Archive · 11 Jan 2026
Abandoned NRI Brides Face Trauma, Visa Abuse
Some women in India marry men who live abroad, hoping for a better life.
But many of these men don't keep their promises.
They leave their wives in India to take care of their families or bring them abroad on temporary visas.
These women face a lot of problems.
Some are watched by cameras, others are treated badly, and many can't stay in the country where their husbands live.
It's very hard for them to get help because they feel shy or afraid to talk about their problems.
There are many women like this, and the Indian government has received thousands of complaints about it.
Some women are even tricked into marriage and find out their husbands have other wives.
It's a big problem that needs to be fixed.
Kiran was married to an NRI husband who installed cameras to monitor her in India while he lived in Australia.
She was brought to Australia on a tourist visa and later faced divorce proceedings, leaving her in visa limbo.
Jagdeep Kaur was deceived by her NRI husband who promised to bring her to Germany but never did, and she later found out he had another wife.
Women's rights groups report a pattern of 'abandoned brides' facing financial exploitation, unpaid labor, and visa traps.
The Bangle Foundation receives around 1,000 calls annually related to domestic abuse and visa exploitation among South Asian women.
- Who
- Abandoned NRI brides like Kiran and Jagdeep Kaur
- What
- Facing trauma, surveillance, visa abuse, and abandonment by their overseas husbands
- When
- Ongoing issue with cases reported in 2017, 2018, and 2022
- Where
- Primarily in Punjab, India, with husbands in countries like Australia and Germany
- Why
- Husbands use promises of migration, financial exploitation, and visa issues to control and abandon their wives
- Kiran's Husband Visits
- 4 times in 8 years, each for about a month
- Kiran's Visa Status
- Tourist visa, not partner visa
- Bangle Foundation Calls
- 1,000 calls annually related to domestic abuse, visa exploitation, and trafficking
- Jagdeep Kaur's Dowry
- $8,500, gold, clothes, and furniture
- Indian Government Complaints
- Over 6,000 complaints between 2015 and 2019
- Potential Deceived Women
- More than 40,000 women may have been deceived into marrying NRI men