Privacy Policy

1. About Us

VisaClarity is an AI-powered Australian visa guidance platform operated by a sole trader based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia (ABN registered). We provide visa information, pathway planning tools, and AI-assisted guidance to help people navigate the Australian migration system.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use visaclarity.com.au (the "Platform"). By using our Platform, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.

For any privacy-related questions, contact us at hello@visaclarity.com.au.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Name and email address (when you create an account)
• Google account information (if you sign in with Google)
• Visa pathway answers — occupation, education level, experience, English score, preferred state, and similar profile data you enter during onboarding
• Planner and checklist progress you save on the Platform
• Messages you send to Kobi, our AI guidance assistant

2.2 Payment Information

Payments are processed securely by Stripe. We do not store your credit card number, CVV, or full payment details on our servers. We retain only a record of the transaction (amount, date, product purchased) for billing history purposes.

2.3 Usage and Analytics Data

• Pages visited and features used on the Platform
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• IP address and approximate location (country/state level)
• Session duration and interaction patterns

We use Google Analytics and Google AdSense to collect this data. These services may use cookies and similar tracking technologies. See Section 5 for more details.

2.4 Information We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect passport numbers, visa application numbers, or immigration case details
• We do not collect health or biometric information
• We do not knowingly collect information from children under 18

3. How We Use Your Information

• To provide the Platform: Your profile answers are used to personalise your dashboard, calculate your points score, and show relevant visa pathways.
• To power Kobi: Messages you send to Kobi are processed by our AI engine to generate responses. Conversation history is used within your session to maintain context.
• To save your progress: Planner checklists, EOI readiness data, and pathway selections are stored against your account so you can return to them.
• To process payments: Transaction records are kept for billing and support purposes.
• To improve the Platform: Anonymised and aggregated usage data helps us understand which features are useful and where we can improve.
• To serve relevant ads to free users: Google AdSense uses cookies to show ads that may be relevant to your interests. Paying subscribers do not see ads.
• To communicate with you: We may send transactional emails (payment receipts, account-related notices). We do not send marketing emails without your explicit consent.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only in the following circumstances:

• Stripe: Payment processing. Stripe's privacy policy applies to payment data.
• Google: Analytics and advertising services. Google's privacy policy applies.
• Anthropic / Groq: AI inference providers that power Kobi's responses. Messages are processed transiently and are not used to train their models under our agreements.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by Australian law, a court order, or to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public.

5. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

• Authentication: To keep you logged in across sessions.
• Session data: To remember your progress and preferences during a visit.
• Google Analytics: To understand how the Platform is used. This data is anonymised and aggregated.
• Google AdSense (free users only): To serve relevant advertisements. You can opt out of personalised ads via Google's Ad Settings at adssettings.google.com.

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Note that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of the Platform.

6. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored on servers located in the European Union (Helsinki, Finland) operated by Hetzner Online GmbH. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Hashed and salted password storage
• JWT-based authentication with expiry
• Restricted database access

While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system is completely secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account.

7. Data Retention

• Account data: Retained while your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
• Kobi conversation history: Session data is retained for service improvement. You may request deletion.
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years as required by Australian tax law.
• Analytics data: Retained per Google's standard retention periods.

8. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Opt out of marketing communications
• Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@visaclarity.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Third-Party Links

The Platform may contain links to external websites including the Department of Home Affairs, state migration portals, and other official sources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy questions, concerns, or requests: