If you are a victim of family violence in Australia

Are you in Australia on a Temporary Partner visa or you married your spouse while on a Prospective Marriage visa  (Fiancé Visa)?

 Did you or your dependants experienced family violence?

 Your relationship has ended?

 If you answered yes to these questions, then you may still apply for residency even if the relationship ended before the two year waiting period for applying for PR is not yet over.

Before, many relationship-based visa holders choose to endure and remain in abusive relationships in order to stay in Australia. Holders of Temporary Partner Visas normally have to wait for two years before they can be sponsored for Permanent Residency. In that two year period, the visa holder needs to be in a genuine and continuing relationship with their sponsor.

With the introduction of the family violence provisions in Australian migration laws, it means that you and your family don’t have to endure an abusive spouse or partner because of fear of being sent back to your home country.

What constitutes family violence? For visa purposes, it is defined as conduct, either actual or threatened, that causes you to fear for your safety or wellbeing. The conduct can be directed at you, your dependants or your property.

Family violence does not necessary mean physical abuse. It can include psychological abuse or harm, forced sexual relations, forced isolation or economic deprivation. In Australia, family violence is a crime.

To qualify for these law provisions, applicant needs to satisfy the Department of Home Affairs that their relationship was genuine until it ended and that the family violence took place during the relationship.

To find out more about this topic, feel free to send us  an email at info@bridgesimmigration.com.au and we assure that all matters are treated with strict confidentiality.