If you are in danger right now
Call 999. If you cannot speak, press 55 when prompted and the operator will connect you to the police without you needing to talk — this is known as the Silent Solution.
You are not alone. Confidential support is available today.
| Who it's for | Helpline | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone experiencing domestic abuse | National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247 | Free, 24 hours a day, every day |
| Men experiencing domestic abuse | Respect Men's Advice Line – 0808 801 0327 | Weekdays |
| LGBT+ people experiencing abuse | Galop – 0800 999 5428 | Weekdays |
| Free emergency injunctions | National Centre for Domestic Violence – 0800 970 2070 | 24/7 |
| Forced marriage / honour-based abuse | Karma Nirvana – 0800 5999 247 | Weekdays |
If you are worried someone will monitor your phone or computer, use a safe device, and remember your browsing history can usually be seen — most helpline sites have a "quick exit" button for this reason, including this page.
Safety first, legal information second
If your immigration status depends on an abusive relationship, UK law has routes built specifically for your safety.
If you are wondering:
- What happens to my visa if I leave my abusive partner?
- Can I stay in the UK if I leave my abusive husband?
- Will I be deported if I leave an abusive relationship?
Please know that you are just one step away from getting confidential advice from our specialist team.
Request A Call BackHandled by our experienced Domestic Abuse team
Within our firm, domestic abuse cases are handled by our experienced and specially trained team; they are not passed around and are not treated as routine paperwork. We know that if your immigration status is tied to your relationship, leaving can feel impossible for reasons beyond the relationship itself. We have sat across from people who felt exactly that.
We understand that reaching out about domestic violence can be one of the hardest steps you take, and every conversation with us is confidential, unhurried, and led by YOU.
The fears we hear most often, and the truth
A first step to safety: the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC)
An MVDAC application gives you breathing room if your relationship has broken down because of domestic abuse. MVDAC gives victims of domestic abuse on a partner, work, study or graduate visa 3 months' leave to apply for settlement or another route. This makes an MVDAC application in the UK one of the fastest ways to regain stability.
MVDAC is a Home Office concession, not a full visa, that gives you breathing room if your relationship has broken down because of domestic abuse. It grants 3 months' permission to stay with access to public funds and the right to work, so you have time to apply for settlement or another route, without being left destitute in the meantime.
If you are wondering about any of the following questions, you have landed on the right page:
- How to apply for MVDAC?
- What is the MVDAC eligibility?
- Can international students get the domestic abuse concession?
- Do I need a police report for a domestic abuse visa?
Who It Covers
An MVDAC application was originally only available to partners under Appendix FM. The concession has since been expanded: from 16 February 2024 to partners of people on work and study routes, and from 4 April 2024 to partners with EU Settlement Scheme pre-settled status. Since February 2025, it has also expanded to partners under the Ukraine Scheme.
What Happens During the 3 Months
Once your MVDAC application is approved, you must do one of three things:
- Apply for settlement via SET(DV)
- Apply to stay under another immigration route
- Make arrangements to leave the UK
Fees
MVDAC application costs nothing to the victim. No fee is charged by the Home Office for this application.
How We Can Help
- Assessing your eligibility for MVDAC under the current, expanded criteria
- Helping you gather evidence discreetly and safely
- Preparing your MVDAC application and advising on next steps within the 3-month window
- Responding to Home Office enquiries
No. Many victims never do, and the Home Office recognises this; a case can still succeed on other evidence.
Applications are made independently of your partner, and our team can talk you through how to keep the process as safe as possible for your situation.
A permanent route to safety: settlement in your own right – SET(DV) / ILR
Settlement for Domestic Abuse Victims SET(DV) application UK is the route to Indefinite Leave to Remain for domestic abuse victims, independent of your abuser. No English test, no financial requirement.
This is the route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) in your own right, independent of your abuser, under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (Appendix VDA).
If you are wondering about any of the following questions, you have landed on the right page:
- How to apply for ILR after domestic abuse?
- Does domestic abuse visa require an English test?
- Can my children stay if I apply for a domestic abuse visa?
- What evidence do I need for SET(DV)?
Eligibility
To make a SET(DV) application, you must currently hold, or have last held, permission to stay as a partner (spouse, civil partner, unmarried or durable partner) on a qualifying route, and that relationship must have permanently broken down because of domestic abuse.
You must normally be in the UK, though following a 2022 High Court judgment, victims who were abandoned abroad by their partner can now apply from outside the UK too.
What Counts as Evidence
The Home Office assesses every SET(DV) application on the evidence in the round; there is no single required document. Evidence can include a police report (even without a charge), a non-molestation or other court order, a caution or conviction, a MARAC referral, medical records, or a letter from a support worker, refuge, or health professional.
Combining more than one type of evidence generally builds the strongest application.
What You Do Not Need
Unlike most settlement or ILR routes, SET(DV) has no English language test, no Life in the UK test, and no financial requirement.
If You Have Children
They are normally included in your application. If a child is applying separately from their parent, this uses a different form (SET(F)), and the Home Office must specifically consider the child's best interests under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.
A SET(DV) application may qualify for a fee waiver if you cannot afford the fee — see our Fee Waiver page.
Settlement applications like this do not have a short, fixed processing time in the way a standard visa does; we will give you a realistic timeframe once we understand your case rather than quote a generic figure.
How We Can Help
- Reviewing your immigration history to confirm your SET(DV) eligibility and likelihood of success
- Helping you gather and present the strongest combination of evidence
- Preparing SET(F) applications for children applying separately
- Assessing your eligibility for a fee waiver
- Preparing and submitting the application
- Responding to Home Office enquiries
- Advising following a refusal of your SET(DV) application
Yes, a SET(DV) application is available whether you were married or in an unmarried partnership. It is important that you can show a genuine, durable partnership that meets the route's requirements.
Children are normally included in your application and protected under the same route.
Speak to our specialised Domestic Abuse team in confidence
Or call RBJ Immigration on 01865 655848
Request A Call Back