The Resident Return Visa (RRV) is required by Australian permanent residents who are outside Australia when their permanent visa's travel facility has expired. Most Australian permanent visas are granted with a 5-year travel facility — a period during which the holder can travel freely to and from Australia as a permanent resident. Once that 5-year period expires, the holder's right to re-enter Australia as a PR ceases, even though their PR status itself remains intact. The RRV restores the right to re-enter Australia.

There are two RRV subclasses: subclass 155 for current PR holders, and subclass 157 for former PR holders. For current eligibility requirements, processing times, and fees, refer to the DHA RRV page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — Subclass 155 (Resident Return) and Subclass 157 (Resident Return)
• DHA: Resident Return Visa (subclasses 155 and 157) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/resident-return-visa-155-157
• DHA: Travelling overseas as a permanent resident — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/permanent-resident/overseas-travel

The 5-year travel facility on permanent visas

When a person is granted an Australian permanent residence visa (partner, skilled, humanitarian, or other), the visa comes with a 5-year travel facility — a period during which the holder can enter and leave Australia freely as a permanent resident. The 5-year period is calculated from the date the visa was granted (not from when the person last entered Australia).

When the 5-year travel facility expires, the PR holder can still live in Australia — but if they travel outside Australia, they lose the right to re-enter as a PR. They do not lose their PR status itself — it remains — but to exercise their right to re-enter as a PR, they need an RRV.

If the PR holder is already in Australia when the travel facility expires, they do not need an RRV to remain in Australia. The RRV is only needed when the holder is outside Australia and wishes to return.

Subclass 155 — for current PR holders

The subclass 155 is for persons who are currently Australian permanent residents (their PR visa has not been cancelled) but whose travel facility has expired while they were outside Australia. There are two ways to meet the eligibility criteria:

Primary test — 2 years of residence in the last 5

The applicant can demonstrate they have been resident in Australia for at least 2 years in the 5 years immediately before the application. Residence means physically present in Australia as a permanent resident or Australian citizen. If this test is met, the RRV is generally granted without the need to demonstrate compelling reasons for absence.

Alternative test — substantial ties and compelling circumstances

If the applicant has not been resident in Australia for 2 years in the last 5 years (for example, because they have been living abroad for most of the period), they must demonstrate:

• Substantial ties to Australia — ties of a cultural, employment, business, or personal nature; for example, Australian-born children or spouse in Australia, ongoing business interests in Australia, property ownership in Australia, or other significant connections
• Compelling circumstances for the extended absence — reasons why the applicant was unable to return to Australia to maintain the residence requirement; for example, medical treatment overseas, family obligations, employment requirements

The assessment of substantial ties and compelling circumstances is discretionary — there is no exhaustive list of qualifying factors, and officers exercise judgment. The closer the applicant's ties to Australia and the more compelling the circumstances for absence, the stronger the case for granting the 155.

Subclass 157 — for former PR holders

The subclass 157 is for persons whose Australian permanent residence visa was cancelled (or whose PR status otherwise lapsed) and who wish to return to Australia. The 157 is more restrictive than the 155:

• The applicant must apply within 5 years of departure from Australia
• The applicant must demonstrate compelling reasons for wanting to return to Australia
• The grant is discretionary and is assessed against the applicant's circumstances at the time of application

For the 157, the former PR status must have been valid — a person whose visa was cancelled for visa breaches, fraud, or character grounds will generally not be eligible for the 157. For current eligibility requirements, refer to the DHA RRV page.

Applying for the RRV

RRV applications can be lodged online through ImmiAccount or at an Australian embassy, high commission, or consulate. The application is Form 47LE (electronic) or a paper equivalent. A decision-maker at DHA or an overseas post assesses the application against the eligibility criteria. For current processing times and fees, refer to the DHA RRV page.

Renewing the travel facility from within Australia

A PR holder who is in Australia and whose travel facility is about to expire — or has recently expired — does not need an RRV to remain in Australia. However, if they plan to travel overseas and return, they should obtain a new PR visa (through the citizenship pathway or by renewing their PR visa) or apply for the RRV before they travel. The simplest long-term solution for long-term PR holders is to apply for Australian citizenship, which removes the need for any travel document to return to Australia.

The RRV is one of the more discretionary visa subclasses in the Australian system — the substantial ties assessment for applicants who do not meet the 2-year residence test is genuinely discretionary and can be refused. Long-term PR holders who have been living abroad for extended periods without maintaining Australian residency may find the alternative test difficult to satisfy if their ties to Australia have weakened. Australian citizenship is the permanent solution for those who want unconditional re-entry rights — the RRV is inherently time-limited. For current eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, and processing times, refer to the DHA RRV page.