Former Resident visa (Subclass 151) - Australian Visa

Overview

From 23 July 2025, applicants for Former Resident (subclass 151) visa applicants can import their paper application into ImmiAccount. For more information, see Update to ImmiAccount - new online services for paper-based Child, Other Family, Former Residents, and New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa applications.

Stay

Permanently

Cost

From AUD4,805.00

Processing times

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

With this visa, you can

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare

See all conditions

Check your eligibility

You must

meet our age and long residence requirement or defence service requirement
apply on paper

Help with your visa

If you are getting help with your visa, before you pay someone, read information on Who can help with your visa application.

About this visa

With this visa you can

How long you can stay

With this visa you can

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for up to 5 years from date of grant as long as the travel facility remains valid
apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

How long you can stay

This permanent visa allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely.

You become a permanent resident on the day you get the visa.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

we grant the visa if you are in Australia
you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia when we granted it

Include family

You can include in your application when you apply. You can also add to your application at any time before we decide on your application.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health and character requirements.

Newborn child

Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.

Cost

The visa costs AUD4,805.00 for the main applicant.

There is also a fee for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and .

Use the Visa Pricing Estimator to work out what your visa will cost. The estimator does not take into account the other costs

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, we can't grant you the visa if you are outside Australia when we make our decision.

If you apply outside Australia, we can't grant you the visa if you are in Australia when we make our decision.

Processing times

Your application might take longer to process if:

you do not fill it in correctly
you do not include all the documents we need, or we need more information from you
it takes us time to verify your information

We cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. We will notify you if this is the case and if necessary return your application.

Your obligations

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws.

Travel

Travel to and from Australia for 5 years

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa.

If you want to travel after the initial 5-year travel validity expires:

you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) so that you can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
you might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If you become an Australian citizen, you don't require a visa to enter Australia. You will need to apply for an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter Australia. See more about eligibility requirements for Australian citizenship.

Note:

if you leave Australia after your travel validity expires or your travel validity expires when you are outside Australia, you will not be able to return to Australia as a permanent resident. If you then wish to return to Australia as a permanent resident, you must apply for and be granted an RRV before your arrival in Australia.
the maximum travel period that can be granted to someone who does not meet the RRV residence requirement is 12 months. This period is set by law it can't be extended
if you are already in Australia as a permanent resident, you do not need to apply for an RRV if you do not wish to travel

For more information on RRV, see: Resident Return visa (RRV). To see when your travel period ends, use VEVO.

Visa label

We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

Eligibility

Be able to meet the long residence requirement, if applicable

You must be able to show us that you meet all these criteria:

if you are 18 years or older, spent at least 9 years in Australia as a before you turned 18 or if you are younger than 18, spent at least half of your life in Australia as a permanent resident
younger than 45 years of age at the time you apply
have never been an Australian citizen
kept close business, cultural or personal ties with Australia (after you were no longer a permanent resident), including any regular contact with relatives or friends, frequent visits, owning property or having active business interests

Be able to meet the defence services requirement, if applicable

You must be able to show us that you meet one of these conditions:

completed at least 3 months of continuous Australian defence service
discharged from the Australian Defence Force before 3 months of service because you were medically unfit because of your Australian defence service

Be this age

To meet the long residence requirement, you must be younger than 45 at the time of application.

There is no age requirement for the defence services requirement.

Meet health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement.

If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirement.

Meet character requirement

You and any family members aged 16 years or over must meet our character requirement.

If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our character requirement.

Assurance of support

You might be asked to provide an Assurance of support

Have no debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money you must have paid it back or have a formal arrangement to pay it back

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused, see Limitations on applications in Australia (129KB PDF).

If applying for a visa from outside Australia, see Can I go to Australia.

If you want immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

Meet all these criteria? Check how to apply in our step by step guide.

How to apply

Step 1

Before you apply

You might need to get health examinations. If you need help with your application, get someone to act on your behalf.

Check your passport

If you need a new passport, plan to get it before you apply for this visa.

Get help with your application

Only some people can help you with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance they must be:

You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter.

Step 2

Gather your documents

Gather documents to prove your identity and show you meet our requirements.

Provide accurate documents

Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.

Long residence documents

Evidence of your ties with Australia and that you have kept these ties while you have been living overseas, such as:

date of arrival in, and departure from, Australia (passport pages)
school attendance (school reports or information from the Department of Education)
business, cultural or personal ties (evidence of business or property ownership, social or professional memberships, personal correspondence)
regular correspondence with relatives or friends in Australia
frequent visits to Australia for business, cultural or personal reasons
economic or business interests in Australia, with proof of an ongoing and active interest.

Identity documents

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your:

photo
personal details
signature
passport issue and expiry dates

Also provide:

a national identity card, if you have one
proof of change of name, if applicable

Documents that prove a change of name include:

a marriage or divorce certificate
change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
documents that show other names you have been known by

Character documents

Do not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to. Learn more about police certificates.

If anyone included in the application has served in the armed forces of any country, provide certified copies of their military service record or discharge papers.

Partner documents

Provide:

identity documents
character documents
documents about other relationships, if applicable

Provide either:

your current marriage certificate or
enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply

Documents that prove your de facto relationship include:

joint bank account statements
billing accounts in joint names
joint leases or mortgages
documents that show your partner has lived at the same address as you

Dependants under 18 documents

For every dependant under 18 years old who is applying with you, provide:

identity documents
proof of your relationship with them, like a birth or marriage certificate
character documents, if applicable

Parental responsibility documents

You must get consent for any applicant under 18 years of age to migrate to Australia from anyone who:

has a legal right to decide where the child lives and
is not coming to Australia with the child

They must complete either:

Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (276KB PDF)
a statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to visit Australia on this visa

Alternatively, you can show us:

an Australian court order that allows your child to migrate to Australia, or
that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate

Include a document with the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a:

an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence
adoption papers or other court documents if applicable

Dependants 18 or older documents

For every dependant aged 18 years or older who is applying with you, provide:

identity documents
documents about their other relationships, if applicable
character documents

Proof of dependency

You need to prove that this person is dependent on you. Provide:

a completed Form Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (307KB PDF)
proof of your relationship with the dependent such as a birth certificate or adoption papers

You must also prove this person has been financially dependent on you for at least 12 months before you apply. You could provide:

proof they live with you
their tax records
proof they are currently studying

Usually, your child or stepchild must be under 23 years old to be included in your application.

However, a dependant older than 23 years can be included if they are unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations. In this case, provide information about the physical or cognitive limitation.

Defence service documents

Evidence of service with the Australian Defence Forces before 1981 (if applicable).

Identity documents

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your:

photo
personal details
signature
passport issue and expiry dates

Also provide:

a national identity card, if you have one
proof of change of name, if applicable

Documents that prove a change of name include:

a marriage or divorce certificate
change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
documents that show other names you have been known by

Tell us you are getting help

To nominate someone to:

receive your correspondence, use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
provide immigration assistance, use Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).

Send written notification or your forms with your paper application.

Prepare your documents

Translate

Have all non-English documents translated into English.

Provide original copies and translated documents in your application.

Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters .

Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited. But on each translation, they must include their:

full name
address and telephone number
qualifications and experience in the language they are translating

These details must be in English.

Certify

When you apply on paper you must provide certified copies of your documents.

This includes:

non-English documents
English translations

If you are emailing us documents after you apply, the documents do not need to be certified. Use a good quality photograph or scan.

Keep

Keep a full copy of your completed application including all supporting documents. Keep a full copy of your completed application including all supporting documents.

Send

Send us:

original police certificates
certified copies of all other documents
as much information as possible to help us decide on your application
each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
all documents with your application, if you can

Step 3

Apply for the visa

You must apply on paper. You can't lodge this application in person or online. You can be in or outside Australia when you apply.

Provide accurate information

Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.

Apply on paper

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa, but not in immigration clearance.

All applicants apply together on the one Form 47SV Application for special migration to Australia (581KB PDF) and lodge it with our Sydney office.

Pay the application charge before you send your application. Pay online in ImmiAccount.

You can't lodge this application in person or online.

We will not process your application until you pay the correct charge. We will let you know if you have paid an incorrect charge.

Mail the form and supporting documents to:

Subclass 151 Visa Application Department of Home Affairs GPO Box 9984 Sydney NSW 2001 AUSTRALIA

If any of the above steps are incomplete, your application may be invalid. We do not process invalid applications. We will notify you if this is the case, and if requested, return your application.

Do not send original documents with your application, only send certified copies. Keep a copy of your completed application for your own records, including any supporting documents.

Step 4

After you apply

We will let you know when we have received your application and documents.

See what you can and must do after you apply.

Importing your paper application

After you or someone else has submitted your paper application, import it into your ImmiAccount. You can do this after you get your acknowledgement letter.

Importing your application into ImmiAccount gives you access to online services, making it easier to manage your application.

You can use our online services in ImmiAccount to:

attach supporting documents to your application
view messages
update your details
view your application status
apply for a Bridging Visa (BV)
withdraw your application.

Follow these steps to import your application:

Create a new ImmiAccount or log into your existing ImmiAccount. Our website has instructions on how to use ImmiAccount.
Once you log in, import your application by entering your:
- application ID
- date of birth
- identity document number (Passport, ImmiCard or Titre de Voyage number).

For more information, see Apply and Manage your application in ImmiAccount.

You can import any new and existing applications for this visa.

Travel

If you applied in Australia, tell us if you want to travel outside Australia while we process your application. We need to know because we can't grant you the visa if you are outside of Australia.

If you leave Australia, make sure you have a valid visa to return.

Learn about visa expiry.

If you applied outside Australia, do not arrange to travel to Australia until we let you know, in writing, that we have granted you the visa. We can't grant you the visa if you are in Australia.

Status updates

If it is within standard processing times, do not call or email. We do not provide updates on the progress of your application. You will be contacted if additional information is required.

We do not acknowledge receipt of documents you send after you have submitted your application.

Health Exams

We will let you know when you need health examinations.

Biometrics

We might ask for biometrics (fingerprints and photo). We will let you know if you need to provide them.

Send more information

If you did not include all needed documents when you applied, provide them as soon as you can.

We might also ask you to provide more information.

If you have imported your application into ImmiAccount, to provide any additional documents you can upload them into ImmiAccount.

If you can’t use ImmiAccount, to provide any additional documents attach them to a completed Resident Return, Former Resident, Australian Declaratory and Transitional (permanent) visa processing centre form.

We do not acknowledge receipt of documents you send after you have applied.

Stay lawful

If you are in Australia, make sure you stay lawful by holding a valid visa while we process your application.

If you held a substantive visa when you applied for this visa, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before we decide on your application, the BVA will start. You can stay in Australia on the BVA while we process your new visa application.

Do not cancel your current visa. If you do, you will:

be in Australia unlawfully
not be eligible for a Bridging visa A
not be eligible for a Bridging visa B - which allows you to leave and re-enter Australian until this visa is finalised.

Learn more about visa expiry.

Add family members

You can add to your application before we decide on your visa.

Complete Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement (481KB PDF), and

send it to the email address we gave you when you sent your application
include evidence of the child's relationship to you
include other supporting documents for your child, such as identity documents
pay the additional application charge.

Newborn children

Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.

Mistakes on your application

You can let us know as soon as you can if you made a mistake on your application.

Complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. (168KB PDF)

If you have imported your application into ImmiAccount, you can use it to upload the completed form.

If you can’t use ImmiAccount, attach the completed form to the Resident Return, Former Resident, Australian Declaratory and Transitional (permanent) visa processing centre form.

Help with your application

Let us know if you no longer want someone to:

receive your correspondence - complete Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (301KB PDF)
provide immigration advice - complete Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person (308KB PDF).

If you have imported your application into ImmiAccount, you can use it to upload the completed form.

If you can’t use ImmiAccount, attach the completed form to the Resident Return, Former Resident, Australian Declaratory and Transitional (permanent) visa processing centre form.

For more information see Who can help you with your application.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:

changes to your phone number, address or passport
changes to your marital or de facto status
the birth of a child
you want to withdraw your application.

See how to tell us if your situation changes.

Step 5

Visa outcome

If you apply in Australia, we can't grant the visa if you are outside Australia when we make our decision.

If you apply outside Australia, we can't grant the visa if you are in Australia when we make our decision.

We will let you know our decision in writing.

If we grant your visa, we will tell you:

your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions, if applicable

Keep a copy of the decision with you when in Australia.

If we refuse your visa, we will tell you:

why we refused the visa
if you have a right to a review of the decision

We will not refund the application charge if we refuse your application.

When you have this visa

Coming to Australia

In Australia

Coming to Australia

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have:

a valid visa to enter Australia
a valid passport or other travel document

At the border

Completing an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card.

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

In Australia

What you can do when you have this visa

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia while your visa is valid
if eligible, become an Australian citizen

To see your specific conditions and work entitlements use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).

What you must do on this visa (your obligations)

You must obey all Australian laws.

Travel to and from Australia for 5 years

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa.

If you want to travel after the initial 5-year travel validity expires:

you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) so that you can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
you might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If you become an Australian citizen, you don't require a visa to enter Australia. You will need to apply for an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter Australia. See more about eligibility requirements for Australian citizenship.

Note:

if you leave Australia after your travel validity expires or your travel validity expires when you are outside Australia, you will not be able to return to Australia as a permanent resident. If you then wish to return to Australia as a permanent resident, you must apply for and be granted an RRV before your arrival in Australia.
the maximum travel period that can be granted to someone who does not meet the RRV residence requirement is 12 months. This period is set by law it can't be extended
if you are already in Australia as a permanent resident, you do not need to apply for an RRV if you do not wish to travel

For more information on RRV, see: Resident Return visa (RRV). To see when your travel period ends, use VEVO.

New Zealand passport holders

If an immigration officer processes your clearance at our border, we recommend you tell them:

you have a Former Resident visa (subclass 151)
you do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444)

If you do not tell them, you might be granted the subclass 444 visa. The subclass 444 visa is not a permanent visa. Grant of a subclass 444 visa might affect your eligibility for Resident Return visa and Australian citizenship.

Proving you have a visa

To prove you have a visa and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO

Request your international movement records to get proof of your travel in and out of Australia.

Working

To see your conditions for work, use VEVO.

You have rights under Australian workplace law.

The Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) has information on pay rates, shift calculations, leave arrangements and notice and redundancy entitlements.

Bringing a family member

As an Australian permanent resident, you might be able to sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia.

To find a visa for your family member, explore visa options.

Becoming an Australian citizen

After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship. Find out more about becoming a citizen.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

we grant the visa, if you were in Australia, or
you entered Australia on this visa, if you were outside Australia when we granted it.

Tell us if things change

Your visa is linked to your passport. You need to tell us if you get a new passport.

See how to tell us if your situation changes.

Official Information

For complete eligibility requirements, application process, processing times and costs, visit the official Department of Home Affairs page.

View on Home Affairs

Important Disclaimer

The information on this page is intended as a general guide only. Always verify the latest details on the official Department of Home Affairs website or seek help from a registered migration agent.