# Proof of certain matters > act-s271 — as in force on 2026-06-04 — C2026C00232 · Compilation No. 171 — https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2026C00232/latest/text 271 Proof of certain matters (1) In migration proceedings: (a) official documents of the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory, and letters and telegrams, or copies of letters and telegrams, and affidavits produced out of official custody and purporting to have been sent or made by an officer, are, if they contain information or statements upon matters relevant to the proceedings, admissible as evidence of that information or of the matters stated; and (b) a certificate signed by an officer stating that: (i) at a time, or during a period, specified in the certificate a specified person was, or was not, the holder of, a visa that was in effect; or (ii) a specified visa was granted subject to specified conditions or to a specified limitation as to period; is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate; and (c) the production out of official custody of a document purporting to be a report made by the master, owner, charterer or agent of a vessel to an officer as to a matter relevant to the operation of this Act is prima facie evidence that the document is such a report; and (d) a list of passengers in a vessel, or a passenger card relating to a passenger in a vessel, furnished in accordance with the regulations, is prima facie evidence that the person named on the list or card as the operator of the vessel is the operator of the vessel; and (e) a notation in a person’s passport specifying a proclaimed airport and date (being a notation made by an authorised officer in a form approved by the Minister) is prima facie evidence that the person was immigration cleared on that date; and (f) a notation in a person’s passport to the effect that the person departed on a specified pre-cleared flight from a specified foreign country on a specified date (being a notation made by an authorised officer in a form approved by the Minister) is prima facie evidence that the person entered Australia on that pre-cleared flight; and (g) for the purpose of proving that a person entered Australia on, or left Australia in, an aircraft (whether or not the person travelled to Australia on a pre-cleared flight), a certified printout of the relevant movement records is prima facie evidence of the matters contained in the printout; and (h) for the purpose of proving that a person entered Australia on, or left Australia on, a vessel, a list of any passengers on that vessel, or a passenger card relating to a passenger on that vessel, furnished in accordance with the regulations is admissible in evidence, and production of such a list or passenger card bearing a name that is the same as the name of that person shall be deemed to be proof that that person entered Australia on, or left Australia on, that vessel on the voyage in respect of which the list or passenger card was furnished, unless the contrary is proved; and (i) for the purpose of proving that a person has, in a place outside Australia, been convicted of a particular crime (including an attempt to commit a crime) and has been sentenced to a particular sentence in respect of the conviction, fingerprint records, photographs and documents or copies thereof, and certificates in relation to any fingerprint records, photographs or documents or copies thereof, are admissible in the evidence if they: (i) are produced out of the custody of a police or prison officer of the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory; and (ii) purport to be certified or given under the hand of a police or prison officer, or like authority, of a place outside Australia; and any such certificate is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate; and (j) evidence that a person who travelled to and entered Australia on board a vessel, when entering, either: (i) failed to produce to an officer, upon demand by that officer, a passport; or (ii) produced to an officer a passport that was not an Australian passport; is prima facie evidence that the person was, when entering, a non-citizen; and (k) evidence that a non-citizen who entered Australia on board a vessel failed, when entering, to produce to an officer, upon demand by that officer, evidence of a visa: (i) that is in effect; and (ii) that permits the non-citizen to travel to and enter Australia; is prima facie evidence that the non-citizen did not, when entering, hold such a visa; and (l) a certificate signed by an officer stating whether or not a specified computer program was functioning correctly: (i) at a specified time or during a specified period; and (ii) in relation to specified outcomes from the operation of that program under an arrangement made under subsection 495A(1); is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate; and (m) a certificate signed by an officer stating: (i) whether or not a specified person used a specified computer system at a specified time, or during a specified period, to obtain information about another specified person; and (ii) if the specified computer system was so used—the information about the other specified person that was provided by the system to the user at that time or during that period; is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate. Note: Functioning correctly is defined in subsection (5). (2) In subsection (1), the reference to official documents of a Territory shall be read, in the case of the Territory of Christmas Island, as including official documents of that Territory that were in existence at the commencement of this subsection. (3) In subsection (1), the reference to official documents of a Territory shall be read, in the case of the Coral Sea Islands Territory or the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, as including official documents of that Territory that were in existence at the commencement of this subsection. (4) In this section: migration proceedings means: (a) proceedings in a court (including criminal proceedings): (i) under this Act, or in relation to an offence against this Act or a contravention of a civil penalty provision; or (ii) in relation to a deportation order; or (b) proceedings in the ART for the review of a decision under this Act, including a decision to make a deportation order. Note: For offence against this Act, see subsection 5(1). (5) For the purposes of paragraph 271(1)(l), a computer program is functioning correctly if: (a) outcomes from its operation comply with this Act and the regulations; and (b) those outcomes would be valid if they were made by the Minister otherwise than by the operation of the computer program.