In 2015 in New South Wales alone, there were 29,001 reported domestic violence cases. It is hard enough dealing with domestic violence when you are an Australian, but when you are here on a partner visa, there is often limited family support to turn to in times of trouble. However, just because you are here on a partner visa does not mean you need to keep quiet about what is happening to you. These are the very important facts you need to know.
First Step - Remove Yourself
The good news is that the government obviously does not support family violence, and they do not expect you to stay in a relationship where this is occurring. It is important that when you are in danger, you remove yourself from the situation and call for help. When the violence is happening, call the police on 000. If you need help finding somewhere to go so you can get away from the situation, then reach out to Australia's domestic violence support facility either online or by phone.
Second Step - The Visa Process
Once you have removed yourself from the situation, you need to let the government know what is going on so your partner visa is not automatically put in jeopardy. These are the steps to be followed:
- Call the Department of Immigration & Border Protection and let them know your relationship ended before a permanent visa was issued.
- They will contact your partner and ask them to officially end their sponsorship of your visa.
- Once this has been done, you will be told the sponsorship has been withdrawn and you will be given the opportunity to explain why the relationship ended.
One of the reasons why the process works this way is because once the sponsorship has been removed, Border Patrol no longer has a legal obligation to inform your partner about the visa proceedings. Therefore, under the privacy laws, they will not be informed about any further visa applications you make.
When a relationship ends because of domestic violence, and you follow the steps above, you still have a reasonable chance of remaining in Australia if your relationship was a legitimate one. If you feel you need help to move through this hurdle, a migration consultant can help you every step of the way. This is particularly reassuring considering you may not have a lot of immediate family members around to help you with the paperwork at this time.
You do not have to stay in a relationship that includes abuse or violence just because you are afraid you will be put into removal proceedings. The Australian government will stand up for your rights, so it's time to put your fear away and take steps to move on to a calmer life.
Click here for more information about partner visas.
