Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and

157)
http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/155-157.aspx
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This visa is for:

 current or former Australian permanent residents

 former Australian citizens.

It allows you to travel overseas and return to Australia as a permanent resident. You need
this visa if the travel period on your current permanent visa has expired or is about to expire.

You cannot apply for this visa if:

 You were issued one of the following documents which still remains valid today:
o an Authority To Return (ATR) between 1 March 1976 and 30 October 1979, or
o a Return Endorsement (RE) between 1 November 1979 and 31 December 1986.

These documents should still be valid today if:

o they have not been cancelled

o they have not been ceased by the grant of another visa since 1 September 1994
o you have returned to Australia within three years of each departure
o you have not become an Australian Citizen.
 You have been sent a notice regarding the possible cancellation of your most recent
permanent visa under section 134 of the Act and no cancellation decision has yet been
taken.
 Your most recent permanent visa was cancelled under section 134 of the Act and the
cancellation decision has not been set aside by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

You might be able to be granted this visa if you are:

 an Australian permanent resident

 a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled
 a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced your citizenship.

A ‘former Australian permanent resident’ includes anyone who was recognised as a

permanent resident of Australia under the migration arrangements that applied at the time
they were in Australia.

Subclass 155 Resident Return visa

You might be able to be granted this visa if you:

  have spent a period totalling two years in the last five years in Australia as either an
Australian permanent resident or citizen (the ‘residence requirement’).
 have not spent two of the last five years in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen, but
can satisfy the processing officer that you have substantial business, cultural, employment
or personal ties of benefit to Australia, and:
o are lodging while in Australia and can show compelling reasons for any continuous
absence from Australia of more than five years;
o are lodging while overseas, were a permanent resident or citizen when you last
departed Australia and can show compelling reasons for any continuous absence
from Australia of more than five years;
o are lodging while overseas, were a permanent resident or citizen in the last 10 years
and can show compelling reasons for absence(s) over five years;
 have not spent two of the last five years in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen, but
are the partner or dependent family member of a person who holds a subclass 155 visa, or
who has also applied for a Resident Return visa and satisfies criteria for grant.

Requirements for substantial ties of benefit to Australia

Business ties: If you are claiming business ties with Australia, you will need to provide proof
of the ties and how they are of benefit to Australia. You will need to show that you have
substantial ownership interests in the business and are personally involved at a senior level in
the day-to-day operations and management of the business. The business activity needs to be
ongoing, regular activity that is commercial in nature, has an intention to make a profit and
has a system of record keeping and management that substantiates the business activity
claimed.

Cultural ties: There are a range of intellectual, artistic, sporting or religious pursuits which are
not strictly of a business or employment nature but may be considered to be a cultural tie to
Australia. In many cases it is likely that the reasons claimed as cultural ties would be
consistent with the basis for the grant of your original permanent visa. If you are claiming
cultural ties, you will need to provide proof your role is adding to Australia’s cultural life.
This can include publications you have written, your membership of cultural associations,
any media articles about you or proof of your performances.

Employment ties: To prove you have employment ties to Australia, you must show that you
are currently employed, or have a formal offer of employment in Australia, or are employed
overseas by an Australian organisation, or are able to show that your employment by a non-
Australian organisation has a demonstrable benefit to Australia, for example, working as a
representative of Australia for an international organisation.

Personal ties: Substantial personal ties may be of benefit to Australia if you are, or have been,
a participating member of the Australian community and economy. Living in Australia for a
substantial period of time or living overseas with an Australian citizen partner is taken into
account. Proof of personal assets or family who live in Australia could also help to
demonstrate personal ties if you are able to show they are both substantial and of benefit to
Australia.

Subclass 157 Resident Return visa

You might be able to be granted this visa if you:

  have lawfully spent at least one day in the past five years in Australia
 have spent less than two years in the past five years in Australia
 have been a permanent resident or an Australian citizen for the entire period spent in
Australia
 can show a compelling and compassionate reason for having to leave Australia or, if you are
outside Australia, for leaving when you did

If you have been living outside Australia for more than three continuous months immediately
before applying, you must also show that you were absent for a compelling and
compassionate reason.

Travel facility

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 a year from the date of the grant.

If you are granted a Subclass 155 Resident Return visa because you are a family member of a
person who holds a Subclass 155, or who has also applied for Resident Return Visa and
satisfies criteria for grant, then your travel facility will be for either a year or less than a year
from date of grant.

If you are granted a Subclass 157 visa the travel facility will be for 3 months from date of
grant.

Resident Return Visa Processing Times

The tables below detail the processing time service standards for return resident visas.
Note: We aim to process applications within these service standards, however, actual
processing times may vary depending on a range of factors.
See: Processing Time Service Standards

Return resident
The table below details the processing time service standards for visas for returning to
Australia.

Lodged in Lodged outside

Visa Applications
Australia Australia
Resident Return Visas, Australian Declaratory Visas and
1 working day 2 weeks
Certificates of Evidence of Resident Status
(subclass 155, 157, 159)

More information is available on the department's website.

See: Permanent residency in Australia

Former resident
The table below details the processing time service standards for visas for migrating to
Australia - Special Eligibility (former resident).

Visa Applications Lodged in Australia Lodged outside Australia

Low Risk High Risk Low Risk High Risk
Special Eligibility (former resident)
6 months 9 months 9 months 12 months
(subclass 151)

The terms 'Low risk' and 'High risk' show whether passport holders are eligible to apply for
an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Low risk applies to nationals from countries which
issue ETA eligible passports. A list of these can be found on the department's website. High
risk countries are those which are not ETA eligible.
See: ETA Eligible Passports
For more information about migrating to Australia under special eligibility.
See: Migrating as a Former Resident