Resident Return Visa

A Resident Return Visa (RRV) is required for the period after you have gained your Permanent Residency (PR), and your initial entry visa (Normally 5 years) has expired, but before you get your Citizenship.
3 Month, 12 Month or 5 Year RRV Travel Periods may be applied, depending on your circumstances.

Resident Return Visa

Resident Return Visa Information

A Resident Return Visa (RRV) is required for the period after you have gained your Permanent Residency (PR), and your initial entry visa (Normally 5 years) has expired, but before you get your Citizenship…

The RRV allows you to re-enter Australia as a Permanent Resident, but using your British Passport.

Resident Return Visa (RRV)

A Resident Return Visa is valid for 3 months,  12 months or 5 years (depending on circumstances).

It allows Australian permanent residents to travel to and from Australia as often as they wish within the validity of the visa, while maintaining their status as permanent residents.

Updated in 2016

Resident Return visa (RRV) Cost at July 2016

$360 (Subclass 155 and 157) Online Application
$440 (Subclass 155 and 157) Paper Application

The cost of the RRV may be adjusted each July.

How do I apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV)?

To be eligible for a Resident Return Visa (RRV), you must be:

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

In addition to the above, to be eligible for a five year RRV:

  • you must be lawfully present in Australia for a total of at least 2 years in the 5 years immediately before lodging the application for the visa, or
  • you must have substantial and beneficial business, cultural, employment or personal ties to Australia and compelling reasons if you have been absent from Australia for more than 5 years, or
  • you must be a member of the family unit of a person who holds a valid RRV or who has applied for and met the criteria for an RRV.

If you do not meet these criteria, but have to leave Australia for compassionate and compelling reasons, you may be eligible for a 3 month RRV.

If you are unable to meet the RRV requirements in your own right, but you are a member of the family unit of a person who holds an RRV, you may be granted an RRV with the same validity period as the family head’s RRV.

3 Month, 12 Month or 5 Year RRV Travel Periods

3 Month, 12 Month or 5 Year RRV Travel Periods may be applied, depending on your circumstances.

  • If you have lived in Australia for at least two years of the past five years and are granted a Subclass 155 Resident Return visa it will have a five year travel facility from date of grant.
  • If you are granted a Subclass 155 Resident Return visa on the basis of your substantial ties of benefit to Australia, then your travel facility will be for one year from the date of the grant.
  • If you are granted a Subclass 157 visa (having spent less than two years in the past five years in Australia) the travel facility will be for 3 months from date of grant.

More details at:

Resuming Australian Residency after Resident Return Visa RRV expires.

Most Australian Permanent Residents will have a 5 year RRV when they leave Australia, so that they can prove Resident status on their return.

If that RRV expires during their absence from Australia, they can be refused re-entry into Australia.

For most people this will mean re-applying for residency…

This can be a long and complex process, without a guarantee of success.

For those with an Australian partner and/or children, the process is easier, but can still involve interviews with the Immigration Department.

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My friend’s (BB)155 Resident Return Visa will expire on the 8th of May 2018. He has a 1 year travel facility. He plans to go to Australia at the beginning of May, just before the expiry date. However, he will stay there just for 2-3 weeks because of his mother’s health issues. I know he has to renew his visa before leaving Australia. However he does not know if he can do it before coming to Australia. He is also unsure if he will be given the visa in those 2-3 weeks before he leaves Australia again, in case he applies after he arrives to Australia. What do you think about his case?

Hi, myself and family are currently living in Australia and have been for the last 7 1/2 years. My husband and i are both permanent residents with our 4 year old son being a citizen. We are considering moving back to the UK without having to wait for the citizenship to go through. If we were to be outside of Australia for longer than 5 years, what are our chances of being able to return, should we not enjoy it? Thanks

Thanks for your reply, i really appreciate you taking the time!! Both our parents are ill and we just feel so bad being out here and not being part of taking care of them. That being said, who knows how long we could be there for :/ I just feel a duty as a family member to be involved in their care as much as my siblings. Were nearing on completion of the application, but still have to wait for the test and then ceremony and are worried how long that itself would take. Any ideas?

We actually didnt know you could rush the ceremony through!! So thank you so much for making me aware of that!!

How long did it take before lodging the application and receiving a test date?

So in the application i must also state when it asks you are you planning on leaving the country in the next 12 months as a Yes?

Also did you have a passport in order to leave the country to fly back to the UK, hence why the passport office here was willing to rush through your passport application?

Respected,

I went through your website. Great information and I saw few testimonials appreciating your guidance and knowledge on visa processing. We are happy and confident to be associated with you.

Migration agent is like a doctor when it comes to visa processing. I have shared all the available information . Please inform do I have any chance of getting back to Australia. Please inform what information can be used from the below for a successful visa.

..(private information removed)..

Please inform Migration agent fee and application fee.

I’m a permanent resident of Australia and have been since 1975 I came here on my mothers passport from the UK. I’ve planned a trip back to the UK for May next year for 8 weeks how do I leave Australia and come back without Australian citizenship or any passport

Hi

I am a temporary resident in Australia and planning to go leave the country when I get my PR status next year. the rules said to get the 5 year RRV, you must have stayed in Australia for 2 years. by that said, I can only stay out of Australia for 3 months.
with this rule written above:
If you are unable to meet the RRV requirements in your own right, but you are a member of the family unit of a person who holds an RRV, you may be granted an RRV with the same validity period as the family head’s RRV.
The questions:
1. My mother is now married to my step dad who is an Australia citizen. Does that make us a family even though I am not my step dad’s biological son?
2. if so, can I get a 5 year RRV?

Thank you very much

Hi

I am an Australian permanant resident and my PR visa is valid up to 10 August 2015. Currently I am working in Dubai and no plans to go and settle in Australia prior to my PR visa expiry date due to several personal reasons. However, I am planning to buy a house in Melbourne prior to my PR expiry date with the help of a mortgage loan from an Australian Bank. Then I am planning to re-apply for PR again at the end of this year. If the same rules are there at that time I should be able to get the PR again as I can easily get required points.

My question is ; what will happen to my property once my current PR expired? Will I have to pay some extra tax for that or will I have some leagl issues on the ownership of the property?

Need advice.

Thanks
Regards
Sudheera

Hi

I have been an Australian permanent resident since 2000, I moved back to the UK for 6 years to help look after a sick parent (which I explained to the Australian immigration), I also went back to university while in the UK. I have since moved back to Australia (1/12/2015) as my Subclass 155 overseas visa was running out.

Am not looking at leaving Australia anytime soon but I would like to go back to the UK next xmas to see my parents for a few weeks. Do you know of any visa that I can apply for?

Thanks for your time

hi there

i am oz permanent resident , i already took the rrv and it wil expire in 2016, i dont think that i would be able to stay in oz to be eligible in this time, however i completed by 2 years , what are the option if i want to retain my residency , can i apply for a second rrv or any other option available as most of my time is spent overseas

thanks

My PR has expired and I want to buy OZ property to how tie for applying RRV. Can I be considered PRto buy property from outside Australia?

My PR entry limit has expired and I am outside Australia. I wish to apply for RRV now. Before applying RRV, I want to buy property in Australia to show ties. Can I buy property as a PR from outside Australia?

Myself and my family emigrated to WA in 2007 on a independent skilled migrant visa but due to personal circumstances out of our control returned to the UK in 2009. My PR visa ran out last year 2012 and I believe therefore cancelled. The circumstances that drew us back have now changed and we would love to return to live in WA once again. We have three children and our middle child was born and is a citizen off Australia. Would we be potentially eligible for a Residents return visa?

Regards

How do you provide proof of compelling compassionate leave to the Australian immigration.
Many thanks

Am holding a valid PR with RRV expiring in Aug 2012.
Do i have to renew my RRV eventhough i have
no intention to travel out of Australia now.?

And will only renew when i need to travel?

My Scottish husband has a Partner (residence) (BS 801) visa with multiple re-entries to Australia until 09 February 2015.

We are looking at moving back to Scotland early in 2013 but are worried about where he will be “immigration wise” if we go for 4 or 5 years.

Assume he will have to apply for a Resident Return Visa before we go, and that should give us 5 years (2018) to return – we might only last a year!!

The question is when we get back, how long will he have to wait before he applies for his citizenship? We have 2yr old twin sons with dual passports.

Any thoughts?

Dear ABCDiamond,

I have my PR visa for Australia that expires in 2012.
I haev not stayed in Australia for more than 2 years in the last 5 years.
I would like to request for an RRV as,

1) I have purchased a property in the current country that i am residing.This property was purchased before the propert crash and recession.With my current income and savings, i shoul dbe able to clear this debt in 2 years and then be ready to move to Australi.

2) My current employer requries me to stay in this current role for atleast 2 years, after which i will be considered for a job in Australia

3) I have 2 kids and their future is in concern. I would not want to leave in debt especially since i will not have a job

Can you advise

I have family members who emigrated to Australia in 2005. The parents have become Australian citizens, who work and pay taxes here. The two girls have completed school, but haven’t become citizens. Both are at UNI, but the one who started Uni this year has been kicked out because she is not an Australian citizen. Can anyone tell me the rules? Seems rather unfair.
Thanks

Dear ABCDiamond

My RRV expired in 2008 and it has been over 10 years since I was in Australia. Both my parents are Australian citizens (but not residing in Australia but hoping to relocate there preferably with my daughter and me). I have an aunt and cousin who are citizens and living in Australia over 40 years.

Do I stand any chance of obtaining even a 3 month RRV?

Thanks in advance.

Anna

Hi,
I had investment apartment in Melbourne, i only stay about 3 months during last 5 years in Australia? Can i apply for 5 years RRV? If they dont grant RRV, what will happen with my apartment if i dont have visa to come back to Australia?

Dear ABCDiamond

Many thanks for your reply.

I am returning to Australia in first week of April 2012. Then I will be having 6 months to reside and work in Australia as I have done Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Macquarie University. Will it be feasible enough for me to apply for my wife’s Temporary Residency now only or should I wait till I get my RRV. Please suggest.

Thanks
Suchet Handa

Hii

My name is suchet handa. I am a PR since September 2007. My PR is expiring in September 2012. I left Australia in two months after getting my PR. Now I have 6 months remaining and I want to go back to Australia to renew my PR. I do not have as compelling reasons as required by the Australian immigration. Do you think or have any case study whereby the PR was renewed in such a case. Please suggest.
Thanks & Regards

I am outside Australia at present and my PR visa has expired. I spent less that 2 years (1 year 8 months) in Australia during the 5 year validity of my visa. I want to return to Australia and I do have compelling reasons to return.
Q. Should I apply for the 3 month RRV or the 5 year RRV?

Hi,

I have a Permenant Residency visa but will only been living in Australia for 6 months of the 5 year visa. My brother is an australian citizen.

Is this good enough for me to get another Residency visa after this one (which is up soon)??

Thank you,

I had thought this was the case but was not sure what “substantial personal ties of benefit to Australia” meant as it sounds very undefined. I thought maybe a brother with citizenship might do the trick but this does not seem to be the case.

Thanks again for your help,

It looks like its back to square one unless I can figure out what a “compelling reasons for my absence over the five years” might be or what constitutes a “compelling and compassionate reasons for my departure”.

If anyone knows, let me know but I think I’m all out of luck???

Hi, I am a British Citizen who has lived in Australia for 46 years I have a return visa which expires next year, Just wanted to know where I lodge the application for a renewal. I live at the Gold Coast Queensland, Can I lodge on a website or do I need to go into an office.

regards
Lindsey Mooney

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