Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 October 2026

1. About this policy

Serendib Law, ABN 81729494159 is an immigration law practice based in New South Wales. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Serendib Law, and "you" means any individual whose personal information we handle.

This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, and how you can access or correct it or make a complaint. We handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

As lawyers, we also owe our clients a duty of confidentiality. That duty applies in addition to this policy, and nothing in this policy permits us to disclose confidential information where our professional obligations would not allow it. This policy applies only to Serendib Law.

2. What personal information we collect

The information we collect depends on why you deal with us.

Enquiries

When you contact us, we collect your name, contact details, how you heard about us and a short description of the help you need.

Clients

Immigration matters depend on personal circumstances, so we usually need detailed information. Depending on the matter, this may include:

•     identity details, such as your name, date of birth, nationality, passport and visa details, and copies of identity documents;

•     contact details and address history;

•     immigration and travel history, including previous applications and refusals;

•     education, qualifications, English test results, skills assessments and employment history;

•     family and relationship details, including information about your partner, children and other family members;

•     financial information, such as income, bank statements and evidence of funds;

•     character information, such as police certificates;

•     health information, such as results of visa health examinations; and

•     any other information you or others give us for your matter.

Some of this is "sensitive information" under the Privacy Act, for example health information, criminal records, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We collect sensitive information only with your consent and where it is reasonably necessary for your matter, or where the law otherwise allows.

Employers and sponsors

For employer sponsorship matters, we collect information about the business, its owners and staff, and the workers it proposes to nominate.

Other people

We also collect information about other people connected with a matter, such as family members (including children included in an application), sponsors, employers, referees and the people who refer clients to us. If you give us information about another person, please let them know that you have done so and that this policy explains how we handle it.

3. How we collect it

We collect most information directly from you, for example through our website, by email, phone, WhatsApp or social media, in meetings and video calls, and through the forms and documents you give us.

We may also collect information from other sources where you would reasonably expect it or have consented, including:

•     the Department of Home Affairs and other government bodies, including through visa status checks;

•     your employer or sponsor, education provider or family members;

•     skills assessment bodies, police and other organisations that issue documents for your application;

•     people or organisations that refer you to us; and

•     publicly available sources.

Please send us only brief details when you first contact us. Before you send detailed or sensitive information, we need to confirm that we are able to act for you, including that there is no conflict of interest. Please do not post personal or visa details in public comments on social media.

4. Why we collect and use it

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:

•     respond to enquiries and assess whether we can help you;

•     check for conflicts of interest and confirm your identity;

•     provide legal advice and services, including preparing and lodging visa, sponsorship and nomination applications and acting in review proceedings;

•     communicate with you and with others involved in your matter;

•     run our practice, including billing, record-keeping, insurance and risk management;

•     comply with our legal and professional obligations; and

•     tell you about our services and updates, if you have agreed or the law otherwise allows.

We use and disclose personal information for other purposes only if you consent, if you would reasonably expect it, or if the law requires or allows it.

5. Who we disclose it to

We disclose personal information only as needed for the purposes above. Depending on your matter, this may include:

•     the Department of Home Affairs, the Administrative Review Tribunal, courts and other government bodies;

•     your sponsor, nominating employer, education provider or other parties to your application, as needed for that application;

•     skills assessment authorities, health examination providers, translators and interpreters;

•     barristers, other lawyers and experts we engage for your matter;

•     service providers who handle information for us, such as IT, cloud storage, email, practice management and payment providers;

•     our professional indemnity insurer, professional advisers and regulators; and

•     anyone you authorise us to deal with.

If we act in a matter involving both an employer sponsor and a visa applicant, information about each of them will be shared as needed for the application. We explain this in our engagement documents.

If someone referred you to us, we share information about you or your matter with them only if you agree.

6. Disclosure outside Australia

Immigration matters often involve people and documents overseas. We may disclose personal information outside Australia where this is needed for your matter, for example to you, your family or your representatives overseas, to overseas authorities that issue documents such as police certificates, and to referral partners overseas. The countries most likely to be involved are the countries where you or your family members are citizens or live.

Some of our service providers may store or process information outside Australia, including in the United States.

When we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that it is handled consistently with the APPs, unless you have consented to the disclosure or another exception under the Privacy Act applies.

7. Technology and automated decisions

We use software to run our practice, including tools with artificial intelligence features that help us prepare and review documents. A lawyer is responsible for all advice we give.

We do not use automated systems to make decisions about you that could significantly affect your rights or interests. A lawyer makes those decisions.

8. Our website and social media

You can browse our website without telling us who you are. Our website uses cookies [and analytics tools such as Google Analytics] to understand how visitors use the site and to improve it. These may collect information such as your IP address, device and browser type, and the pages you visit. You can set your browser to refuse cookies, but parts of the site may not work properly if you do.

Our website and social media pages may link to other platforms, including social media, messaging and booking services. Those platforms handle your information under their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their practices.

9. Dealing with us anonymously

You can make a general enquiry without giving your name, or by using a pseudonym. We cannot act for you without knowing who you are, because we must check for conflicts and confirm your identity, and applications to government must be made in your own name.

10. Marketing

We send marketing emails or messages only if you have agreed or the law otherwise allows. Each marketing email includes a way to unsubscribe, and you can also opt out at any time by contacting us.

11. How we hold and protect it

We hold personal information electronically and in paper form. We take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. No method of sending information over the internet is completely secure, so please take care when you send information to us online.

We generally keep client files for at least seven years after a matter ends, or longer where the law requires. When we no longer need personal information, we take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it.

12. Access and correction

You can ask us for access to the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it, by contacting us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity first. We will respond within a reasonable time, usually within 30 days. There is no fee to make a request, but we may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of providing access.

We may refuse access in circumstances allowed by the Privacy Act, for example where the information is subject to legal professional privilege, or where giving access would unreasonably affect another person’s privacy. If we refuse a request for access or correction, we will tell you why in writing and explain how you can complain.

Please tell us if your details change. Accurate information matters, particularly for visa applications.

13. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in writing first. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on our website, showing the date it was last updated.

15. Contact us

Privacy Officer, Serendib Law

Email: yazdhan@serendiblaw.com.au

You can ask us for a free copy of this policy in another format.