Under a proposed legislative amendment currently before the Parliament, partner visa sponsors with a history of domestic or family violence may be banned from sponsoring a partner visa.

Currently the Australian partner who sponsors a partner visa, undergoes little checks unless there is a child under 18 involved in the application.

The Bill proposes screening sponsors with a history of domestic or family violence and proposes a separate assessment process. The proposed Bill is in line with the Government’s strong stance on combatting domestic violence.

According to the ABC, “At any particular point, up to half of the emergency accommodation being provided to victims of domestic violence are women on visas.”

Statistics released from the Department also show hundreds of domestic violence claims among partner visa applicants

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