About this Visa

This visa recognises the priority given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the protection of refugee women in particularly vulnerable situations. It is for female applicants, and their dependents, who are subject to persecution or are of concern to the UNHCR, are living outside their home country without the protection of a male relative and are in danger of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because of their gender.

The annual target for grants of this visa is 10.5 per cent of all refugee places. The department has consistently exceeded this goal, for example in the 2007–08 program year, around 13.7 per cent of refugee visas were granted to Woman at Risk applicants.

Who is this visa for?

To be eligible for this visa, a woman must be:

• living outside her home country; and
• subject to persecution in her home country or registered as being ‘of concern’ to the UNHCR; and
• without the protection of a male relative; and
• in danger of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because she is female.

Family members

The following people may be included in the application:

• the applicant’s partner
• dependent children of the applicant and the applicant’s partner
• certain dependent relatives living with the applicant.
  See: Eligibility

How much will this visa cost?

There is no charge for this visa

What does this visa let me do?

This visa allows an eligible person and any dependent family members included in the visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia.

Australian permanent residents can:

• live and work in Australia permanently
• study in Australian schools and universities
• access subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residence eligibility criteria)
• propose or sponsor people for permanent residence.

The visa holder and accompanying family members must, however, comply with Australian laws. Failure to do so may affect the ability to remain in Australia.