Domestic and Family Violence Visa Support
Our Domestic and Family Violence Support Section is a specialised team within the Department of Home Affairs. We support temporary visa holders experiencing domestic and family violence in Australia.
We can provide information and assistance on immigration matters, and work with you or your client to resolve visa issues.
Part of our work is to inform future policy responses. This relates to temporary visa holders experiencing domestic and family violence. We welcome discussions with service providers about this.
If you are from a domestic and family violence service provider, use the Domestic and family violence contact form to contact us. You can give us as much information as you feel comfortable to share. We will use the details you give us to contact you.
Privacy is important to us. When working with service providers, we always make sure that we have the visa applicant or visa holder’s approval. We need you to give us a signed Consent to disclose information form. Completion of this form authorises us to communicate with the person listed to help provide support to the client.
Completing this form does not replace the current authorised recipient forms. Migration agents and legal practitioners should continue to use the appropriate form to represent their client:
- Form 956 - Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.
- Form 956A - Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient.
Family violence provisions – Partner visa applicants
If your client is on a Partner visa pathway they may be eligible for us to grant their temporary and/or permanent visa. This may apply if:
- their relationship with their sponsor has ended
- there has been domestic and family violence.
There is detailed information on the
family violence provisions.
If you need help to assist your client to apply for the family violence provisions, you can contact a
legal or migration service. We encourage clients to seek independent immigration assistance.
ImmiAccount
The ‘notification of relationship cessation form’ in ImmiAccount can be used by Partner visa applicants to notify us of a relationship cessation and family violence. We encourage providers and their clients to use this form to notify the Department. You can also use this form to tell us that a Partner visa applicant wants to claim the child of relationship or death of sponsor exception.
When you use this form, your client’s application will be automatically removed from all ImmiAccounts (if you have selected the family violence option). This is to protect their safety and privacy. We will restore access for yourself and your client.
Using the form will also bring your client’s application to our direct attention.
ImmiAccount is safe to use. We encourage service providers to use it to submit documents and information.
If you do not have access to the client's application in ImmiAccount you can let us know by completing the Partner Processing Enquiry Form.
