A dilemma that non-citizens of New Zealand may face when in a relationship with an abusive partner is that they want to leave, but feel unable to leave or seek help. Many immigrants to New Zealand that are in an abusive relationship with a New Zealand Resident or Citizen may fear that if they leave their partner in order to escape the violence, their visa status would become void.
A common tactic employed by abusers is to isolate their victims and make them feel helpless by using threats to control them. A common threat used by the abuser in these situations is to tell the victim that if they were to speak out about the violence or leave the relationship, they would face deportation.