The role of the Department of Home Affairs
We cannot help you in an emergency.
If you or someone you know is in danger call the police on 000. Police in Australia are safe and can be trusted.
The Australian Government has zero tolerance for domestic and family violence against anyone, including permanent or temporary visa holders. The Department of Home Affairs is committed to supporting victims of domestic and family violence. We will work with you to resolve your situation under the migration law framework.
You can contact us to discuss your situation. We also encourage you to seek independent
immigration assistance. You can find links to specialist services in each state and territory at Family Violence Law Help and on the
Where to get help page. These services include:
- visa and immigration services
- domestic and family violence legal services.
Temporary visa holders
The Australian Red Cross can provide financial support to people on temporary visas.
The Australian Red Cross Family and Domestic Violence Financial Assistance Program is available for people who are:
- on temporary visas, or with uncertain visa status, living in Australia
- experiencing family or domestic violence
- experiencing financial hardship.
Domestic and family violence service providers can contact us by completing the online form on the services providers tab. This includes legal, specialist migration and community organisations.
Informing us about domestic and family violence
If you are experiencing domestic and family violence and are concerned about your visa status, you can contact us to discuss your situation.
If your relationship status has changed due to domestic and family violence you can let us know about this change.
There are different ways you can contact us depending on your situation.
If you have an ongoing partner visa application, see:
Family violence provisions.
If you are a temporary visa holder or have an outstanding application, you can tell us about changes in your circumstances in one of the following ways:
Unless there is an immediate threat to your life or an immediate risk of harm, and where mandatory child reporting obligations exist, we will not refer the matter to the police (if you have not already done so) without your consent.
Your visa checklist
There are some important things you can do to stay safe and ensure you have a valid visa.
We have developed a checklist that can help. You can use the checklist to help as part of safety planning too.
The checklist is available in several different community languages:
Visa cancellations
Only the Minister or a delegated officer has the power to refuse or cancel a person’s visa.
A person who commits domestic and family violence cannot cancel your visa. We use the term “perpetrator” to refer to this person.
If you are the perpetrator of domestic and family violence, your visa may be refused or cancelled.
We do not encourage visa applicants to stay in violent or dangerous relationships under any circumstance. This includes to get a visa outcome. If you are experiencing domestic and family violence, we strongly encourage you to contact the police. You can also seek help from service providers.
