Resident Return visa (Subclass 155/157) - Australian Visa

Overview

Stay

Permanently

Cost

AUD490.00 to apply online

AUD570.00 to apply on paper

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

travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want until the travel validity expires
have a travel facility up to 5 years depending on your circumstances. See About this visa.

See all conditions

Check your eligibility

You must be either

an Australian permanent resident
a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled
a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced Australian citizenship. Australian citizens are not eligible to apply for an RRV.

If you are already in Australia as a permanent visa holder, you do not need to apply for this visa unless you wish to leave and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

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.

Apply

About this visa

With this visa you can

Cost

RRV Refunds

How long the travel facility lasts

With this visa you can

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

If you leave Australia after your permanent visa travel facility 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 visa before your arrival in Australia.

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

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

For more information, see Overseas travel as a permanent resident.

Check the travel facility expiry date of your permanent visa before you apply for an RRV to see if it covers your intended travel period. You can check this on VEVO.

Cost

AUD490.00 for each applicant if you apply online (you must apply online unless we authorise you to apply on paper).

AUD570.00 for each applicant if we authorise you to apply on paper. If you are exempt from paying the Non-internet application charge a repayment will automatically be processed and the payment returned to you.

You might also have to pay for other costs including health checks, police certificates and biometrics. We will advise you if this is required.

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

RRV Refunds

Generally, you will not be given a refund just because:

your RRV application was refused
you lost the travel facility remaining on your previous visa when your RRV was granted
you did not use the travel facility attached to your RRV (regardless of the reason).

If you think we made a mistake that caused you to lodge your RRV application in error, let us know. Provide documentary evidence with your request to support your claim.

How long the travel facility lasts

If you are granted an RRV, the travel facility will vary depending on your circumstances.

If you :

were present in Australia for a total of at least 2 years in the last 5 years as a permanent visa holder or Australian citizen, then you meet what is known as the ‘residence requirement’ and will be given a 5-year travel facility on your RRV.
have not met the ‘residence requirement’ but have demonstrated you have substantial ties with Australia that benefit Australia, then you can only be given a maximum of 12 months travel facility on your RRV. See ‘eligibility’ for the requirements.
have applied as a member of the family unit of a person who already holds an RRV, or who has lodged a separate application for an RRV and meets the time of application criteria for grant, then you can only be given a maximum of 12 months travel facility on your RRV.
have not met any of the above requirements, but have compelling and compassionate reasons for departure, then you can only be given 3 months travel facility on your RRV (subclass 157) if you have not been absent from Australia in the 5 years prior to making an application.

It is not possible to carry over the remaining travel facility from any previous visa to the subsequently granted RRV. You will not be able to get a refund for any lost travel facility.

You will not be able to request extension of travel facility, regardless of the circumstances (within or outside of your control).

It is not possible to postpone the grant of an RRV once all visa requirements are met.

If you have already applied for an RRV and find that the travel facility attached to your current permanent visa will cover your intended travel period, you should consider withdrawing your pending RRV application. You should do this in writing as soon as possible. See You want to withdraw a visa application.

If you hold an RRV, you should always be aware of the expiry date of the travel facility before any travel arrangements are made. You can check this on VEVO.

We will send you a reminder about the expiry of the travel facility of your RRV (Subclass 155) visa. We will not send you a reminder if you have a pending RRV application. If you need to travel, you should apply for a new RRV before your existing travel facility expires. This will help you avoid delays. For more information about the Travel Facility Expiry Reminder (TFER) and which permanent visa holders receive them, see Overseas travel as a permanent resident.

If you return to Australia without a permanent visa and a valid travel facility (for example, when holding 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 RRV.

You do not need to apply for an RRV if:

you are in Australia,
your travel facility has expired, and
you do not wish to travel.

Include family

You can't include family members in your application.

If other family members are also applying for this visa separately at the same time, then you can have all your applications processed together, if you declare them in your application.

While you can’t include family members as secondary visa applicants in your application, you should provide information about any immediate family members who are Australian citizens or permanent residents in your application. This is important, if you are trying to show that you have substantial ties of benefit to Australia.

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa but not in immigration clearance. If we authorise you to apply using a paper form, you must follow the instructions given to you otherwise your application may be invalid. If your application is invalid, it cannot be considered. You cannot apply in person.

If you have applied for your visa but have not been granted it and you need to travel urgently see contact us.

Processing times

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 or more.

Your application can also take longer to process if:

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

Your application will not be processed if you do not pay the correct application charge. If necessary, you will be notified and any charges repaid.

Your obligations

You must obey all Australian laws.

Travel

You can travel for a specified period from the date your visa is granted.

After that period, you will need another RRV visa 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.

See when your existing travel facility ends in VEVO.

Visa label

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

Eligibility

Be either

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

Australian citizens are not eligible to apply for an RRV.

When you lodge an RRV application, you are assessed against the criteria for both subclass 155 and 157 visas. If you don’t meet the requirements for a subclass 155 RRV, but you are eligible for a subclass 157 RRV, we may grant you this visa. The maximum travel facility that can be granted with a subclass 157 RRV is 3 months.

Even if you hold a temporary visa, you may still be eligible for an RRV if you had been a permanent visa holder or an Australian citizen.

If you were an Australian permanent visa holder who returned to Australia on a temporary visa (such as an Electronic Travel Authority), you should consider applying for an RRV as soon as possible. You should apply if you intend to remain permanently in Australia. For more information see permanent resident and how to stay lawful after you apply.

Age requirement

There are no age requirements for RRV applicants.

Meet our residence or substantial ties requirements

You must either:

have been present in Australia for 2 years in the last 5 years as the holder of a permanent visa (or permanent entry permit), or as an Australian citizen, in which case you will get a 5-year travel facility

be outside Australia and:
- not absent for 5 continuous years or more before the date of application (unless you have compelling reasons), and
- hold a permanent visa or last left Australia as a permanent resident or citizen (but subsequently lost citizenship), and
- be able to demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia,

in which case you can only be given a maximum 12 months travel facility

be outside Australia and:
- were an Australian citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before you applied, and
- not absent from Australia for periods that total more than 5 years (unless you have compelling reasons) between the date you left Australia as a permanent resident or citizen and the date of application, and
- be able to demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia,

in which case you can only be given a maximum 12 months travel facility

be in Australia and:
- be able to demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia, and
- not been absent for 5 continuous years since grant of your most recent permanent visa or when you stopped being an Australian citizen (unless you have compelling reasons)

in which case you can only be given a maximum 12 months travel facility

be the member of family unit of a person who already holds an RRV or has lodged a separate application for an RRV, and meets the time of application criteria for grant, in which case you can only be given a maximum 12 months travel facility.

In calculating the residence requirement relating to the first dot-point above, the:

2-year period is counted as 730 days
5-year period is counted back from the RRV application lodgement date (not from the date of RRV decision)
date of arrival and date of departure are both included in the count of days in Australia. Only one day is counted if the applicant arrives and departs on the same day. Only one day is counted if a visa expires and another one is granted on the same day. A part-day spent in Australia by a permanent visa holder is counted as a full day.

Have substantial ties

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

business ties
cultural ties
employment ties
personal ties (including family ties)

You can see examples of how to demonstrate these ties in Step by step under Gather your documents.

Not hold an Authority to Return or Return Endorsement

You are not eligible for an RRV if you hold a Transitional (permanent) visa because you were issued 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)

If you hold one of these, see Overseas travel as a permanent resident.

Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) - Treaty stream (Tuvalu)

Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) Treaty stream (Tuvalu) holders, have an unlimited travel facility. This means that if you are the holder of a Treaty stream visa, you can travel overseas and re-enter Australia as often as you like. This applies when the visa is not ceased (because we grant you another visa) or cancelled. Therefore, you don’t need to apply for an RRV to travel overseas and to re-enter Australia.

If you apply for an RRV and we grant you the visa, it will cease your Subclass 192 Treaty stream visa. RRVs do not have unlimited travel facilities.

You can check your visa details and conditions on VEVO.

Meet character requirement

You must meet our character requirement.

Not have cancellation action against your business skills visa

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have cancellation action on business grounds for your business skills visa. See the following visas:

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 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.

You may not be eligible for this visa 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.

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

Check your current visa status and travel facility prior to applying to determine if an application for a Resident Return visa is necessary. You can check this through VEVO. Note: you may not get a refund after lodging your application – see Cost.

You should have a valid passport or other travel document before we grant this visa.

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

If you get a new passport after you apply, tell us your new passport information as soon as possible. See how to tell us your passport has changed.

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

You must apply online. Only in exceptional circumstances, such as an ImmiAccount technical issue, will we authorise you to lodge on paper. We might grant you the visa automatically without you needing to provide any documents if:

you are an Australian
you have resided in Australia for a total of at least 2 years in the 5 years as a permanent visa holder or Australian citizen before lodging your application
your name and date of birth have not changed since the granting of your last visa
you meet the character requirement

Provide accurate documents

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

Identity documents

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.

Also provide:

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

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

Historical documents

Provide evidence of your permanent residency with your visa application, particularly if you migrated to Australia before 1990. This could include:

the pages of your old expired passport(s), which should include your photo, personal details, passport issue and expiry dates, and evidence of permanent residency wet stamps or printed visa labels
any Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (CERS) issued to you before this product was abolished on 1 June 2016
any separate permanent visa (or permanent entry permit) documentation issued to you overseas before and / or on your arrival in Australia
any historical documentation you have received to this effect from the National Archives of Australia (NAA).

In addition to the above, you should provide a copy of your current passport.

If you migrated to Australia before 1990 and you have no evidence of your permanent residency, you should contact NAA in the first instance and obtain any necessary documentation prior to lodging your application. This includes any international movement records before 1990, and any relevant visa documentation. Failing to do so may result in significant delays in processing your application.

Substantial ties and compelling reasons for absence documents

If you do not meet the residence requirement, you must provide documents that show evidence of your substantial ties, which are of benefit to Australia, and

compelling reasons for any absences from Australia of 5 or more continuous years or
if you are outside Australia and were an Australian citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before the application, compelling reasons for any periods of absence that total more than 5 years from the date you last departed Australia

Provide a statement that shows your ties are both substantial and of benefit to Australia. There may be delays in processing your application if you do not attach documents to your application showing that your ties are both substantial and of benefit to Australia.

Examples of documents you can attach are (but not limited to):

Business ties documents

company reports defining your role and authority
business transactions
partnership or joint venture agreements
contracts showing your signature
business or personal records.

Cultural ties documents

publications written by you
contracts
evidence of membership of cultural associations
newspaper articles about you
programs listing your artistic or cultural performances.

Employment ties documents

employment contracts
a letter of offer from an employer
recent official documents such as group certificates and payslips
employee identification or security pass.

Personal ties documents

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. This may include regarding Australia as home or having an intention to reside in Australia.

Proving substantial personal ties to Australia

Example situation

Example documents

You have a history of long-term residence in Australia, spent your formative years in Australia or have spent a significant amount of time in Australia since first being granted a permanent visa.

Utility bills, bank statements, travel record, permanent visa decision, school records

You have an Australian citizen partner or, in the case of a minor child, Australian citizen parent, who has previously lived in Australia.

Copies of birth certificates, marriage or citizenship certificates of partners and children

Evidence of continuing relationship with Australian citizen partner

You have one or more Australian citizen minor children living in Australia (including at boarding school) where no legal impediment to access exists.

School reports, proof of residence of family home

You are returning to Australia after living overseas with your family unit, including Australian citizen minor children.

Plane tickets, property purchase documents, school enrolments, moving receipts

Compelling reasons for absence

If you are outside Australia when you apply, and

you hold a permanent visa, or last departed Australia as a permanent resident or citizen (but subsequently lost that citizenship) – you must have compelling reasons for any absence(s) from Australia of more than 5 continuous years immediately before the date of your application;
you were an Australian citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before you applied for a RRV – you must have compelling reasons for any absence(s) that amount to 5 years in total between the date you departed Australia as a citizen or permanent resident and the date of application.

You are not eligible for an RRV if you are outside Australia when you apply and you were not an Australian citizen or permanent resident in the 10 years immediately before the application unless either of the above applies to you.

If you are in Australia when you apply

you must have compelling reasons for any absence of more than 5 continuous years since the grant of your most recent permanent visa, or since you ceased to be an Australian citizen.

Your reasons should include any elements which you thought were compelling at the time. Although not mandatory, you should indicate how the compelling reasons for your absence link to the entirety of your absence from Australia. This could be done by a statement explaining the circumstances of your absence(s). Attach other documents showing your compelling reasons for absence(s) from Australia to your application, or there may be delays in processing your application. Examples of documents you can attach are (but not limited to):

severe illness or death of an overseas family member,
work or study commitments by the applicant or the applicant’s partner,
the applicant is living overseas in an ongoing relationship with a partner, or has minor children,
the applicant or the applicant’s accompanying family members have been receiving complex or lengthy medical treatment,
the applicant has been involved in legal proceedings overseas and the timing was beyond the applicant’s control,
the applicant has been caught up in a natural disaster, political uprising, pandemic, or other similar event preventing them from travel.

It will take us longer to process your application if we need to ask you for more documents. We may still, however, make a decision on your application based on any available information without requesting any additional information from you. As such, it is very important that you read all information on the website, and provide a complete application at the time of lodgement.

Documents required because you are a member of the family unit of a person who holds this visa

For married couples, provide the marriage certificate.

For de facto relationships, provide either:

evidence that your relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory,
enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply.

For both married and de facto applicants, you must provide evidence that you are in a genuine and continuing relationship. Evidence can include but is not limited to:

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.

For children under 18 years old, provide:

copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents,
copies of the adoption paper, if applicable.

Character documents

We will tell you if and when you need to get a police certificate.

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.

Note: You do not need to have any documents certified.

Scan or photograph

Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour.

The scans and photos must be clear.

If a document is more than one page, save it all as one file.

Step 3

Apply for the visa

Apply for this visa online in ImmiAccount. You can use ImmiAccount even if you don’t already have an electronic visa record with us. If you cannot apply online due to a technical issue, you can access technical support in ImmiAccount. If technical support does not resolve the issue, we will consider allowing you to submit a paper application. Applying on paper will incur an additional non-internet application charge even with our authorisation.

Apply online

Create an account or log in to ImmiAccount
Attach documents
Have family applications processed together
Pay the application fee

We will not process your application until you pay the charge.

Each family member must have their application charge paid and all relevant documents attached to their application.

Step 4

After you apply

See what you can and must do after you apply.

What will happen after you apply

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

You can track and manage your application using ImmiAccount.

Status updates

We can’t give updates on applications within the standard processing time.

You can check if we need more information from you in ImmiAccount. Wait for us to contact you if you applied on paper.

Travel after you apply

Before you leave Australia, make sure you have a valid visa that allows you to return to Australia as a permanent resident.

If you are outside Australia when you apply for the visa, and apply on paper, you must be outside Australia when we grant you the visa.

If you are in Australia when you apply for the visa, you can be in or outside Australia when we grant you the visa.

Learn about visa expiry.

Attach more information

If you didn't attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as possible in ImmiAccount.

If you have a pending paper application, you may still be able to attach your documents in ImmiAccount. This can occur after the application has been imported into ImmiAccount. See Applying online or paper > Start and Manage an application > Import an application.

Your application may take longer to finalise if we have to ask you to provide more information.

Mistakes on your application before we decide on your application

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) and attach it in ImmiAccount, if you applied online or you have imported your application into ImmiAccount.

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).

Attach the forms in ImmiAccount.

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

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 may be eligible to apply for an associated Bridging visa A (BVA). If you are granted a BVA and your current visa expires before we decide this application, the BVA will come into effect. You can stay lawfully in Australia on the BVA while we process your application.

If your substantive visa is cancelled or ceases and you do not hold a bridging visa, 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 Australia until this visa application is finalised
not be eligible for a Bridging visa C.

Learn more about visa expiry.

Tell us if things change

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

changes to your phone number, email, 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

You can be in or outside Australia when we make a decision.

We will let you know about your visa application in writing. We will tell you:

your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions

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

We will notify you in writing if we refuse your visa and explain why we have refused it and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

The visa application charge (VAC) will not be refunded to you just because we refused your visa application.

When you have this visa

Coming to Australia

In Australia

Leaving 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 in 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.

New Zealand passport holders

If an immigration officer processes your clearance at our border, we recommend you tell them that you have a permanent visa and that you do not want a temporary Special Category visa (subclass 444). If you do not tell them, you might be granted the subclass 444 visa which might affect your eligibility for an RRV and Australian citizenship in the future.

In Australia

What you can do when you have this visa

stay in Australia,
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,
apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.

To see your specific conditions and work entitlements, use VEVO.

What you must do on this visa

You must obey all Australian laws.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about include:

changes to your phone number, email, name, residential or postal address while your application is being processed
if you want to withdraw your application
if you are issued with a new passport (we will then link your RRV to your new passport)

Tell us if there is a change in your situation.

Travelling on this visa

From the date we grant your visa, you can travel for a specified period of time. This depends on the reason we granted you the RRV. For information on the travel validity, see How long this visa lasts.

To see when your travel facility ends, use VEVO.

Proving you have a visa

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

Working

You are protected by Australian workplace law. See your workplace rights and 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 either:

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

Leaving Australia

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.

Ensure your visa is still valid

Check your conditions and the expiry of your RRV in VEVO.

See what to do if your visa has expired or is about to expire.

At the border

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.

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.