Key Points
- Domestic violence victims do not have to remain in the relationship to stay in Australia, regardless of their visa status.
- ABS data shows that four in 10 Australians have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15.
- Experts say migrant female victims face additional barriers to seeking support.
WARNING: This article contains descriptions of domestic violence and suicide.
When Amy*, who came to Australia in 2017, fell in love with a "shy, cute and sincere" man, she said she thought they would forever have a happy life together.
The Chinese woman, who could have applied for a permanent visa on her own, said she gave up her studies to help her then-partner run a small business, pinning her hopes of staying in Australia on him.
However, it was not long before Amy noticed that she was in "an unequal relationship". She said that her then-partner was "grumpy" and often smashed things and lashed out at her at work.
"He saw himself as my leader and manipulated me at work, and this perception was then brought into our relationship," Amy said.
Gradually, this verbal violence turned into physical abuse. Amy told SBS Chinese that once within a week, she had 17 wounds on her body, including a nearly 10-centimetre-long bruise on her chest from a beating.
While the domestic abuse once drove Amy to consider taking her life, she struggled for a long time over whether to call the police.
I was concerned about my visa.Amy
Some partner visa applicants who have suffered domestic abuse remain silent to get permanent residency. Source: Getty / In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images
"I wanted to make sure my visa would be valid at least until the case was completed. Otherwise, (I thought) there was no point in calling the police [if I didn't know what was going to happen]."
Amy said afterwards she was told by a human rights lawyer that victims of domestic violence during partner visa sponsorship did not have to remain in the relationship to get permanent residency, which gave her hope.
SBS Chinese understands that 755 primary Partner visa applicants reported themselves to be subjected to family violence in the Migration Program year 2021-22, of which 721 had their visa applications approved.
Amy's counselling record shows that she suffered from severe depression. Credit: Supplied by Amy
Rush to escape
As Amy was watched and monitored by her partner almost 24 hours a day, she said she barely had any free time. She used a doctor's appointment in March 2021 to escape the abuse.
To avoid her ex-partner’s suspicion, she said she only took a backpack with her laptop and some clothes. She then called police two days following her escape.
I was on the verge of collapse ... I was also worried that he would retaliate. But I believed that the only way to survive was to call the police.Amy
After calling the police, Amy lived in a government shelter for three months. Several months after that, Amy had her permanent residency granted in August 2021.
Amy became a permanent resident in Australia in August 2021. Credit: Supplied by Amy
More than one in five women (23 per cent) and one in 14 men (7.3 per cent) reported that they had experienced violence by an intimate partner.
A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told SBS Chinese that the Australian government had "zero tolerance" of domestic and family violence (DFV) against anyone, whether they be permanent residents or temporary visa holders.
Migration regulations allow certain visa applicants (primarily Partner visa applicants) in Australia to be granted a permanent visa if their relationship has broken down and they have suffered DFV perpetrated by a sponsoring partner.
The Government is investing additional funding in the 2023–24 Budget to support visa holders experiencing DFV.Department of Home Affairs spokesperson
"From 31 March 2023, a new instrument under the Migration Regulations 1994 - Specification of evidentiary requirements - family violence - reduces the burden placed on victims of DFV seeking a visa under the Family Violence Provisions," the spokesperson added.
Inter-generational domestic violence
Amy told SBS Chinese she was living with her in-laws when she moved in with her then-partner. She soon realised that domestic violence was nothing new in the family.
"There was severe domestic violence between his parents, with his father beating his mother ... Sometimes, his father scolded his mother in dialect," Amy said.
She said she believed that this "unhealthy" and "unequal" parental relationship had had a deep impact on her then-partner’s own violent behaviour.
The environment made him feel that violence was normal, existed in every family and was a part of life.Amy
ABS data shows that around 2.6 million people (13 per cent) aged 18 years and over witnessed violence towards a parent by a partner before the age of 15.
Yuying Zhao, a Melbourne-based psychotherapist, told SBS Chinese that children who had witnessed domestic violence between their parents generally had two possibilities, either resisting violence or endorsing it.
"If he [the child] had empathy for his mother, he would not have become an abusive husband," Ms Zhao said.
"On the other side, if he resonated with his father, then he may have rationalised his actions and felt that the violence was justified."
ABS data shows that victims of partner violence are overwhelmingly women. Credit: ABS
The silent majority
Ms Zhao said that in her three years of work, the majority of those she treated who had been subjected to domestic violence had not reported the abuse to the police.
A spokesperson for 1800RESPECT, a national domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling, information and support service, told SBS Chinese that people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds could experience additional forms of violence and had additional barriers to seeking support.
"(This violence includes) being prevented from learning English, being isolated from friends, family and community as well as having personal documents such as birth certificates, passports and visas withheld," its spokesperson said.
Ms Zhao said that financial dependence, lack of social relations and language barriers could discourage migrant females from seeking help.
"For a female victim who has a kid, she may have to bring up the kid on her own if her marriage breaks down, and the fear and pressure of taking responsibility alone may make her stay and forgive," she said.
Ms Zhao said she believed that those victims who had sought help were "doing relatively well" compared to those who remained silent.
At least they knew the channel, while there are more who remain silent and may not even know how to get help.Ms Zhao
Amy says she is committed to working to help minors who have suffered domestic abuse. Credit: Supplied by Amy
"I dreamt I was being chased and beaten again, but when I woke up I told myself it was just a dream. You are safely lying in bed and there is no need to be afraid," she said.
Amy said she now lived her life committed to protecting children from family violence as a social worker and encouraging survivors like her to not be afraid when seeking help.
If you send out a call for help, many people in the community are willing to give a hand.Amy
"We are victims of domestic violence, but we are not limited to that. We are survivors. We will survive and we will live better," she said.
For safety concerns, Amy* did not reveal her real name.
- If you are in an emergency, call 000.
- If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit
- If you require emotional support, you can contact at 131114 or at 1800 22 46 36.
- , operated by No to Violence, can be contacted at 1300 766 491.
- If you need an interpreter, call 13 14 50.
