Domestic and family violence and your visa Family violence provisions – Secondary applicants

​​​​​​Family violence provisions – Secondary applicants

To make a claim for the family violence provisions when you are a secondary applicant on a visa application, you must be the former partner or spouse of the primary applicant.

Step 1: Tell us your relationship has ended

If you have acc​​ess to ImmiAccount

You can tell us that your relationship with the primary applicant has ended due to family violence in ImmiAccount.

To do this:

1. Find the reference number for your application, which is in correspondence we have sent you.
2. Log into your ImmiAccount.
3. Click ‘New application’.
   
4. Complete the ‘Notification of family violence – Secondary applicants’ form.

If you can’t find your reference number, you can contact us.

If you are using an existing ImmiAccount, make sure that only you have access to this account. If you don’t have an existing ImmiAccount, you can create a new ImmiAccount. Use an email address that your former partner can’t access to stay safe online.

If you canno​​t use ImmiAccount

You can let us know your relationship has ended by completing the Notification of family violence - Secondary applicants form.

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 the primary applicant of the permanent visa application, before your relationship ended.

We may send you a request for information asking 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 the primary applicant
• the alleged perpetrator was the primary applicant.

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 the primary applicant
• the primary applicant 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 that 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.