Resident Return visa

Resident Return visa

With this Resident Return visa, you can

• travel to and from Australia as a permanent resident until the travel validity of your visa expires

If you leave Australia after your visa travel validity has expired, you will not be able to return to Australia as a permanent resident. If you wish to return to Australia as a permanent resident, you must apply for and be granted this Resident Return visa before your arrival in Australia.

If you are already in Australia as a permanent resident, you do not need to apply for this Resident Return visa if you do not wish to travel.

There are no limits on the number of Resident Return visas you can apply for.

Cost

A$ 405 for each applicant if you apply online

A$ 485 for each applicant if you apply on paper – unless you are exempt from paying the Non-internet application charge.

How long this Resident Return visa lasts

Travel validity will vary depending in your circumstances:

• If you have lived in Australia for 2 years (730 days) in the last 5 years as a permanent resident, former citizen or former permanent resident, then you will meet what is known as the residence requirement and might be given a 5-year travel validity on your visa.
• If you have not lived in Australia for 2 years in the last 5 years as a permanent resident or former citizen or former permanent resident, then you might be given a maximum of 12 months travel validity on your visa if you can demonstrate substantial ties that benefit Australia.
• If you meet the requirements only because you are a member of the family unit of a person who holds this Resident Return visa, then you can only be given a maximum of 12 months travel validity on your visa.
• If you don’t meet the requirement, but have compelling and compassionate reasons for departure, then you might only be given 3 months travel validity on your visa.

If you hold a Resident Return Visa (RRV), you should be aware of your travel validity’s expiry date. You can check this on VEVO. The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs will not send reminders to you when your travel facility is about to expire. If you need to travel, you should apply for a new RRV before your existing travel validity expires in order to avoid delays.

If you return to Australia without a permanent visa and a valid travel facility (for example, a visitor visa), this might impact your:

• entitlements as a permanent resident
• ability to satisfy the permanent residence requirements when applying for Australian citizenship or another Resident Return visa.

Include family

You can’t include family members in your application.

If other family members are also applying for this Resident Return visa separately, then you can have your applications processed together, if you declare your family members in your application.

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa but not in immigration clearance. If you apply in Australia using a paper form, you must send your application to the specified address. You cannot apply in person.

Processing times

Subclass 155

• Please check the Department of Home Affairs website for current processing time.

Subclass 157

• Please check the Department of Home Affairs website for current processing time.

Generally, applications that:

• meet the residence requirements will be processed within 5 working days from lodgement
• do not meet the residence requirement will take longer to process. For example, this can be 12 weeks from lodgement

Your application can also take longer to process if:

• you do not fill it incorrectly
• you do not include all the documents ‘The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs need
• The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs need more information from you
• it takes the department of Home Affairs time to verify your information

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs can’t process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. They will notify you if this is the case and return your application if necessary.

Your obligations

You must obey all Australian laws.

Travel

From the date the Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa, you can travel for a specified period of time depending on your circumstances.

After that period, you will need another Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclasses 155 and 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. Alternatively, you may wish to consider your eligibility for Australian Citizenship so you can travel on an Australian passport.

Visa label

The Australian immigration officers at the Department of Home Affairs will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

To get this visa, you will need to be either

• an Australian Permanent resident
• a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled, or
• a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced citizenship

Age requirement

There are no age requirements for RRV applicants.

Meet The department of Home Affairs residence or substantial ties requirements

You must either:

• have lived in Australia for 2 years (730 days) in the last 5 years as the holder of a permanent visa (or entry permit), or as an Australian citizen
• be able to demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia

Have substantial ties

Your ties must be both substantial and of benefit to Australia. They include:

• business ties
• cultural ties
• employment ties
• personal ties

Substantial personal ties may be of benefit to Australia if the applicant is, or has been, a participating member of the Australian community and economy, and their ties enrich the lives of individual Australian residents and citizens.
Substantial personal ties may be that you regard Australia as home or have an intention to reside in Australia.

Not hold an Authority to Return or Return Endorsement

You are not eligible for this Resident Return visa if you hold either an:

• Authority to Return (issued between 1 March 1976 to 31 August 1979)
• Return Endorsement (issued between 1 September 1979 and 31 December 1986)

Meet character requirement

You must meet the Department of Home Affairs character requirement.

Not have cancellation action against your business skills visa

You might not be eligible for this Resident Return visa if you have cancellation action on business grounds for your business skills visa – as listed below:

• Class EA subclass 132 visa
• Class BH subclass 840-846 visas (repealed)
• Class EB subclass 188 visa
• Class UR subclass 160-165 visas
• Class EC subclass 888 visas

You might not be eligible for this Resident Return visa if you are, or were the holder of one of the above visas and have:

• been granted a subclass 155, 157 or 159 visa
• cancellation action for your subclass 155, 157 or 159 visa on the same business visa grounds.

If you are or were a family member of a person affected by the above, and either hold or have held one of the above visa subclasses as a dependant family member, you might not be eligible for this Resident Return visa.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

You might not be granted this Resident Return visa if you previously had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.

Contact our migration agent at Visa Help Australia for consultation and help with your visa process.

Source: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/resident-return-visa-155-157#Overview