Resident Return Visa 155
155 Visa Australia (RRV)
Only Australian citizens have an automatic right of entry to Australia. If you hold a permanent Visa you have the right to remain in Australia indefinitely, however if you choose to travel outside Australia, you must ensure you have authority to return. Generally a permanent Visa will allow the holder to travel into Australia for up to five years from the date of grant.
Resident Return Visa Australia
Resident Return Visa 155 Summary
Only Australian citizens have an automatic right of entry to Australia. If you hold a permanent Visa you have the right to remain in Australia indefinitely, however if you choose to travel outside Australia, you must ensure you have authority to return. Generally a permanent Visa will allow the holder to travel into Australia for up to five years from the date of grant.
The Resident Return Visa (subclass 155) is a permanent Visa for current or former Australian permanent residents and former Australian citizens. This Visa will allow you to maintain or regain your status as an Australian permanent resident.
If you want to return to Australia after your current Visa expires, you should apply for a Visa before you leave Australia.
Who Is This Visa For?
The Resident Return Visa 155 is for you if the travel validity period of your permanent Visa has expired or is about to expire.
What Does The 155 Visa Let Me Do?
The Resident Return Visa 155 is for you if the travel validity period of your permanent Visa has expired or is about to expire.
How Does The Resident Return Visa Work?
Most applicants for the Resident Return Visa are granted a Visa which allows them to travel for up to five years.
To be granted a 155 Visa for five years, you must have lived in Australia as a permanent resident for at least two of the last five years. Alternatively, if you do not meet this residence requirement but you can demonstrate substantial ties of benefit to Australia you may be eligible to be granted the 155 Visa for one year.
If you do not meet the requirements of the subclass 155 Visa you will be assessed for the subclass 157 Visa which can be granted for three months.
If you want to continue travelling to and from Australia as a permanent resident you will need to obtain another Resident Return Visa.
Family Members
Family members must apply separately and pay a separate Visa application charge.
Authority to Return or Return Endorsement
You do not need to obtain a RRV if you hold one of the following documents in your passport:
they have not been cancelled
they have not been ceased by the grant of another Visa since September 1994
you have returned to Australia within three years of each departure
you have not become an Australian Citizen
Resident Return Visa Subclass 155 Requirements
You should be meeting the requirements for a 5 year Resident Return Visa (subclass 155), your application will be assessed against the criteria of ‘3 month Resident Return Visa’ (subclass 157).
To be eligible for a RRV you must be one of the following:
an Australian permanent resident
a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent Visa was not cancelled
a former Australian Citizen who lost or renounced your citizenship
Note: A former permanent resident includes any person who was recognized as a permanent resident of Australia within the context of the migration legislation that applied at the time they were living in Australia.
You must also meet one of the following eligibility requirements.
| Length of Visa | Eligibility requirements |
|---|---|
| Five years | You must have spent two of the last five years in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen. |
| One year (for applicants in Australia) | You must provide evidence that proves you have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefit to Australia. If you have been absent from Australia for more than five continuous years since the grant of your most recent permanent Visa or since you ceased being a citizen, you must provide evidence that there was a compelling reason for your absence. |
| One year (for applicants outside Australia) | If you hold a permanent Visa or your last departure from Australia was as a permanent resident or Australian citizen: • you must provide evidence that proves you have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefit to Australia • if you have been absent for more than five continuous years since your last departure from Australia as an Australian permanent resident or Australian citizen, you must provide evidence that there was a compelling reason for your absence If you do not hold a permanent Visa and when you last left Australia you were not an Australian permanent resident or Australian citizen, you must meet all of the following: • have been an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident, less than 10 years before lodging your application • provide evidence that proves you have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefit to Australia • if you have been absent from Australia for a total period of more than five years since last departing as an Australian permanent resident or citizen you must provide evidence that there was a compelling reason for your absence |
| Three Months | You must: • have spent at least one day in the last five years lawfully in Australia • have spent less than two years in the last five years in Australia • have been a permanent resident or an Australian citizen for the entire period spent in Australia • provide evidence that there is a compelling and compassionate reason for your departure If you have been outside Australia for more than three continuous months immediately before making the application, you must also show that there is a compelling and compassionate reason for the absence. |
| Maximum one year | If you do not meet the requirements above you may be eligible for a Resident Return Visa if you are the partner or dependent family member of a Resident Return Visa holder. If this is your situation, you can only be granted a Visa for up to one year and the period granted cannot exceed the time remaining on your family member’s Visa. |
You cannot apply for a Resident Return Visa if your most recent permanent Visa was one of the following Business Skills Visas and it has been cancelled, or is subject to a notice of intention to cancel:
- Business Owner Visa (subclasses 127 and 840)
- Senior Executive Visa (subclasses 128 and 841)
- State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner Visa (subclasses 129 and 842)
- State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive Visa (subclasses 130 and 843)
- Investment-Linked Visa (subclasses 131 and 844)
- Business Talent Visa (subclass 132)
Conditions and Obligations For Holders Of Visa Subclass 155
If you change your passport after you have been granted this Visa you must notify the department. If you do not provide us with details of any new or additional passport you use to travel to Australia, you are likely to experience delays when trying to re-enter Australia. For example, you may be made to wait a significant period at the airport while the matter is resolved and could even be denied permission to board your plane.
If your passport is lost, stolen or expired you can have your Resident Return Visa re-evidenced into your new passport.
You can apply to have your Visa evidenced at any departmental office in Australia or Australian mission outside Australia:
in person by presenting a valid passport, completed Form 1405 and payment
by post by sending your passport with a completed form 1405 and payment
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