bit of an anarchist in my dotage.

I'm kind of impressed that those details are all still available. I'm going to have to write neater if it is going to be saved for so long.

I wonder what the issue was on the 1985-1989, which are ‘non access’ years covered by the Archives Act. I had my first three overseas trip in that time period.

 

[anat0l]

I wonder what the issue was on the 1985-1989, which are ‘non access’ years covered by the Archives Act. I had my first three overseas trip in that time period.

I was born just before that period and first international trip was at 9 months old... surely a couple more trips after that since my folks made a regular habit of visiting their home countries each year. Ah well.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm kind of impressed that those details are all still available. I'm going to have to write neater if it is going to be saved for so long.

I wonder what the issue was on the 1985-1989, which are ‘non access’ years covered by the Archives Act. I had my first three overseas trip in that time period.

After any records are lodged with the National Archives (in this case, non current passenger movement records), those records become covered by the 'Archives Act' which traditionally has had the effect that the record is closed for 30 years, unless 'opened' by Archives themselves.

The closed period is transitioning I think from 30 years to 20 I think. so every year, the latest year that becomes available moved forward by 2 years. So now we can get back to 1990, which is 23 years ago; next year 1988 & 1989 should be openly available.

BUT info which is still with the relevant Department, is free to be released by that Department, irrespective of what Archives says.

 

[RooFlyer]

Freedom of Information

The form I was given by the Dept of Immigration and Citizenship for FOI requests from them was Form 424A (ie its a Dept I&C form). it STILL says to go to Archives if the info is over 30 years old.

According to the form:

Application Fee $30

In addition, the following may be charged:

Search and retrival $15/hr
Decision making / consultation $20/hr
Copying: 10c/page
Internal review $40

"If you are an Australian Citizen seeking access to your file, you can be charged a maximum of $70 plus copying and postage. A quote can be provided."

Online form here:http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/424a.pdf

This is more recent that the form I was given. Updated fees and charges:

 

[Mal]

.... I would love to hear about someone requesting their own arrivals/departures history and being charged. Alas... I don't think it is possible due to the way FOI works.

 

[RooFlyer]

Bit of an update.

Following my re-visit to the Dept Immigration & Citizenship, where they said that they could, in fact, supply information going back to 1975 (post #4 above), I got an e-mail a few weeks later with some PDFs of the outgoing and incoming passenger cards for the 1980s.

This was exactly what I was after (the cards), but its certainly not all of them for the time period, and the 1970s wasn't included. I think I'm going to give this line away. Possible added info now exceeding the trouble it would take.

For records since 1989 they referred me to the FoI request form.

I have already put one of those in and co-incidentally about the same time, I got a call from the FoI people clarifying my request, so its progressing at least. No mention of a charge (there shouldn't be of course).

 

[anat0l]

Filled out form 1395 and went to the DIAC office in Brisbane. They processed my form and gave me all my records dating back to when I first travelled (about one year of age) there and then. The officer had to sign every page to certify that they were true records.

He did ask how far back I wanted records; when I prompted as far back as possible, I think he was a bit cautious at first, because records before 1990, as discussed, aren't easily retrieved. (From the printouts, it's clear they've been stored on a slightly different system). He did ask for a reason, but when I replied it was for my personal records he was fine with that.

 

[RooFlyer]

Filled out form 1395 and went to the DIAC office in Brisbane. They processed my form and gave me all my records dating back to when I first travelled (about one year of age) there and then. The officer had to sign every page to certify that they were true records.

He did ask how far back I wanted records; when I prompted as far back as possible, I think he was a bit cautious at first, because records before 1990, as discussed, aren't easily retrieved. (From the printouts, it's clear they've been stored on a slightly different system). He did ask for a reason, but when I replied it was for my personal records he was fine with that.

That's interesting ... Are the records you were given the electronic extract like this:



or copies of the actual departure / arrival cards?

 

[anat0l]

That's interesting ... Are the records you were given the electronic extract like this:

...

or copies of the actual departure / arrival cards?

Like you've pictured.

I suppose I could ask for full card detail, but I'm not bothered.

 

[RooFlyer]

Success!

After Dept Citizenship & Immigration contacted me once for an extension of time on my 'Freedom of Information' request, today I got in the mail a CD with PDF images with all (I assume) my incoming and out-going passenger cards since 1980, up to 2012, the limit of my request. (I took my first o/s trip in 1980, as a uni student, to Canada on good 'ol QF 3 and 4 SYD-YVR-SYD, with a refuel in HNL IIRC).

Good grief, some of those trips I had well and truly forgotten!

There's also a 4 page, double sided letter, 'Decision Record' etc etc. And I see that, in bureaucratic style, the records for 18 June 1991 cannot be located so access has been 'refused' :shock:

No charge, time about 6 weeks, which is pretty good IMHO.

Back to update Flight Memory.

 

[coles525]

Bumping this topic, as I've finally found an old passport from the parents (with my name / photo in it) which includes me as a baby. I expect I need to get the "owner" (mum) to give permission, but should I fill in another form 1359, or just do a form 424A?

RooFlyer: I'm after what you recieved, my entire history, especially the report cards we need to fill out for each trip. The movement "pages" say nothing, other then the flight/ship you enter the country on, as well as the date & time.

From: London
To: Melb
Flight: &&&&&
Date of arrival: 1946

From: Melb
To: China
Flight: *****
Date of departure: 1967

etc...


Am I making sense? Would there be a special national archives contact number to ring?

 

[RooFlyer]

Fill out the Form 424A to get the images of the actual arrival / departure cards. Its a FoI on the Dept Immig & Citizenship, so deal with them. I just called the Dept Immig & Citizenship initially out of the phone book (and also visited them in their local office).

IIRC Archives were basically useless - if you aren't in Canberra, its either hire a researcher there or go there yourself.

 

[Jimgotkp]

This is really neat!

Dumb question but is there something similar to this in the States?