A full diary of appointments during a brief visit answered a number of enquiries on diverse subjects such as citizenship, spouse visas, student visas and general skills.

Mr Harwood said the face-to-face chats were often the first step towards resolving immigration issues.

“People have questions but they don’t know where to start, it is good to see an officer face-to-face and discuss the issues and we can then let them know the next step,” Mr Harwood said.

This was the first time the Department had visited Singleton and the strong response could indicate a second visit or more regular visits.

Mr Harwood covers most of New South Wales from Lightning Ridge and out to the central west but this was the first time the Department had visited the New England region.

While the department has a great deal of information available over the phone or the Internet, some people prefer to speak to officers face-to-face and these trips are about meeting that need.

For many years, visits to regional NSW were led by Cynthia Moncrieff, who recently retired after more than 30 years with the department.

The visits will now be led by Ralph Harwood, who with more than 20 years with the department has a wide range of experience working in many different areas.