The Hon. Philip Ruddock MP Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Minister for Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs

Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: (02) 6277 7860 Facsimile: (02) 6273 4144

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-- 4 Oct 2001

 

Mr David Irving

81 Duke Street

London W1K 5PE

UNITED KINGDOM

 

Dear Mr Irving

Thank you for your letter of 23 August 2001 concerning your wish to visit Australia in early 2002, and your enclosed visa application form and cheque.

As you are aware, all non-citizens who wish to enter and remain in Australia must make applications for the appropriate visas. Each application is considered against the legal requirements of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) and Migration Regulations.

Section 46 of the Act outlines the requirements for a visa application to be valid. One of these requirements is that any fees payable in respect of the application under the Migration Regulations have been paid. As the cheque you enclosed with your visa application form did not specify the correct visa application fee, your application is invalid. Therefore, I am returning your visa application form and cheque to you.

You are entitled to make further visa applications if you wish and any future applications will be considered on their merits and against all relevant legal requirements. For your information, I have enclosed a copy of form 990i Charges -- July 2001. For further information, please contact the Australian High Commission in London. Any future visa applications, including the required visa application fee, should be lodged at any Australian mission.

Thank you for writing on this matter, I trust this information is of assistance.

Yours Sincerely

Philip Ruddock

 

David Irving comments.

As my letter to the minister (August 24, 2001) stated, the cheque which I enclosed was blank, as the ministry's poorly designed website did not reveal the applicable application fee. The blank cheque was made payable to the Minister of Immigration, to enable them to enter whatever was the correct amount. This was done to avoid any hairsplitting or quibbling. A new letter has now been sent to the Minister, enclosing an Australian currency bank draft.