(1) For the purposes of this Division, each of the following security clearance decisions by an internal reviewer, on behalf of the Organisation, is an independently reviewable decision :
(a) a decision under paragraph 82L(3)(a) to affirm an internally reviewable decision in respect of a person (the affected person ) who, immediately before the internally reviewable decision was made, neither held a security clearance nor was a Commonwealth employee;
(b) a decision under paragraph 82L(3)(a) to vary an internally reviewable decision in respect of a person (the affected person ) who, immediately before the internally reviewable decision was made, neither held a security clearance nor was a Commonwealth employee;
(c) any of the following decisions under paragraph 82L(3)(b) in respect of a person (the affected person ) who, immediately before the internally reviewable decision was made, neither held a security clearance nor was a Commonwealth employee:
(i) a decision to deny a security clearance in respect of the affected person;
(ii) a decision to revoke a security clearance in respect of the affected person;
(iii) a decision to impose a condition, or vary a condition imposed, on a security clearance in respect of the affected person and a circumstance in subparagraph 82H(1)(c)(i) or (ii) applies.
(2) However, a security clearance decision in respect of a person is not an independently reviewable decision for the purposes of this Division if the person:
(a) is engaged, or proposed to be engaged, for employment outside Australia for duties outside Australia; and
(b) is not an Australian citizen or is not normally resident in Australia.
(3) For the purposes of this section:
"Commonwealth employee" means a person who:
(a) is:
(i) an APS employee; or
(ii) employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 ; or
(iii) a Parliamentary Service employee (within the meaning of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 ); or
(iv) a member of the Defence Force; or
(v) a member of the Australian Federal Police (within the meaning of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 ) or a special member (within the meaning of that Act); or
(vi) an employee of an agency within the national intelligence community (within the meaning of the Office of National Intelligence Act 2018 ); and
(b) has completed any period of probation that applies to the employment; and
(c) is not employed in a Commonwealth company (within the meaning of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 ) or corporate Commonwealth entity (within the meaning of that Act).
Note: A person is not a Commonwealth employee if the person is engaged as a consultant, contractor or subcontractor.