Resident Return Visa
(Subclasses 155 and 157)

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 renounce 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.

 

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

 

We will 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.

 

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.

 

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 can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa but not in immigration

clearance.

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When an RRV application is lodged, applicants are assessed against the criteria for both

subclass 155 and 157 visas.