REGISTERED RESIDENT (SUBCLASSES 155 AND 157) VISA
A permanent visa has a five (5) year initial validity period after it is granted. This period of validity is essentially a travel convenience. Your right to remain in Australia after the five-year period has passed will not affect your ability to leave and then return as a permanent resident.
RRV OF FIVE YEARS
The primary requirement for obtaining a new five-year travel permit, known as a resident return visa (RRV), is that you must have physically resided in Australia for at least two (2) of the most recent five years while holding a permanent visa.
1-YEAR RRV
A resident return visa with a one-year travel validity may be available to you if you are unable to meet the “2 in 5” requirement. As mentioned above, if you stay in Australia for a period of time longer than the one-year validity period, your permanent residence does not end; only your ability to leave and then return to Australia as a permanent resident is impacted.
You must show that you have strong ties to Australia that are advantageous to Australia in order to qualify for the one-year RRV. Significant ties can fall under any of the following categories:
- Business
- Employment
- Family
- Cultural
Process duration
Eligibility
dwelling situation
You have to:
- a permanent resident of Australia
- a former permanent resident of Australia whose last permanent visa was not revoked
- a former Australian citizen who gave up their citizenship or lost it.
Passport
You must possess a current passport.
Character
You must adhere to our standards of morality.
Limitations
If your previous permanent visa was terminated, you are not qualified for this visa.
If you have been informed that your permanent business visa may be revoked, we cannot accept your application
- a Return Authorization (RA) issued between 1 March 1976 and 31 August 1979
- a RE, or a Return Endorsement, issued between September 1979 and December 31, 1986
- a BF-111
How you can help
The 157 and 155 visas are both lifetime visas. They permit you to carry out all of the actions that your initial permanent visa permitted you to:
- remain in Australia forever
- study and work in Australia
- enrol in Medicare, Australia’s programme for covering medical costs and care.
- encourage eligible family members to immigrate permanently
- while the travel facility is in effect, you may travel to and from Australia as often as you like.
- if qualified, apply for citizenship in Australia.
How each visa is different
The duration of the travel facility is what distinguishes the various visas:
- Up to five years from the date of grant for Subclass 155.
- Subclass 157 – three months after the grant date.
Which visa you’ll receive
The information you include in your application will determine the type of visa you receive.
Visa of Subclass 155
A subclass 155 visa could be granted to you if you:
- satisfy the residency requirement (5-year facility)
- have beneficial ties to Australia (1-year travel permit)
- are a close relative of someone who has applied for or currently holds a resident return visa and meets the requirements for grant (up to one year travel facility).
Visa of Subclass 157
If all of the aforementioned conditions are true for you, you might be given a subclass 157 visa:
- prior to applying for this visa, you lawfully spent at least one day but no more than two years in Australia in the previous five years.
- During your entire stay in Australia, you were either an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.
- There is a heartfelt and compelling reason to depart from Australia.
If you apply while living outside of Australia
If you were away from Australia for more than three months straight prior to applying, you must have a compelling and sympathetic explanation.
If you apply while living outside of Australia
If you were away from Australia for more than three months straight prior to applying, you must have a compelling and sympathetic explanation.
Cost
AUD 465.
You must pay an additional $80 if you submit a paper application.
If there are any additional expenses related to this visa, which are uncommon, you are responsible for them.
Calculate how much your application will cost.
An online tool that determines your visa’s total cost is called the visa pricing estimator.
Location
If you are in Australia and your current visa’s travel privileges have expired or are about to do so, you must apply for and be granted an RRV before you depart the country.
Although you can apply for the visa outside of Australia, it needs to be approved before you can enter the country.
The duration of the visas
Although the subclass 155 and 157 visas are permanent visas, this does not necessarily imply that they will always be valid.
If you stay within Australia, the visa is valid indefinitely (it never expires), and you won’t lose it when the travel facility expires.
The visa will expire when you depart Australia if you do decide to travel abroad after the visa’s travel privileges expire. It is therefore best to submit an application for a new resident return visa before departing Australia. Applying from abroad is also an option.
How long the facility is open
Depending on the information in your application and the visa subclass you are granted, the length of the travel facility associated with your visa may vary.
Family
Family members cannot be listed on your application. Each family member is required to submit a separate application.
Your commitments
All members of your family must abide by Australian law.