Aneeta* was already living in fear of her violent and controlling husband when she discovered her abuse was part of a dark pattern.
A call from the Department of Home Affairs alerted her to his past. Her husband, who had sponsored her to migrate to Australia from South Asia, had previously been charged with domestic violence offences from his prior marriages, which he had also kept secret.
Aneeta is among those who have used a safety net for visa applicants, which can provide a pathway to permanent residency without staying with their abuser.