It took a near-death experience for a woman we will call Sarah here to leave her violent husband.
Sarah is a young mother who arrived in Australia with her husband and children, fleeing conflict in Iraq. She says the services and support available in her new land have empowered her to seek help.
But she says she was also concerned her temporary-visa status might leave her at risk.
"I am on a bridging visa at that time. What if I get divorced and the government decides to send me back to my country? Oh, my God, this will be disaster. It will be disaster for me. They will end my life there," she says
Domestic-violence workers say women on temporary visas face extra hurdles to leaving violent partners, including the threat of deportation and separation from their children. Domestic Violence New South Wales' Monique Dam says some are so afraid that they are reluctant to seek help.
"One of the biggest fears and genuine risks that women on temporary visas experiencing violence, and their children, face is that they are concerned that they may be deported if they seek to leave a violent partner," Ms Dam says.
Data from a new national survey has found at least 387 women on temporary visas accessed support services for family violence in August this year. They had 351 dependent children between them. The survey also found many struggled to access crisis housing and ongoing stable housing. About one in 10 at-risk women remained living at home with her partner. Front-line workers like South Australia Legal Aid director Gabrielle Canny say many cases may be going unreported.
"Unfortunately, there are many women in the community who are suffering domestic violence but are very frightened to tell the authorities or to seek help, because they’re worried about their visa status, which is really attached to the sponsor."
More than 40 state and federal organisations have endorsed the report. They call the lack of options for women on temporary visas a national crisis and urge state and federal governments to take immediate action, including expanding family-violence provisions and increasing access to services.
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