Your evidence, your information.

Last updated 24 October 2026

Who we are

Almost Home (almosthome.au) is operated by Samuel Wendt, a sole trader in Queensland, Australia. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean Almost Home. You can reach us at hello@almosthome.au.

We handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. If you’re in the European Union or the United Kingdom, the GDPR also gives you the rights set out below.

What we collect

• Your account: your name, email address and, if you set one, a password. Passwords are stored only as one-way hashes, so we can’t read them. You can also sign in with a code we email you, or with Google. If you use Google, Google tells us your name, email address and Google account ID; we keep the ID (to recognise you next time) and suggest your first name as your display name, which you can change before it’s saved.
• Your record: the photos and documents you upload, and the titles, dates, places, notes and categories on your items.
• Application details: the names and visa subclass you enter so they appear on your exports.
• Welcome questions: if you choose to answer them, where you are in the process and what you’re finding hardest. We use these to set up your record and improve Almost Home.
• Invites: if you invite your partner by email, their email address.
• Free checklist: if you ask for our evidence checklist, your email address, the website that sent you, and whether you opened the download link. You don’t need an account for this.
• Photo dates: when you add a photo, we read the date it was taken to fill in the item’s date.
• Technical information: IP addresses and request details, used to keep the service running and to stop password guessing.
• Usage events: an account ID and actions such as “exported a PDF”. These never include your name, email, photos, documents or anything you’ve written.
• Visits to our public pages: when you’re not signed in, which of our public pages you view (such as the home page and guides), the website that sent you there, your browser and device type, and which country you’re visiting from (worked out by our host from your connection). This is collected without cookies and without your IP address. If you then create an account, these visits are linked to your account ID. We never record pages inside the app.

We collect this information from you, and from your partner when they add to a record you share. You don’t have to give us anything, but we can’t run your account or record without it.

Sensitive information

Relationship evidence can include sensitive information: for example, it may reveal your sexual orientation, health, religion or ethnic origin, or information about other people in your photos. We only collect it because you choose to add it, and we only use it to provide your record to you and your partner. By adding it, you consent to us storing and processing it for that purpose.

If you add information about someone else, such as a friend in a photo, please make sure they’re comfortable with it being included.

How we use it

• To run your account and your shared record.
• To process your files so they work with ImmiAccount: converting photos, making thumbnails and building PDF exports.
• To send emails you need, such as sign-in codes, password resets and partner invites, plus a welcome email after you sign up and up to two short tips in your first week (you can unsubscribe from these).
• A weekly reminder email on Sunday evening, on for new accounts. To send it at the right time, we store your time zone (for example “Australia/Brisbane”), worked out by your browser. You can turn it off in Account or from any reminder email.
• To email the checklist you asked for and, once you’ve opened the download link, partner visa tips and Almost Home updates (you can unsubscribe from these at any time).
• To keep the service secure and prevent abuse.
• To understand which features are used, and how people find us, so we can improve them.
• To meet our legal obligations.

We only send emails related to your account or the checklist you asked for, never third-party advertising, and every email that isn’t essential has an unsubscribe link.

Who can see it

Only the people on your record can see what’s in it. There are no public links. We don’t look at your record unless you ask us to (for example, for support), we need to investigate a security problem or abuse, or the law requires it.

A small number of service providers store or process information for us, only so we can run Almost Home. The full list, what each one does and what it can see is on our Security and privacy page. We may also disclose information if the law requires it, such as under a court order.

We never sell your information or share it for advertising.

Overseas services

The app and its database run in Sydney, and your photos and documents are stored in Cloudflare’s Oceania region. Some information is handled overseas:

• Email (Resend): emails are sent from Japan, and records of them are kept in the United States.
• Usage analytics (PostHog): account IDs, usage events and visits to our public pages are stored in the United States.
• Google sign-in (optional): if you choose “Continue with Google”, Google handles that sign-in under its own privacy policy.
• Payments (Stripe): if you unlock Almost Home, Stripe processes the payment and stores your card details, in Australia and the United States. We only receive your email, the amount, the date, and whether it succeeded or was refunded. Never your card number.

We choose providers that protect information to a standard similar to the Australian Privacy Principles, and we only share what each one needs.

Cookies

We use one essential cookie to keep you signed in, and two preference cookies that only remember whether you’ve hidden a tip on your overview. While you sign in, short-lived cookies remember the email a code was sent to (15 minutes) and, if you use Google, where to take you afterwards (10 minutes). If you arrive from one of our links, a cookie remembers which one (for example “ad”) for up to 7 days, so we know which posts bring people who sign up; it holds only that word and is deleted when you sign up. We don’t use advertising or tracking cookies, and page views are counted without cookies. Because these cookies are needed for the service to work, or only store choices you’ve made or which of our links you used, we don’t ask for cookie consent.

How long we keep it

We keep your information while you have an account. When you delete your account:

• If you’re the only member of your record, the record and all its files are deleted.
• If you share your record, you leave it first. What you added stays with the record for your partner, because it’s part of their evidence too.

Payment records (amount, date and any refund) are kept for five years, as Australian tax law requires, even if you delete your account. They no longer link to your account once it’s deleted.

Copies may remain in our providers’ backups and logs for a limited time before they’re overwritten. Usage events and page visits keep only an account ID or an anonymous visitor ID, never your name or email.

Security and breaches

How we protect your information is described on our Security and privacy page. If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we’ll tell you as soon as we can and, where required, notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Your rights

• Access and copies: you can see and export your record at any time, or email us for a copy of the information we hold about you.
• Correction: you can edit your items and account details yourself, or ask us to correct anything else.
• Deletion: you can delete your account from your account page, or ask us to.
• EU and UK users can also object to or restrict processing, ask for their data in a portable format, and withdraw consent at any time. We rely on your consent for sensitive information, and on providing the service you asked for for everything else.

Email hello@almosthome.au with any request. We’ll respond within 30 days, and it won’t cost you anything.

Complaints

If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your information, email us first and we’ll try to fix it. If you’re still not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au. If you’re in the EU or UK, you can also complain to your local data protection authority.

Changes to this policy

Almost Home is for people aged 18 and over. If we change this policy, we’ll update the date above, and we’ll email you before any change that significantly affects how we use your information.