Amendments to the migration framework to support visa holders experiencing domestic and family violence
The submission to the Department of Home Affairs (the Department’s) in response to consultation on visa reforms for Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) victim-survivors, was prepared by the Migration Law Committee of the Law Council's Federal Dispute Resolution Section, as well as the Law Society of New South Wales, ACT Law Society, Law Society of South Australia, Queensland Law Society and the Law Institute of Victoria.
The Law Council welcomes the Department’s review of the appropriateness of current policy settings in relation to visas for persons experiencing DFV. The Law Council also welcomes the allocation of funding in the 2023–24 Budget for the expansion of the Family Violence Provisions (FVPs) in the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (the Regulations).1 As set out below, this is an issue that the Law Council has highlighted as of concern for several years, and therefore it welcomes these steps.
1 See Increased support to end violence against women and children, Ministerial Media Release, 9 May 2023: <https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/11156>.
Last Updated on 23/08/2023