Migrants on domestic or partner visas are able to enact specific family violence provisions under the legislation so they can still be considered for permanent residency, despite their relationship breakdown.

Evidence in such cases are crucial, either by court ruling or alternatively by complex non-judicial means.

Statistics from the Department of Home Affairs show the number of people enacting the provisions has dropped slightly over the past five years.

According to the data, 540 people made claims of domestic violence in the 2016-17 financial year, compared with 668 in 2013-14.

Without providing reasons for the cancellations, a Home Affairs spokeswoman said there were 474 cancellations of partner visas in 2016-17.

But statistics from the Domestic Violence Crisis Service show much greater numbers of migrant women needing help.

According to DVCS executive director Mirjana Wilson, it was possible the people needing help in these situations didn't know how to access it.

She said from January 1 this year,  62 culturally and linguistically diverse women sought help. At least 18 of those women were on visas. And that's in the ACT alone.

"Overall, DVCS's operational experience is that culturally and linguistically diverse women report similar forms of domestic and family violence," Ms Wilson said.

"However, what we have observed and learnt is that the impact of the violence is often intensified by the stressors of the migration experience generally and the restrictions of visa status, which often results in an increase of women’s dependency on the person using violence for economic security and residency rights."

Ms Wilson said what women were telling them at DVCS was that the person using the violence was spreading lies about the impact on their visa status.

"They use threats of deportation and the removal of children as added means of control," she said.

"Sometimes for these reasons, culturally and linguistically diverse women may tend to endure domestic and family violence for prolonged periods before seeking help."

About a third of all referrals to a legal clinic run for migrants in the ACT are in relation to domestic violence.

More than 40 per cent of Beryl Women's Refuge clients are from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and the majority of those are seeking shelter to escape domestic violence.

Domestic violence provisions in the legislation are notoriously hard to enact.

In April, migration agent Vanessa Burn called for changes to the system that sees migrant women trapped in relationships because of lack of knowledge and lack of support.