(c) retain a copy of a document given to the authorised officer in accordance with a requirement covered by paragraph 268BA(2)(c) (copies of documents given under production notices).
268BM Officer may retain documents
(1) An authorised officer, or another officer with an authorised officer’s permission, may retain a document given to the authorised officer under this Subdivision:
(a) for the purposes of this Act; or
(b) for the purposes of an investigation as to whether an offence has been committed; or
(c) to enable evidence of an offence to be secured for the purposes of a prosecution.
(2) However, the document must not be retained for longer than 60 days after the authorised officer was given the document.
Note: The authorised officer may apply to retain the document for a further period: see section 268BP.
268BN Owner of document must be given copy
(1) If an officer retains a document under section 268BM, then the Secretary or Australian Border Force Commissioner must as soon as practicable:
(a) certify a copy of the document to be a true copy; and
(b) give the copy to the person (the owner) otherwise entitled to possession of the document.
(2) The certified copy must be received in all courts and tribunals as evidence as if it had been the original.
(3) Until the certified copy is given, the owner, or a person authorised by the owner, may inspect and make copies of, or take and retain extracts from, the original document at the times and places that the Secretary or Australian Border Force Commissioner thinks appropriate.
268BO Retaining documents
(1) This section applies 60 days after a document is given to an authorised officer under this Subdivision.
(2) The authorised officer must take reasonable steps to return the document to the person who gave the officer the document or to the owner if that person is not entitled to possess it.
(3) However, the authorised officer does not have to take those steps if:
(a) the authorised officer may retain the document because of an order under section 268BQ; or
(b) the authorised officer is otherwise authorised (by a law, or an order of a court, of the Commonwealth or a State) to retain, destroy or dispose of the document.
268BP Officer may apply to magistrate or ART member for a further period
(1) An authorised officer given a document under this Subdivision, or another officer who is currently retaining such a document, may apply to a magistrate or ART member for an order that the officer may retain the document for a further period.
(2) The application must be made before the end of:
(a) 60 days after the document was given to the authorised officer; or
(b) a period previously specified in an order of a magistrate or ART member under section 268BQ.
(3) Before making the application, the officer must:
(a) take reasonable steps to discover which persons’ interests would be affected by the retention of the document; and
(b) if it is practicable to do so, notify each person who the officer believes to be such a person of the proposed application.
268BQ Magistrate or ART member may order retention for further period
(1) The magistrate or ART member may order that the officer who made the application under section 268BP may retain the document if the magistrate or ART member is satisfied that it is necessary for the officer to retain it:
(a) for the purposes of this Act; or
(b) for the purposes of an investigation as to whether an offence has been committed; or
(c) to enable evidence of an offence to be secured for the purposes of a prosecution.
(2) The order must specify the period for which the officer may retain the document.
268CA Authorised officer may enter premises for a visa monitoring purpose
(1) An authorised officer may for a visa monitoring purpose:
(a) enter any premises:
(i) occupied by an education provider for the purposes of providing courses of education or of training; or
(ii) at which it is reasonable to believe there might be a thing belonging to or possessed by an education provider, or an activity conducted by or with the consent of the provider, that is relevant to a visa monitoring purpose (whether or not those premises are occupied by the provider); and
(b) exercise the monitoring powers set out in section 268CI.
(2) An authorised officer is not authorised to enter premises under subsection (1) unless:
(a) the occupier of the premises has consented to the entry and the officer has shown his or her identity card if requested by the occupier; or
Note: Section 268CC sets out the requirements for obtaining the occupier’s consent.
(b) the entry is made under a monitoring warrant.
Note: Monitoring warrants are issued under section 268CE or 268CZD.
(3) The powers in this Subdivision may be exercised even if any relevant student visa is no longer in effect or the holder of any such visa is no longer enrolled in a course provided by the education provider.
268CB Being on premises with consent
(1) An authorised officer may enter premises under section 268CA with the consent of the occupier of the premises at any reasonable time of the day or night.
(2) However, the authorised officer must leave the premises if the occupier asks the officer to do so.
268CC Consent
(1) Before obtaining the consent of a person for the purposes of paragraph 268CA(2)(a), the authorised officer must inform the person that he or she may refuse consent.
(2) An entry of an authorised officer with the consent of a person is not lawful unless the person voluntarily consents to the entry.
268CD Authorised officer may apply for monitoring warrant
(1) An authorised officer may apply to a magistrate or ART member for a monitoring warrant in relation to premises mentioned in subsection 268CA(1).
Note: Monitoring warrants may also be obtained by telephone, fax or other electronic means in urgent circumstances: see section 268CZD.
(2) The officer must give the magistrate or ART member an information on oath or affirmation that sets out the grounds for seeking the warrant.
268CE Magistrate or ART member may issue monitoring warrant
The magistrate or ART member may issue a monitoring warrant if he or she is satisfied that it is reasonably necessary that one or more authorised officers have access to the premises mentioned in subsection 268CA(1) for a visa monitoring purpose.
268CF Magistrate or ART member may require more information
(1) The magistrate or ART member may require an authorised officer or other person to give the magistrate or ART member further information on oath or affirmation concerning the grounds on which the monitoring warrant is being sought before issuing it.
(2) The information may be given either orally or by affidavit.
(3) The magistrate or ART member must not issue the warrant until the officer or other person has given the required information.
268CG Contents of monitoring warrant
(1) A monitoring warrant must:
(a) authorise one or more authorised officers:
(i) to enter the premises; and
(ii) to exercise the powers under section 268CI in relation to the premises; and
(b) state whether the entry is authorised at any time of the day or night or during specified hours of the day or night; and
(c) state the day and time at which it ceases to have effect (which must be no later than 7 days after it is issued); and
(d) state the purpose for which the warrant is issued; and
(e) state that the warrant is issued under section 268CE.
(2) The authorised officers do not have to be named in the warrant.
268CH Use of reasonable force and assistance
An authorised officer may use such assistance and force as is necessary and reasonable in entering the premises under a monitoring warrant and exercising the powers under section 268CI.
268CI Monitoring powers of authorised officers
(1) For the purposes of this Subdivision, the following are the monitoring powers that an authorised officer may exercise in relation to premises under section 268CA:
(a) to search the premises, and any receptacle on the premises, for any thing on the premises belonging to or possessed by the education provider that might be relevant to a visa monitoring purpose;
(b) to examine any such thing;
(c) to examine any activity that is conducted on the premises by, or with the consent of, the education provider that might be relevant to a visa monitoring purpose;
(d) to take photographs or make video or audio recordings or sketches on the premises of any such activity or thing;
(e) to inspect any document on the premises belonging to or possessed by the education provider that might be relevant to a visa monitoring purpose;
(f) to take extracts from or make copies of any such document;
(g) to take onto the premises any equipment and materials that the authorised officer requires for the purpose of exercising powers in relation to the premises;
(h) the powers in subsections (2), (3) and (5).
(2) For the purposes of this Subdivision, the monitoring powers include the power to operate equipment that is on the premises to see whether:
(a) the equipment; or
(b) a disk, tape or other storage device that:
(i) is on the premises; and
(ii) can be used with the equipment or is associated with it;
contains information belonging to the education provider that is relevant to a visa monitoring purpose.
(3) For the purposes of this Division, the monitoring powers include the following powers in relation to information described in subsection (2) that is found in the exercise of the power under that subsection:
(a) to operate facilities that are on the premises to put the information in documentary form and remove the documents so produced;
(b) to operate such facilities to transfer the information to a disk, tape or other storage device that:
(i) is brought to the premises for the exercise of the power; or
(ii) is on the premises and the use of which for that purpose has been agreed to in writing by the education provider or occupier (as appropriate);
(c) to remove from the premises a disk, tape or other storage device to which the information has been transferred in exercise of the power under paragraph (b).
(4) The powers mentioned in subsections (2) and (3) must be exercised in accordance with sections 268CO, 268CP and 268CQ.
(5) If an authorised officer, during a search of premises, reasonably believes that there is on the premises a thing that might afford evidence of the commission of an offence against this Act or the regulations, the Crimes Act 1914 or the Criminal Code, the monitoring powers include securing the thing pending the obtaining of a warrant to seize it.
268CJ Authorised officer on premises with consent may ask questions
An authorised officer who is only authorised to enter premises because the occupier of the premises consented to the entry may:
(a) ask the occupier to:
(i) answer any questions that are relevant to a visa monitoring purpose; and
(ii) give or show the officer any document requested by the officer that is relevant to the matter; or
(b) ask any person on the premises to answer any questions that may facilitate the exercise of monitoring powers in relation to the premises.
Note: A person could commit an offence if, under this section, the person gives false or misleading information or shows a document that is false or misleading in a material particular: see sections 268CM and 268CN.
268CK Authorised officer on premises under warrant may ask questions
An authorised officer who is authorised to enter premises by a monitoring warrant may:
(a) require the occupier of the premises to:
(i) answer any questions that are relevant to a visa monitoring purpose; and
(ii) give or show the officer any document requested by the officer that is relevant to a visa monitoring purpose; or
(b) require any person on the premises to answer any questions that may facilitate the exercise of monitoring powers in relation to the premises.
Note 1: A person could commit an offence if the person fails to comply with a requirement under this section: see section 268CL.
Note 2: A person could commit an offence if, under this section, the person gives false or misleading information or shows a document that is false or misleading in a material particular: see sections 268CM and 268CN.
268CL Offence: failure to answer question
(1) A person commits an offence if the person refuses or fails to comply with a requirement under section 268CK (officer on premises under warrant may ask questions).
Penalty: Imprisonment for 6 months.
(2) However, a person does not commit an offence if answering the question or giving or showing the document might tend to incriminate the person or expose the person to a penalty.
Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (2): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.
(3) An offence against subsection (1) is an offence of strict liability.
Note: For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.
268CM Offence: giving false or misleading information
A person who gives false or misleading information in the course of complying or purporting to comply with a request under section 268CJ or a requirement under section 268CK commits an offence.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 months.
268CN Offence: giving or showing documents that are false or misleading in material particulars
(1) A person who gives or shows a document that is false or misleading in a material particular, in the course of complying or purporting to comply with a request under section 268CJ or a requirement under section 268CK, commits an offence.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 months.
(2) However, the person does not commit an offence if the document is accompanied by a written statement signed by the person:
(a) stating that the document is, to the person’s knowledge, false or misleading in the material particular concerned; and
(b) setting out or referring to the material particular.
Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (2): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.
268CO Use of electronic equipment in exercising monitoring powers
In order to exercise monitoring powers, an authorised officer or a person assisting may operate electronic equipment on the premises if he or she reasonably believes that this can be done without damaging the equipment or data recorded on the equipment.
Note: Compensation may be payable in certain circumstances if the equipment or data is damaged: see section 268CY.
268CP Use of electronic equipment by experts
(1) This section applies if the authorised officer or a person assisting reasonably believes that:
(a) there is on the premises information belonging to the education provider concerned:
(i) that is relevant to a visa monitoring purpose; and
(ii) that might be accessible by operating electronic equipment that is on the premises; and
(b) expert assistance is required to operate the equipment; and
(c) if he or she does not take action under subsection (2), the information might be destroyed, altered or otherwise interfered with.
(2) The authorised officer or person assisting may do whatever is necessary to secure the equipment.
(3) Before doing so, the authorised officer or person assisting must give notice to the occupier of the premises of:
(a) his or her intention to secure equipment; and
(b) the fact that the equipment may be secured for up to 24 hours.
(4) The equipment may only be secured until the earlier of:
(a) 24 hours later; or
(b) the equipment being operated by the expert.
268CQ Extension of period
(1) If an authorised officer or a person assisting reasonably believes that the expert assistance will not be available within 24 hours, he or she may apply to a magistrate or ART member for an extension of the period.
(2) The authorised officer or a person assisting must give notice to the occupier of the premises of his or her intention to apply for an extension. The occupier is entitled to be heard in relation to that application.
(3) The provisions of this Subdivision relating to the issue of monitoring warrants apply, with such modifications as are necessary, to the issue of an extension.
268CR Powers without warrant in emergency situations
(1) This section applies when an authorised officer is on premises under section 268CA if the officer reasonably suspects that:
(a) a thing relevant to an offence against this Act or the regulations, the Crimes Act 1914 or the Criminal Code is on the premises; and
(b) it is necessary to exercise a power under subsection (2) in order to prevent the thing from being concealed, lost or destroyed; and
(c) it is necessary to exercise the power without the authority of a monitoring warrant because the circumstances are so serious and urgent.
(2) The authorised officer may:
(a) search the premises, and any receptacle on the premises, for the thing; and
(b) seize the thing if he or she finds it there; and
(c) exercise the powers mentioned in subsections 268CI(2) and (3) in relation to the thing.
268CS Retaining seized things
(1) This section applies to an authorised officer when one of the following happens in respect of a thing seized under section 268CR:
(a) the reason for the thing’s seizure no longer exists or it is decided that the thing is not to be used in evidence; or
(b) the period of 60 days after the thing’s seizure ends.
(2) The authorised officer must take reasonable steps to return the thing to the person from whom it was seized or to the owner if that person is not entitled to possess it.
(3) However, the authorised officer does not have to take those steps if: