Individuals are not permitted to return to Australia as permanent residents if they depart before their visa travel validity expires while they are outside the country. One can only return as a permanent resident with the Subclass 155 Visa, which is a permanent visa.

Benefits of Subclass 155

Subclass 155 (Resident Return) Visa allows individuals to undertake all their original permanent visa activities, including:

● Live in Australia permanently
● Work and study privileges
● Enrolment in Medicare
● Travel to and from Australia as long as the validity of the visa travel facility
● Sponsorship of eligible relatives for permanent residence
● Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

Eligibility

● Individuals must either be:
○ an Australian permanent resident,
○ a former Australian citizen who lost or relinquished citizenship, or
○ a former permanent resident of Australia whose last permanent visa was not revoked.

● Meet the residence and substantial ties requirements:
○ Meet the resident requirement of a 5-year travel facility
○ Have beneficial ties to Australia, or
○ Be a family member of an RRV holder

● Meet the character requirement

● Individuals must not have:
○ A cancellation against their business skills visa
○ A previous visa cancelled or visa application refused
○ An Authority to Return or Return Endorsement

Location when Applying

Individuals can be in or outside Australia when applying for this visa.

Individuals must apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) before leaving Australia if their current visa’s travel restrictions are about to expire or in the process of expiring. Although individuals can leave Australia while their RRV application is ongoing, they must ensure they have a re-entry visa before they return.

Including Family

Family members cannot be included in the application. However, information about immediate family members who are Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents must be given if one intends to showcase that they have substantial and beneficial ties to Australia.

Read more about Subclass 155 (Resident Return) Visa.