Resident Return visa

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 and do not wish to travel, you do not need to apply for this visa.

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.

AUD1,475.00 for each applicant if you apply online. You must apply online unless we authorise you to apply on paper.

We cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge.

You might also have to pay for other costs for police certificates. 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.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application.

We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount. We will recognise eligible applicants when they apply with a valid passport from one of the specified countries.

The applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

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, 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, you can only be given a maximum of 12 months travel facility on your RRV.
• have not met the ‘residence requirement’ but have a member of the family unit who already holds an RRV, or who has lodged a separate application for an RRV and they meet requirements to be granted an RRV, 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 your absence from Australia, and have not been absent from Australia in the 5 years prior to making an application, then you can only be given 3 months travel facility on your RRV (subclass 157).

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 your travel facility, regardless of the circumstances.

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). 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.

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)
• you lodged your RRV before meeting the ‘residency requirement’ to be given a
  5-year travel facility, resulting in you only being granted an RRV with a 1-year travel facility.

If you think we made a mistake that caused you to lodge your RRV application in error, you may be eligible to get a refund. Provide documentary evidence with your refund request to support your claim.

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 in your application about any immediate family members who are Australian citizens or permanent residents. This is important if you are trying to show that you have substantial ties of benefit to Australia.

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa, but not in immigration clearance.

We encourage permanent residents to ensure they have an RRV to return to Australia before purchasing tickets to travel. Having a ticket to depart will not necessarily lead to priority processing of your application. If you have applied for an RRV but have not been granted it and you need to travel urgently, contact us.

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.

Generally, applications that meet the residence requirements will be processed within 5 working days from lodgement.

Applications that 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.

You must obey all Australian laws.

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

After that period, you will need another RRV 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.

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

You must meet our character requirement.

You must be:

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

Current 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.

If you currently hold a temporary visa, you may still be eligible for an RRV if you have previously 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.

Returning to Australia without a permanent visa may affect:

• your permanent resident entitlements
• your ability to meet permanent residence requirements for Australian citizenship or another RRV.

For more information, see Travelling overseas as a permanent resident.

You may be considered a former Australian permanent resident if:

• you arrived in Australia before commencement of the Migration Act 1958on 1 June 1959, and
• you have not left Australia since your arrival.

You would therefore be eligible to apply for an RRV. You will need an RRV if you wish to travel overseas and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

If you do not have an electronic visa record with the department, you do not have to request one before lodging your RRV. You should provide evidence of your first arrival to Australia, identity documents, and proof of residing in Australia with your RRV application.

If you have no intention to travel and enter Australia, but you need proof of your permanent resident status, see Proof of permanent residency.

You may be eligible for an RRV if:

• you are a New Zealand citizen, and
• you currently hold a permanent visa, or are a former permanent resident or former Australian citizen.

As a New Zealand citizen, you may be considered a former permanent resident without having previously held a permanent visa or permit if you can demonstrate that:

• you arrived in Australia prior to 1 September 1994
• Australia was your usual place of residence before 1 September 1994
• you had an intention to continue residing in Australia during the period of claimed former permanent residency.

For more information, see Pathways for New Zealand citizens.

If you do not have an electronic visa record with the department, you do not have to request one before lodging your RRV. You should provide evidence of your first arrival and any subsequent departures and arrivals to Australia, identity documents, and proof of residing in Australia with your RRV application.

If you have no intention to travel and enter Australia, but you need proof of your permanent resident status, see Proof of permanent residency.

There are several different ways for how you may be able to meet our residence, substantial ties, or member of the family unit requirements. The set of criteria you meet will impact the maximum travel facility we can give you.

You must demonstrate ‘substantial ties’ as being both substantial and of benefit to Australia. Your ties can be:

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

To be eligible for an RRV you must meet the criteria for one of the following options.

Option 1: Present in Australia for 2 of the last 5 years

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply.

To meet this option, you must have been present in Australia for 2 years in the last 5 years as the holder of a permanent visa, or as an Australian citizen.

When calculating the residence requirement, the:

• 2-year period is counted as 730 cumulative days spent in Australia in the last 5 years immediately before lodgement of your application
• 5-year period is counted back from the RRV application lodgement date (not from the date of RRV decision). For example, if you lodge your application on 1 January 2026, we will count how many days you have spent in Australia between 1 January 2021 and 1 January 2026
• 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.

If you meet this criterion, you will get a 5-year travel facility.

If you do not know how many days you have spent in Australia during the 5-year period before you lodge your application, you can request your travel records from the department. See: Requesting travel records.

Option 2: Outside Australia and not absent for more than 5 continuous years

You are outside Australia when you apply and:

• were 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
• can demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia.

If you meet this criterion, you can only be given a maximum 12-month travel facility.

Option 3: Outside Australia and not absent for more than 5 years total

You are outside Australia when you apply and:

• were an Australian citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before you applied, and
• were 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
• can demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia.

If you meet this criterion, you can only be given a maximum 12-month travel facility.

Option 4: Inside Australia and not absent for 5 continuous years

You are in Australia when you apply and:

• can demonstrate substantial ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia, and
• have 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).

If you meet this criterion, you can only be given a maximum 12-month travel facility.

Option 5: Your family member holds an RRV or is eligible to be granted an RRV

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply.

You are members of the 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.

If you meet this criterion, you can only be given a maximum 12-month travel facility.

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.

If you apply for an RRV and we grant you the visa, it will cease your Pacific Engagement (subclass 192) visa – Treaty stream (Tuvalu).

Pacific Engagement (subclass 192) visa – Treaty stream (Tuvalu) holders have an unlimited travel facility. If you hold this visa, you can travel overseas and re-enter Australia as often as you like. This applies when the visa is valid. Your visa remains valid if it has not ceased because we grant you another visa or been cancelled.

This means that you should not apply for an RRV to travel overseas and to re-enter Australia.

You can check your visa details and conditions on VEVO.

If you hold a business skills visa, you may not be able to make a valid application for an RRV if your business skills visa:

• has been cancelled, or
• is or was the subject of a notice of intention to consider cancellation of it.

This rule applies to the following visas:

• Class EA (subclass 132)
• Class BH (subclass 840-846) (repealed)
• Class EB (subclass 188)
• Class UR (subclass 160-165)
• Class EC (subclass 888)

You also cannot make a valid application 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.

You are not eligible for an RRV if you are a former permanent resident who has had your most recent permanent visa cancelled.

If you are an Australian citizen:

• you are not eligible for an RRV, and you do not need one to travel overseas and enter Australia
• any RRV already granted to you (if applicable) will cease to be in effect
• any future RRV application will be invalidated, and Visa Application Charge (VAC) will be returned.

You will require evidence of having acquired Australian citizenship and an Australian passport to travel and re-enter Australia.

If you believe you may be an Australian citizen, you can lodge an application for evidence of Australian citizenship.

If you applied for citizenship by conferral, you will still require an RRV to enter Australia if you have not yet made your pledge of commitment.

For more information, see Travelling as a dual citizen.

• Live, work and study in Australia.
• Access Australia's public healthcare 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.

You must obey all Australian laws.

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely.

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 facility, see How long the travel facility lasts.

After that period, you will need another RRV to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. Alternatively, you may wish to consider your eligibility for Australian Citizenship and travel on an Australian passport.

To see when your travel facility ends, use VEVO.

If an immigration officer processes your clearance at our border, we recommend you tell them:

• you have a Resident Return visa
• 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.

Let us know if you get a new passport or your contact details change.

See what to do if there is a change in your situation.

To prove you have a visa to someone, use VEVO.

Australian visas are digital. We do not put a visa label in your travel document. Instead, we link your digital visa record to your travel document.

Your visa number is contained in your visa grant letter. Use this number to access your digital visa record in VEVO.

Your digital visa record is also used by:

• airlines to check your visa before you board your flight
• Australian government agencies to check your identity.

To get proof of your travel in and out of Australia, you can request your international movement records.

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

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.

After a certain amount of 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 are in Australia
• on the day you enter Australia on this visa, if you were outside Australia when we granted it.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

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

Ensure your visa is still valid and will allow you to re-enter Australia

Check the travel component of your visa 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.