{"id":"F2025L01112","name":"Australian Citizenship (Authorisation) Instrument 2025","slug":"australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442967,"registerId":"F2025L01112-fast-fetch-1775957884438","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Australian Citizenship (Authorisation) Instrument 2025","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nLIN 25/088\n\n \n\nAustralian Citizenship (Authorisation) Instrument 2025\n\nI, Julian Hill, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs, make the following instrument.\n\nDated  15 September 2025\n\nJulian Hill\n\nAssistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Schedules\n\n6  Authorisation—requesting personal identifiers\n\n7  Authorisation—accessing identifying information\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nAustralian Citizenship Act 2007 – Instrument of Authorisation (Subsections 40(3), 40(4), 42(3) and 42(4)) 2015 – IMMI 15/063\n\n \n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Australian Citizenship (Authorisation) Instrument 2025.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n  This instrument commences on the day after registration.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under subsections 40(3), 40(4), 42(3) and 42(4) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in section 3 of the Act, including the following:\n\n(a) entrusted person;\n\n(b) identifying information;\n\n(c) personal identifier.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.\n\n5  Schedules\n\n  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n6  Authorisation—requesting personal identifiers\n\n (1) Under subsection 40(3) of the Act, a person who is an entrusted person is authorised for the purposes of paragraph 40(1)(d) of the Act.\n\n (2) Under subsection 40(4) of the Act, a person who is an entrusted person is a class of persons authorised for the purposes of paragraph 40(1)(e) of the Act.\n\n7  Authorisation—accessing identifying information\n\n1.   For the purposes of subsection 42(3) of the Act, a person who is an entrusted person is authorised to access identifying information of any kind for any one or more of the purposes specified in subsection (2).\n\n\n (2) For the purposes of subsection 42(4) of the Act, the following purposes are specified:\n\n (a) where obtaining the identifier is necessary for either or both of the following purposes:\n\n (i) assisting in the identification of, and to authenticate the identity of, a person making an application under Part 2 of the Act or seeking to sit a test approved in a determination under section 23A of the Act; or\n\n (ii)  combating document and identity fraud in citizenship matters;\n\n (b) disclosing identifying information in accordance with Division 5 in Part 2 of the Act;\n\n (c) administering or managing the storage of identifying information;\n\n (d) making identifying information available to the person to whom it relates;\n\n (e) modifying identifying information to enable it to be matched with other identifying information;\n\n (f) modifying identifying information in order to correct errors or ensure compliance with appropriate standards;\n\n (g) the purposes of the Act or of the Migration Act 1958 or the regulations made under those Acts;\n\n (h) complying with Australian laws.\n\n\n\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nAustralian Citizenship Act 2007 – Instrument of Authorisation (Subsections 40(3), 40(4), 42(3) and 42(4)) 2015 – IMMI 15/063\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\nRepeal the instrument.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument repeals the earlier Instrument of Authorisation IMMI 15/063 in full (Schedule 1) and re-states the authorisations for entrusted persons under subsections 40(3), 40(4), 42(3) and 42(4) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (sections 3, 6 and 7). The instrument therefore replaces the prior authorisation instrument as the operative source of these permissions. The instrument itself does not contain the earlier instrument’s text, so a comparison of whether the new instrument broadens or narrows specific operational powers relative to the 2015 instrument cannot be completed from this instrument alone."},"complexity_factors":["Short, targeted instrument focused on authorisations rather than procedure or enforcement","Relies on statutory definitions and framework in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (references to ‘entrusted person’, ‘personal identifier’, ‘identifying information’) rather than redefining terms (section 4 note; section 3 authority)","Broad wording for access (‘identifying information of any kind’) creates wide practical scope (section 7(1))","Multiple purposive permissions listed, some overlapping (section 7(2)(a)–(h))","Repeal of prior instrument (IMMI 15/063) is wholesale, shifting legal source of authorisation without including the prior instrument’s text (Schedule 1)","Absence of procedural detail, safeguards, or enforcement measures in the instrument increases need to consult the Act and administrative practice for operational clarity"],"plain_english_summary":"The instrument authorises people designated as “entrusted persons” under the Citizenship Act to request personal identifiers and to access, disclose, modify, store and provide identifying information for a specified set of citizenship-related purposes. It affects applicants, test candidates and any individuals whose identifying information may be handled.\n\nIt takes effect the day after registration and repeals the 2015 authorisation instrument. It lists permitted purposes but does not set procedural safeguards, retention rules or oversight."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains the same scope as its predecessor (IMMI 15/063). It continues to authorise the same activities (requesting personal identifiers and accessing identifying information) under the same sections of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. The purposes listed in section 7 largely mirror the previous instrument's intent, covering identity verification, fraud prevention, and administrative functions. This appears to be a routine re-enactment/update rather than an expansion of scope."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument (approximately 2 pages of substantive content)","Only 1 defined term ('Act') in the instrument itself; relies on definitions in the parent Act","Simple structure: name, commencement, authority, definitions, schedules, and two operative sections (6 and 7)","Section 7 contains a nested list of 8 specific purposes (paragraphs a-h), with paragraph (a) containing sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii)","Cross-references to the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and Migration Act 1958, but no complex conditional logic or exceptions","Single repeal in Schedule 1 — straightforward sunsetting of previous instrument"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument authorises certain government officials (called 'entrusted persons') to collect and access personal biometric and identity information for citizenship purposes.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Authorises collection**: Allows entrusted persons to request 'personal identifiers' (biometric data like fingerprints, photos, or signatures) from people applying for Australian citizenship or taking citizenship tests.\n- **Authorises access**: Allows these officials to access 'identifying information' (stored identity data) for specific purposes.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- People applying for Australian citizenship\n- People sitting Australian citizenship tests\n- Government officials who handle citizenship applications (entrusted persons)\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis is the legal authority that lets the government collect your fingerprints, photos, and other biometric data when you apply for citizenship. It also sets strict limits on what they can use that data for — including verifying your identity, preventing fraud, administering the citizenship program, sharing data as permitted by law, and complying with other Australian laws.\n\n**Key change:**\nThis instrument replaces and repeals the 2015 version (IMMI 15/063), updating the legal framework for how identity data is handled in the citizenship system."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025","history":"/api/acts/australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/australian-citizenship-authorisation-instrument-2025/documents"}}