Can I Still Get PR After Domestic Violence on a Partner Visa in 2026?

Updated 2026-10-10 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

Yes, in many cases you can. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Partner Visa Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) official page (as of the October 2026 official page), if you are experiencing domestic and family violence the department may be able to help, and you may still be eligible for the grant of your permanent visa under the family violence provisions. In other words, the end of the relationship is not by itself the end of your Partner visa case. This page explains the general rules only and is not personalised advice about your circumstances; for your own situation, rely on the current official pages or on professional advice.

Does the end of the relationship automatically end my Partner visa case?

No. A Partner visa application is built around the relationship, but Australian partner migration is split into two stages: a temporary visa (subclass 820 onshore or subclass 309 offshore) and a permanent visa (subclass 801 onshore or subclass 100 offshore). The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) sits alongside these as the entry route for people who intend to marry.

When the relationship breaks down, the department still needs to be told, and your case does not simply close. The official page sets out two separate channels: notification of the relationship change, and, where domestic and family violence is involved, the family violence provisions. These are not the same thing, and only the second one is what keeps the permanent visa outcome on the table.

What do I have to tell the department when the relationship ends?

The official page describes a notification step first. You may need to complete the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the 'Update Details' tab in ImmiAccount. If you do not have access to ImmiAccount, the same notification can be made using the Partner processing enquiry form. Either way, you attach a signed and completed Form 1022 – Notification of changes in circumstances, which operates under section 104 of the Migration Act 1958.

The section 104 mechanism matters here: it is an obligation to tell the department about the change. It is not an application to withdraw, and completing it does not itself decide whether your permanent visa can still be granted.

Can my sponsor end my case by withdrawing the sponsorship?

A sponsor can withdraw their sponsorship at any time before the department decides the permanent Partner visa application. That is a real risk in a separation, and it is worth understanding plainly: the sponsorship is the sponsor's to withdraw, but withdrawal does not automatically convert into a refusal of your permanent visa where the family violence provisions apply.

The department also points sponsors who are experiencing domestic and family violence towards its Information for Partner visa sponsors page, and there is support available on that side of the relationship as well. Sponsorship withdrawal is therefore best read as a change the department will take into account, not as a final answer on your permanent visa.

What do the family violence provisions actually do?

They preserve the possibility of a permanent visa outcome after the relationship has stopped. The department's own FAQ page states that you may still be eligible for the grant of your permanent visa and directs applicants to the Family Violence Provisions pages for how that works in practice.

Two limits are worth being clear about. First, "may still be eligible" is the department's own wording — it is an avenue to be assessed, not a promise of a grant. Second, the assessment still has to happen through the normal permanent stage of the visa, which is where the timing rule below applies. If you are experiencing domestic and family violence, the department also says it may be able to help, and its Domestic and family violence and your visa page is the entry point.

When can the permanent visa (subclass 801 or 100) actually be assessed?

Timing is the part that surprises most people. If you hold a temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820), two years must have passed since you applied for that visa before you are eligible for assessment of the permanent visa. That two-year mark is measured from the date you applied for the temporary visa, not from the date the relationship ended.

Once you have passed it, the official page sets out this sequence:

  1. Log in to ImmiAccount.
  2. Select 'New application', then 'Family'.
  3. Select 'Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment (100, 801)'.
  4. Complete the online form using your application ID.

Your application ID appears in the department's correspondence, including your acknowledgement of application received letter or your notification of visa grant letter. If you did not use ImmiAccount to apply for the Partner visa, you need to create an ImmiAccount first. The eligibility detail for each visa sits on the subclass 801 and subclass 100 eligibility pages.

Can I ask for my case to be prioritised?

You can ask, but the official page is blunt about the odds. Under Ministerial Direction 117, an application may be prioritised if it involves special circumstances of a compassionate nature and there are compelling reasons to depart from the normal order of priority. There is no guarantee of a higher priority, because other applicants may have equally or more compelling circumstances, and most requests for priority processing cannot be approved.

There is also a hard gate: if you hold a temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820) and two years have not yet passed since you applied, the department cannot consider your priority request. Requests are only considered when all supporting documents and information have already been submitted, and you still have to meet every relevant legislative requirement before the visa can be granted.

How long will the whole thing take?

The department does not publish a single figure for Partner visas. Applications are processed according to Ministerial Direction 117, with the highest priority given to onshore Partner visa (subclass 820 and 801) applications. Lower priority is given to offshore applications for the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) and the Partner visa (subclass 309 and 100), and those lower-priority applications are likely to experience longer processing times.

For an indication, the official page points to the visa processing time guide tool, which shows the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only, is not specific to your application, and is a better reference than any figure quoted second-hand.

What if the permanent visa is refused?

If your permanent Partner visa (subclass 801 or 100) is refused, you no longer hold a temporary Partner visa. That is a sharp cliff, and the practical first step afterwards is to understand your own status rather than assume it continues. The department's answer is to check your visa details and conditions through VEVO.

Your refusal notification letter will tell you whether you have the right to seek review of the decision by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). If your decision is under review, you should keep checking your current visa details and conditions in VEVO, and the ART's own website sets out its fees and charges.

What about keeping myself safe online while the case is open?

This is a genuine part of the process, not a side note, because ImmiAccount and your email are where your case lives. The department recommends that you change your ImmiAccount password as soon as possible, avoid using saved passwords to access ImmiAccount, and change your email password or consider setting up a new email account.

The eSafety Commissioner's online safety checklist is the tool the department points to for a broader check of your personal safety online, and the same checklist is offered to sponsors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get permanent residency if my Partner visa relationship ended because of domestic violence?

The Department of Home Affairs states on its Partner Visa FAQ page that you may still be eligible for the grant of your permanent visa, and refers applicants to the family violence provisions pages. That is an avenue to be assessed for the permanent visa (subclass 801 or 100), not a guarantee that it will be granted.

Do I have to tell the department that the relationship has ended?

Yes. The official page describes completing the Notification of Relationship Cessation form in the 'Update Details' tab in ImmiAccount, or using the Partner processing enquiry form if you do not have ImmiAccount access. You attach a signed and completed Form 1022, which is the notification of changes in circumstances under section 104 of the Migration Act 1958.

Can my sponsor withdraw the sponsorship and end my case?

A sponsor can withdraw their sponsorship at any time before the department decides the permanent Partner visa application. Withdrawal is a change the department takes into account; where the family violence provisions apply, it does not by itself determine the outcome of your permanent visa assessment.

How long do I have to wait before the permanent visa stage is assessed?

If you hold a temporary Partner visa (subclass 309 or 820), two years must have passed since you applied for that visa. After that, the department describes lodging the permanent stage through ImmiAccount by selecting 'New application', then 'Family', then 'Stage 2 – Permanent Partner Visa Assessment (100, 801)'.

Will my application be fast-tracked because of the domestic violence?

Not automatically. Under Ministerial Direction 117, priority may be given for compassionate and compelling circumstances, but there is no guarantee and most requests cannot be approved. If two years have not passed since you applied for your temporary Partner visa, the department cannot consider a priority request at all.

What happens if the permanent Partner visa is refused?

You no longer hold a temporary Partner visa, so the official advice is to check your visa details and conditions through VEVO. Your refusal notification letter will state whether you can seek review by the Administrative Review Tribunal, and the ART website lists its fees and charges.

Where can a sponsor get help if they are experiencing domestic and family violence?

The department points sponsors to its Information for Partner visa sponsors page and notes that support is available. It also recommends the eSafety Commissioner's online safety checklist for improving personal safety online.

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