Family violence provisions – Partner visa applicants
Step 1: Tell us your relationship has ended
If you have access to ImmiAccount
You should use the 'Notification of Relationship Cessation' form in the 'Update Details' tab in ImmiAccount.
After you submit the form, your Partner visa application and sponsorship application will be automatically removed from all ImmiAccounts for your safety and privacy. This includes your former sponsor or migration agent’s account.
The form will ask you:
- when your relationship ceased with your former sponsor
- if you have experienced family violence
- if you have children with your former sponsor.
It is important to choose both the family violence and children of the relationship options on the form if both circumstances apply to your situation. Your application will only be automatically removed if you choose the family violence option.
If you do not have access to ImmiAccount
You can let us know your relationship has ended by completing the Partner processing enquiry form.
If a migration agent or legal practitioner is helping you, they can tell us your relationship has ended on your behalf. They can choose to opt-out of the removal of the Partner visa application from ImmiAccount. However, the sponsorship application will always be automatically removed.
Create a new ImmiAccount
After you have told us that your relationship has ended, create a new ImmiAccount. Use an email address that your former sponsor can’t access to
stay safe online.
We will contact you to transfer your application into your new ImmiAccount, and ask for your new ImmiAccount username and email address.
Step 2: Gather your documents
We understand it can be difficult to gather evidence of your relationship and family violence. We will give you more time to submit these documents if you need it.
Relationship evidence
First, we must be satisfied that you were in a genuine and ongoing relationship with your former sponsor, before your relationship ended.
We may send you a request for information asking you for evidence of your relationship. Please provide as much information as you can.
Family violence evidence
Once we have assessed your relationship to have been genuine, we will then assess your family violence claims.
We will ask you to send us
evidence of family violence. This evidence must show that:
- at least part of the family violence occurred while you were in a relationship with your former sponsor
- the alleged perpetrator was your former sponsor.
Step 3: We assess your claim
We need to determine that:
- the violence, or part of the violence, you experienced occurred while you were in a relationship with your former sponsor, and
- your former sponsor was the alleged perpetrator.
When assessing your claim, we may ask you for more information in order to be satisfied that family violence has occurred.
If we are satisfied you have experienced family violence, we may ask you for more information. This may include a request to undertake a health exam, or give us character documents such as an Australian or overseas police certificate
Independent expert
If we are not satisfied that you have experienced family violence, we will refer you to an independent expert for assessment. We will tell you if we have referred you to an independent expert.
The independent expert will contact you to set up an interview to discuss your family violence claims and give us their opinion on whether they think you have experienced family violence.
This process may take some time. We must accept the independent expert’s opinion.
If the independent expert determines that you have not experienced family violence, we will give you the opportunity to comment on this opinion.
If the independent expert determines you have experienced family violence, we may ask you for more information. This may include a request to undertake a health exam, or give us character documents such as an Australian or overseas police certificate.
