Subclasses 155 and 157 visa: Resident Return

A permanent visa that lets current and former Australian permanent residents travel and return to Australia as permanent residents. The travel facility lasts 5 years, up to 12 months, or 3 months (subclass 157), depending on the applicant's circumstances.

Updated 4 October 2026

Key facts

How long the visa lasts: Permanent; the travel facility lasts 5 years, up to 12 months, or 3 months
Visa application charge: AUD 1,475 per applicant (online)
For a 5-year travel facility: In Australia 2 years (730 days) of the last 5, as a permanent resident or citizen
Who can apply: Permanent residents, former permanent residents (visa not cancelled) and former citizens
Where to apply: In or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance
Family members: Can't be included; each person applies and pays separately

Streams

Home Affairs' Resident Return visa page covers two subclasses. There is one application, and Home Affairs assesses it against the criteria for both. If an applicant does not meet the 155 requirements but meets the 157 requirements, Home Affairs may grant a 157.

155 Resident Return (5 years or up to 12 months)

5-year travel facility: for applicants who meet the residence requirement, meaning they were in Australia for at least 2 years in the last 5 years as a permanent visa holder or Australian citizen.
Up to 12 months: for applicants who do not meet the residence requirement but have substantial ties with Australia that benefit Australia, or who are members of the family unit of someone who holds, or has applied separately for and meets the requirements for, an RRV.

157 Resident Return (3 months)

Home Affairs says a 157 gives a maximum 3-month travel facility. It is for applicants who meet none of the above, but have compelling and compassionate reasons for their absence from Australia and, as Home Affairs puts it, have not been absent from Australia in the 5 years before applying.

155 and 157 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its RRV page:

Character. The applicant must meet the character requirement.
Status. The applicant must be an Australian permanent resident, a former permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled, or a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced citizenship. A current temporary visa holder may still be eligible if they were previously a permanent visa holder or citizen.
Residence, ties or family unit. The applicant must meet one of the five options below.
No Authority to Return or Return Endorsement. Holders of a Transitional (permanent) visa issued with an Authority to Return (1 March 1976 to 31 August 1979) or a Return Endorsement (1 September 1979 to 31 December 1986) are not eligible.
Pacific Engagement visa (Tuvalu). Granting an RRV ends a Pacific Engagement (subclass 192) visa, Treaty stream (Tuvalu). Home Affairs notes that visa already has an unlimited travel facility.
Business skills visas. A valid RRV application may not be possible if a business skills visa (subclasses 132, 160 to 165, 188, 840 to 846 or 888) was cancelled or considered for cancellation on business grounds. This also applies to family members who held it as dependants.
Not a cancelled former permanent resident. A former permanent resident whose most recent permanent visa was cancelled is not eligible.
Not an Australian citizen. Current citizens are not eligible and do not need an RRV. Any RRV already granted to them ceases.

The five options

Home Affairs sets out five ways to meet the residence, substantial ties or family unit requirement. The option met sets the maximum travel facility.

Option	Where the applicant is	What Home Affairs requires	Maximum travel facility
1	In or outside Australia	Present in Australia for 2 years (730 days in total) in the 5 years before lodging, as a permanent visa holder or citizen	5 years
2	Outside Australia	Not absent for 5 continuous years or more (unless there are compelling reasons), holds a permanent visa or last left as a permanent resident or citizen, and has substantial ties of benefit to Australia	12 months
3	Outside Australia	Was a citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before applying, absences since leaving total no more than 5 years (unless there are compelling reasons), and has substantial ties of benefit to Australia	12 months
4	In Australia	Has substantial ties of benefit to Australia and has not been absent for 5 continuous years since the latest permanent visa grant or loss of citizenship (unless there are compelling reasons)	12 months
5	In or outside Australia	Is a member of the family unit of someone who holds an RRV, or who has applied separately and meets the criteria for grant	12 months

Home Affairs says substantial ties can be business, cultural, employment or personal (including family) ties, and must be both substantial and of benefit to Australia.

For option 1, the 5 years are counted back from the date the application is lodged, not the decision date. Arrival and departure days both count as days in Australia, and a part day counts as a full day. Home Affairs' movement records service can show the days spent in Australia.

Special cases

Arrived before 1 June 1959. People who arrived before the Migration Act 1958 started on 1 June 1959 and have not left since may be treated as former permanent residents.
New Zealand citizens. A New Zealand citizen may be eligible if they hold a permanent visa or are a former permanent resident or citizen. They may be treated as a former permanent resident if they arrived before 1 September 1994, Australia was their usual home before that date, and they intended to keep living here.

What the visa lets you do

Home Affairs' RRV page says this is a permanent visa that lets the holder stay in Australia indefinitely. With it, the holder can:

live, work and study in Australia
access Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme
sponsor relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia as many times as they want until the travel facility expires
apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.

After the travel facility expires, another RRV is needed to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. Home Affairs notes that citizenship, if eligible, allows travel on an Australian passport instead. There is no limit on how many RRVs a person can apply for.

Home Affairs also says:

remaining travel facility from a previous visa can't be carried over, and lost travel facility is not refunded
a travel facility can't be extended, and an RRV grant can't be postponed once all requirements are met
for citizenship purposes, permanent residency starts on the grant date if the holder is in Australia, or on the date they enter Australia on the visa if they were outside Australia when it was granted
New Zealand passport holders entering Australia can tell the border officer they hold an RRV and do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444), because a 444 might affect future RRV and citizenship eligibility.

Family members and cost

Home Affairs says family members can't be included in an RRV application. If family members apply separately at the same time and the applications are declared, they can be processed together. Applicants trying to show substantial ties can give details of immediate family members who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Home Affairs' Visa Pricing table lists:

Applicant	Charge
Main applicant (online)	AUD 1,475
Additional applicant 18 and over	Not applicable (applications can't be combined)
Additional applicant under 18	Not applicable (applications can't be combined)
Non-internet application charge (paper, only if authorised)	AUD 80

From 1 July 2026, a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens with a valid passport from one of the countries Home Affairs lists. Police certificates may be an extra cost if Home Affairs asks for them. Home Affairs says refunds are generally not given just because an application was refused, travel facility was lost or unused, or a 1-year travel facility was granted because the applicant lodged before meeting the residence requirement.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of Home Affairs' RRV page.

Before you apply

Check the current visa and travel facility expiry date in VEVO. If the existing travel facility covers the planned trip, an RRV may not be needed.
Hold a valid passport or travel document. Home Affairs says to get any new passport before applying, and to report a new passport straight away if it changes after applying.

Gather documents

Identity documents, plus evidence of permanent residency, especially for people who migrated before 1990. Home Affairs points people with no evidence to the National Archives of Australia before they apply.
Applicants who do not meet the residence requirement provide a statement and documents showing ties that are substantial and of benefit to Australia, and compelling reasons for any long absences.
Home Affairs says it might grant the visa automatically, without documents, to a permanent resident who has lived in Australia for at least 2 of the last 5 years, has not changed their name or date of birth since their last visa, and meets the character requirement.

Apply

Apply online in ImmiAccount (New application, Resident Return, Resident Return Visa (155,157)), attach documents and pay the charge. ImmiAccount can be used even without an existing electronic visa record.
Paper applications are allowed only in exceptional cases, such as an ImmiAccount technical issue, with Home Affairs' authorisation. They attract the non-internet charge.

After you apply

Home Affairs confirms receipt. Applications within standard processing times are not given updates.
Before leaving Australia, the applicant needs a valid visa that allows return as a permanent resident. An applicant in Australia must stay lawful; a person who held a substantive visa when applying may be able to apply for an associated Bridging visa A.
Changes such as a new passport, a change in marital or de facto status, or the birth of a child must be reported.

Applying in or outside Australia

Home Affairs says applicants can be in or outside Australia when they apply, but not in immigration clearance. The visa can also be granted while the applicant is in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance. Home Affairs encourages permanent residents to hold an RRV before buying tickets, and says a booked ticket does not necessarily mean priority processing (RRV page).

155 and 157 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times in its visa processing times guide.

Compare: 155 (5 years), 155 (12 months) and 157

	155, 5-year facility	155, up to 12 months	157
Who gets it	Meets the residence requirement (2 of the last 5 years in Australia)	Substantial ties of benefit to Australia, or family unit of an RRV holder or applicant	Compelling and compassionate reasons for absence, where no other option is met
Maximum travel facility	5 years	12 months	3 months
Status	Permanent	Permanent	Permanent
Charge (online)	AUD 1,475	AUD 1,475	AUD 1,475

Common questions

What is the Resident Return visa (RRV)?

The Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) is a permanent visa. It lets a current or former Australian permanent resident, or a former Australian citizen, travel to and from Australia as a permanent resident until the visa's travel facility expires.

What is the difference between the 155 and 157 visa?

Home Affairs assesses every RRV application against both subclasses. A 155 gives a 5-year travel facility to people who meet the residence requirement, or up to 12 months for others who meet the ties or family criteria. A 157 gives a maximum 3-month travel facility.

How do I get a 5-year Resident Return visa?

Home Affairs gives a 5-year travel facility to applicants who were in Australia for at least 2 years (730 days in total) in the 5 years before lodging, as a permanent visa holder or Australian citizen. This is the residence requirement.

How much does the Resident Return visa cost?

Home Affairs' Visa Pricing table lists AUD 1,475 for each applicant applying online. Applications can't be combined. A paper application, allowed only with Home Affairs' authorisation, adds a non-internet charge of AUD 80.

Do I need a Resident Return visa if I am in Australia?

Not unless the person wants to leave and return as a permanent resident. Home Affairs says a permanent resident in Australia whose travel facility has expired does not need an RRV if they do not plan to travel.

Can I include my family in a Resident Return visa application?

No. Home Affairs says family members can't be included. Each family member applies separately and pays their own charge, and applications declared together can be processed together.

Can an Australian citizen apply for a Resident Return visa?

No. Home Affairs says current Australian citizens are not eligible and do not need an RRV. Former citizens who lost or renounced citizenship can apply. People who applied for citizenship by conferral still need an RRV until they make the pledge.

What if I returned to Australia on a visitor visa instead of an RRV?

Home Affairs says returning without a permanent visa and valid travel facility, for example on an ETA, may affect permanent resident entitlements and the residence requirements for citizenship or another RRV. It suggests applying for an RRV as soon as possible.