Section 155 — Grant of permanent residence to certain persons
Text of provision
(1) A criminal justice visa may be a visa permitting a non-citizen to travel to and enter, and remain temporarily in, Australia, to be known as a criminal justice entry visa.
(2) A criminal justice visa may be a visa permitting a non-citizen to remain temporarily in Australia, to be known as a criminal justice stay visa.
Plain English
Section 155 provides that regulations may establish criteria for the grant of permanent residence to persons who have held temporary visas for a specified period and who have established ties to Australia. This provision underpins pathway visas such as the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme and transition pathways for certain long-term temporary visa holders.
Practical effect
The precise criteria for any specific permanent residence pathway are found in the Migration Regulations, not in s 155 itself. The section provides the legislative authority for the regulatory scheme. Temporary visa holders seeking permanent residence must track the specific criteria for their visa subclass pathway and begin planning well before the relevant holding period expires.