They're some of the most vulnerable members of the community: Women, newly-arrived in Australia, who find themselves the victims of family violence.
And a new report has found these women face a terrible dilemma, often having to rely on their partners to stay in the country, even if these visa sponsors are their abusers.
"This group of women is particularly vulnerable in relation to their migration status. They may have come on a student visa and if you experience family violence there is no specific support for someone who is on a student visa," the report's co-author, Monash University associate professor Marie Segrave said.
"For someone who is on a partner visa, there is limited support in place if you want to leave and try to access a visa to stay in Australia. There is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen. If you have children, whether these children are Australian citizens or not."
