Transnational marriage abandonment (TMA) is defined as a type of abuse in which an abuser abandons the victim-spouse in that victim-spouse’s country of origin, without means to return to the United States. The abuser, who is usually a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, then has sole access to shared children who remain in the United States and all the couple’s assets. TMA occurs in all communities and is a form of power and control where abusers take advantage of immigrant survivors’ vulnerabilities.


This survey is intended to better understand the magnitude of TMA in Wisconsin and to highlight the issues that affect survivors of TMA. Please complete this survey for each survivor of transnational marriage abandonment with whom you have worked. This survey is anonymous, and your answers will not be personally identifiable. For any questions, please email Kelsey, Staff Attorney – Underserved Populations at kelseym@endabusewi.org.

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* 1. In what role did you encounter a survivor of transnational marriage abandonment?

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* 2. How did the survivor hear about you/your organization?

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* 3. Where did the survivor live before being abandoned? (Please specify the state and county)

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* 4. Where is the survivor currently residing?

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* 5. Prior to abandonment, which of the following did the survivor experience? (Check all that apply)

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* 6. What type of immigration status does the survivor’s abuser/abandoner have?

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* 7. What type of immigration status did the survivor have at the time of abandonment?

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* 8. Where was the survivor abandoned?

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* 9. Did the survivor apply for any of the following immigration remedies during or after abandonment? (Check all that apply)

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* 10. Please rank the following issues the survivor encountered when trying to return to the United States in order of difficulty to overcome (1 = most difficult, 6 = least difficult, N/A = not applicable):

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* 11. Please rank the following immigration issues the survivor encountered in order of difficulty to overcome (1 = most difficult, 6 = least difficult, N/A = not applicable):

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* 12. Please rank the following family or community issues the survivor encountered in order of difficulty to overcome (1 = most difficult, 8 = least difficult, N/A = not applicable):

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* 13. Is there anything else you would like us to know about firsthand experiences of transnational marriage abandonment?

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* 14. If you are interested in being contacted to provide further information on transnational marriage abandonment, please provide your name and email address here:

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