How to Apply for an Australian Resident Return Visa Subclass 155 or 157
Apply for an Australian Resident Return visa if you are a permanent resident whose travel facility has expired or will not cover your return to Australia. Check the 2-years-in-5 residence rule, substantial ties pathways, subclass 155 and 157 assessment, evidence, current fee and travel-facility duration.
AU Australia
Immigration & Travel ~ 15 min read
16 FAQ
Updated 2026-08-26
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If you are an Australian permanent resident and your existing permanent visa travel facility has expired or will expire before you return to Australia, you generally need a Resident Return visa before travelling back as a permanent resident. You apply online through ImmiAccount for the combined Resident Return Visa subclass 155 and 157 application. Home Affairs assesses you against both subclasses. If you spent at least 730 cumulative days in Australia during the 5 years immediately before applying while a permanent visa holder or Australian citizen, you normally qualify for subclass 155 with a 5-year travel facility. Applicants who do not meet that residence requirement may still qualify for subclass 155 through substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefit to Australia, generally with a travel facility of up to 12 months. Subclass 157 is a more limited pathway with a maximum 3-month travel facility for applicants who meet its compelling and compassionate circumstances requirements. The standard online application charge is AUD 1,475 per applicant.
What you need
- Be an Australian permanent resident, a former Australian permanent resident whose most recent permanent visa was not cancelled, or a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced Australian citizenship.
- Meet the character requirement.
- Meet one of the residence, substantial ties or eligible family-unit pathways for subclass 155, or the applicable subclass 157 requirements.
- Have a valid passport or other travel document before the visa is granted.
- Apply online through ImmiAccount unless Home Affairs authorises a paper application in exceptional circumstances.
- Pay the applicable visa application charge for each applicant.
- If you do not meet the 2-years-in-5 residence requirement, provide evidence supporting your substantial ties to Australia and any compelling reasons for lengthy absences where required.
- Provide documents supporting an eligible family-unit pathway if relying on a family member's Resident Return visa eligibility.
- Provide clear colour scans or photographs of requested documents and English translations where required.
Eligibility
You may apply for a Resident Return visa if you are a current Australian permanent resident, a former permanent resident whose most recent permanent visa was not cancelled, or a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced Australian citizenship. Current Australian citizens cannot apply. Home Affairs assesses one Resident Return Visa application against the criteria for both subclass 155 and subclass 157. The strongest standard subclass 155 pathway is the residence requirement: at least 730 cumulative days physically present in Australia during the 5 years immediately before application while holding a permanent visa or as an Australian citizen. If you do not meet that requirement, subclass 155 may still be available if you demonstrate substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia, or through specified family-unit provisions. Subclass 157 may be available in more limited circumstances involving recent lawful residence in Australia and compelling and compassionate reasons, and provides a maximum 3-month travel facility.
How to do it
- Check your current permanent visa and travel facility in VEVO before applying. You do not need a Resident Return visa merely because the travel facility has expired if you are in Australia and do not intend to leave and re-enter.
- Check whether your existing travel facility will remain valid until your intended return to Australia. If it will not, apply for a Resident Return visa before travelling or before attempting to return as a permanent resident.
- Check whether you meet the subclass 155 residence requirement by counting the days you were physically present in Australia during the 5 years immediately before the application. You need at least 730 cumulative days while holding permanent residence or as an Australian citizen for the standard 5-year travel facility.
- If you do not meet the residence requirement, determine whether you can demonstrate substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties to Australia that are both substantial and of benefit to Australia.
- If you have had a lengthy absence from Australia, prepare evidence of any compelling reasons that must be established under the pathway relevant to you.
- Gather your valid passport or travel-document details and any supporting evidence required for your pathway. Applicants who clearly meet the residence requirement may in some cases be granted without uploading additional documents.
- Create or sign in to ImmiAccount.
- Select New application, then Resident Return, then Resident Return Visa (155,157).
- Complete the application accurately. You do not choose between subclass 155 and 157 as separate applications because Home Affairs assesses the application against both visa subclasses.
- Upload supporting documents, including evidence of substantial ties, compelling reasons or family relationships where those criteria are relevant.
- Pay the current visa application charge. The standard online charge is AUD 1,475 per applicant.
- Submit the application and monitor ImmiAccount for correspondence or requests for further information.
- Do not assume that having booked a flight will result in priority processing. Home Affairs recommends having an appropriate Resident Return visa before purchasing tickets where you need one to return as a permanent resident.
- After grant, check the travel facility expiry date in VEVO. The duration may be 5 years, up to 12 months or up to 3 months depending on the criteria under which the visa was granted.
When do Australian permanent residents need a Resident Return visa?
An Australian permanent visa allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely, but the right to travel overseas and return as a permanent resident is controlled by the visa's travel facility. Permanent residence and the travel facility are therefore not the same thing.
If you are in Australia and your permanent visa travel facility has expired, you do not need a Resident Return visa simply to remain in Australia. You need an RRV when you want to leave Australia and later re-enter as a permanent resident and your existing travel facility will not cover that return.
If you leave Australia after your permanent visa travel facility expires, or it expires while you are overseas, you cannot return to Australia as a permanent resident unless you obtain a visa that gives you the required permanent-resident travel facility.
Check your travel facility before applying
Before lodging an RRV application, check your current visa details in Visa Entitlement Verification Online, known as VEVO. This lets you see when your existing travel facility expires and whether it already covers your planned return date.
Home Affairs warns that obtaining a new RRV replaces the travel facility attached to the previous visa. Any unused travel facility from the previous visa is not carried over to the newly granted RRV.
Who can apply for a Resident Return visa?
You must be one of the following:
- a current Australian permanent resident
- a former Australian permanent resident whose most recent permanent visa was not cancelled
- a former Australian citizen who subsequently lost or renounced Australian citizenship
Current Australian citizens are not eligible for an RRV. Australian citizens should normally travel to and enter Australia using an Australian passport.
A person who currently holds a temporary visa can still potentially qualify if they were previously an Australian permanent resident or Australian citizen and meet the applicable RRV requirements.
Do you apply for subclass 155 or subclass 157?
You do not normally lodge separate applications for subclass 155 and subclass 157. ImmiAccount uses one Resident Return Visa (155,157) application and Home Affairs assesses you against both subclasses.
If you satisfy the requirements for subclass 155, Home Affairs can grant that visa. If you do not qualify for subclass 155 but satisfy the more limited subclass 157 requirements, Home Affairs may grant subclass 157 instead.
How to qualify for a 5-year subclass 155 Resident Return visa
The standard residence pathway requires you to have been physically present in Australia for at least 2 years during the 5 years immediately before you lodge the application.
Home Affairs counts this as 730 cumulative days. During the relevant days you must have been an Australian permanent visa holder or Australian citizen, subject to the statutory residence rules.
How the 730 days are counted
The 5-year period is counted backwards from the date you lodge the RRV application, not from the date Home Affairs makes its decision.
The days do not need to be continuous. Home Affairs adds together qualifying days spent in Australia during the 5-year period. Both the arrival date and departure date are counted, and a part-day spent in Australia can count as a full day under the residence calculation rules.
If you meet this residence requirement, subclass 155 is granted with a 5-year travel facility.
What if you do not know your travel dates?
If you cannot determine how many qualifying days you have spent in Australia, you can request your international movement or travel records from the Department of Home Affairs before applying.
Can you get subclass 155 without spending 2 years in Australia?
Yes. Failing the 730-day residence test does not automatically mean you cannot obtain an RRV. Subclass 155 has alternative pathways for applicants who can demonstrate substantial ties with Australia that are of benefit to Australia.
The ties can be business, cultural, employment or personal ties. They must be both substantial and beneficial to Australia.
An applicant granted subclass 155 through a substantial-ties pathway can receive a travel facility of up to 12 months rather than the 5 years available through the standard residence requirement.
What counts as substantial ties to Australia?
Business ties
Business evidence can include company reports describing your role and authority, business transactions, partnership or joint venture agreements, signed contracts and relevant business or personal records.
Employment ties
Employment evidence can include an Australian employment contract, a letter of offer, payslips, official employment records or employee identification.
Cultural ties
Cultural ties may be demonstrated through publications, contracts, membership of cultural associations, media coverage or evidence of artistic or cultural activities connected with Australia.
Personal and family ties
Personal ties can include a substantial history of residence in Australia, treating Australia as your home, an intention to reside in Australia, an Australian citizen spouse or partner, Australian citizen children and other continuing connections with the Australian community.
Depending on your circumstances, useful evidence can include bank statements, utility bills, school records, property documents, travel records, marriage or birth certificates, citizenship certificates, school enrolments and evidence of plans to relocate back to Australia.
When do compelling reasons for absence matter?
Applicants relying on substantial ties may also need to establish compelling reasons for lengthy absences from Australia.
For example, an applicant outside Australia who holds a permanent visa, or who last departed Australia as a permanent resident or citizen before subsequently losing citizenship, must have compelling reasons for an absence of more than 5 continuous years where that rule applies.
Home Affairs also applies absence rules to certain former permanent residents or former citizens and to applicants applying while inside Australia. If these rules affect you, explain the circumstances fully and attach supporting evidence when lodging the application rather than waiting for Home Affairs to request it.
Can you qualify through a family member?
A separate subclass 155 pathway can apply if you are a member of the family unit of a person who already holds an RRV or has lodged their own RRV application and meets the relevant grant criteria.
This pathway provides a maximum travel facility of 12 months. Each family member must submit a separate RRV application because family members cannot be included as secondary applicants on a single Resident Return visa application.
Family relationship evidence
Married applicants relying on this pathway can provide a marriage certificate. De facto applicants may need evidence of a registered relationship or evidence establishing the required de facto relationship, together with documents showing that the relationship is genuine and continuing.
Examples can include joint bank statements, joint bills, leases, mortgages and evidence of living at the same address. For children, birth certificates, family records or adoption documents may be relevant.
What is the subclass 157 Resident Return visa?
Subclass 157 is the more limited Resident Return visa pathway. Home Affairs considers it if you do not qualify for subclass 155 but meet the subclass 157 requirements.
Under the legislative criteria, one pathway requires qualifying lawful presence in Australia for at least 1 day but less than 2 years during the 5 years immediately before the application while holding permanent status or Australian citizenship, together with compelling and compassionate reasons for departure or, where applicable, the last departure from Australia.
Additional requirements apply where an applicant is outside Australia, and there is also a family-unit pathway linked to a person who holds or qualifies for subclass 157.
A subclass 157 visa provides a maximum travel facility of 3 months.
How long is the RRV travel facility valid?
The travel facility depends on the criteria you satisfy:
- 5 years if you meet the subclass 155 requirement of at least 730 qualifying days in Australia during the previous 5 years
- up to 12 months if subclass 155 is granted through substantial ties or an eligible family-unit pathway
- up to 3 months if subclass 157 is granted
The RRV itself is a permanent visa. The 5-year, 12-month or 3-month period refers to the travel facility allowing you to leave and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
Can you extend an RRV travel facility?
No. Home Affairs does not extend the travel facility attached to an existing RRV. If you later need a new travel facility, you must apply for another RRV and satisfy the requirements at that time.
There is no limit on the number of Resident Return visas you can apply for.
How much does a Resident Return visa cost in 2026?
As of 26 August 2026, the standard online application charge for a Resident Return visa is AUD 1,475 per applicant.
Every family member submitting an RRV application must pay the applicable charge separately because family members cannot be included as secondary applicants.
From 1 July 2026, Home Affairs applies a lower visa application charge to eligible citizens holding valid passports issued by specified Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste. ImmiAccount identifies eligible applicants during the application process.
Other costs may arise if Home Affairs requests additional evidence such as police certificates.
How to apply for a Resident Return visa online
You must normally apply online through ImmiAccount. Paper applications are only authorised in exceptional circumstances, such as where an ImmiAccount technical problem cannot be resolved.
After signing in to ImmiAccount:
- Select New application.
- Select Resident Return.
- Select Resident Return Visa (155,157).
- Complete the application.
- Attach any required supporting documents.
- Pay the visa application charge.
- Submit the application.
Home Affairs cannot process the application if the correct visa application charge has not been paid.
What documents do you need for an RRV?
The documents depend heavily on the pathway under which you qualify.
If you are a current Australian permanent resident, have spent at least 2 qualifying years in Australia during the previous 5 years, your name and date of birth have not changed since your last visa was granted and you meet the character requirement, Home Affairs may be able to grant the RRV automatically without requiring additional supporting documents.
If you do not meet the residence requirement, attach evidence establishing your substantial ties and any compelling reasons for your absence that are relevant to your case.
You should have a valid passport or other travel document before the RRV is granted. If you need a new passport, Home Affairs recommends obtaining it before applying. If your passport changes after lodgement, update the Department with the new details.
Do RRV documents need to be certified?
Home Affairs states that RRV supporting documents do not need to be certified. Scan or photograph documents in colour and make sure they are clear. If a document contains multiple pages, save the pages together as one file where instructed.
Documents and relevant information submitted for the application must be in English. Follow the Department's translation requirements for documents that are not in English.
Can you apply from outside Australia?
Yes. You can apply for a Resident Return visa while inside or outside Australia, but you cannot apply while in immigration clearance.
If you are overseas and your permanent visa travel facility has already expired, you should obtain the RRV before travelling to Australia if you intend to enter as a permanent resident.
Should you apply before leaving Australia?
If your existing travel facility will expire before you expect to return, applying before departure can reduce the risk of being unable to return as a permanent resident.
Home Affairs encourages permanent residents to ensure they have the required RRV before buying travel tickets. Having a booked ticket does not necessarily result in priority processing.
How long does a Resident Return visa take to process?
Home Affairs states that applications meeting the residence requirement are generally processed within 5 working days after lodgement.
Applications that do not meet the residence requirement take longer because the Department may need to assess substantial ties, absences and supporting evidence. Home Affairs states that these applications can take 12 weeks or more.
Processing can also take longer if the application is incomplete, documents are missing, further information is required or Home Affairs needs additional time to verify information.
The Department's visa processing time guide provides current figures based on recently decided applications, but these are a guide rather than a guarantee for an individual case.
Can an urgent flight make the RRV application faster?
Not automatically. Home Affairs specifically states that having a ticket to depart does not necessarily lead to priority processing.
If you have already lodged an RRV application, urgently need to travel and the visa has not been granted, follow the Department's instructions for contacting Home Affairs about urgent travel.
What happens after you apply?
Home Affairs confirms receipt of the application and documents. You can track and manage the application through ImmiAccount and should monitor it for requests for further information.
The visa is digitally linked to your valid travel document. Home Affairs does not place an RRV visa label in your passport.
What can you do after the RRV is granted?
An RRV is a permanent visa. It allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely and, while the travel facility is valid, travel to and from Australia as a permanent resident.
Permanent residents can live, work and study in Australia and may access other permanent-resident entitlements subject to their individual eligibility. The purpose of the RRV is to restore or provide the travel facility needed for re-entry as a permanent resident.
How do you check when the new RRV expires?
After grant, use VEVO to check the expiry date of the travel facility. Remember that this date concerns your ability to travel to and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident rather than the underlying right of a permanent resident who is already in Australia to remain indefinitely.
What happens when the new travel facility expires?
If you are in Australia when the travel facility expires, you can remain in Australia as a permanent resident. If you later want to travel overseas and return after that travel facility has expired, you will need another RRV unless you have become an Australian citizen and can travel as an Australian citizen.
Can returning on a visitor visa affect your permanent residence situation?
Home Affairs warns former or current permanent residents against returning to Australia on a temporary visa simply because their permanent-resident travel facility has expired. Returning without a permanent visa and valid travel facility can affect permanent-resident entitlements and your ability to satisfy permanent-residence requirements for Australian citizenship or a later RRV.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Resident Return visa if my permanent resident travel facility has expired?
If you are already in Australia and do not intend to travel, you do not need an RRV merely because the travel facility has expired. You generally need one if you want to leave and later re-enter Australia as a permanent resident after the existing travel facility has expired.
How do I check when my Australian permanent resident travel facility expires?
Use the Department of Home Affairs VEVO service to check the travel facility attached to your current permanent visa before applying for an RRV or making travel arrangements.
Do I apply separately for subclass 155 and subclass 157?
No. You lodge the Resident Return Visa (155,157) application and Home Affairs assesses you against both subclasses. If you do not meet subclass 155 requirements but satisfy subclass 157 requirements, subclass 157 may be granted.
How do I qualify for a 5-year Resident Return visa?
You generally need to have spent at least 730 cumulative days in Australia during the 5 years immediately before lodging the application while holding a permanent visa or as an Australian citizen.
Do the 2 years in Australia need to be continuous for an RRV?
No. Home Affairs counts qualifying days cumulatively during the 5-year period immediately before the application. You need a total of at least 730 qualifying days for the standard 5-year subclass 155 travel facility.
Can I get a Resident Return visa if I have not lived in Australia for 2 of the last 5 years?
Potentially. Subclass 155 can also be granted where you demonstrate substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties to Australia that are of benefit to Australia and satisfy the other applicable requirements. This pathway provides a maximum travel facility of 12 months.
What are substantial ties for a Resident Return visa?
Substantial ties can be business, cultural, employment or personal ties. They must be significant and of benefit to Australia. Evidence can include employment records, business documents, Australian family connections, long-term residence, property or financial records and other proof of continuing involvement with Australia.
How long is a subclass 157 Resident Return visa valid for travel?
Subclass 157 provides a maximum travel facility of 3 months. It is assessed when an applicant does not qualify for subclass 155 but meets the specific subclass 157 requirements.
How much does an Australian Resident Return visa cost in 2026?
As of 26 August 2026, the standard online application charge is AUD 1,475 per applicant. A lower charge applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible citizens of specified Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.
How long does a Resident Return visa take to process?
Home Affairs states that applications meeting the 2-years-in-5 residence requirement are generally processed within 5 working days. Applications that do not meet the residence requirement can take 12 weeks or more.
Can I apply for an RRV online?
Yes. Resident Return visa applications must normally be lodged through ImmiAccount. Paper lodgement is only authorised in exceptional circumstances such as unresolved technical problems.
Can I apply for a Resident Return visa while outside Australia?
Yes. You can apply while inside or outside Australia, but not while in immigration clearance.
Can I include my spouse or children in my RRV application?
No. Each family member must submit and pay for a separate Resident Return visa application. Applications lodged together can identify the other family members so Home Affairs can process them together where appropriate.
Do I need supporting documents if I meet the 2-year residence requirement?
Not always. Home Affairs states that some current permanent residents who have spent at least 2 years in Australia during the previous 5 years, have not changed their name or date of birth since their last visa grant and meet the character requirement may be granted automatically without additional documents.
Can I extend the travel facility on my existing RRV?
No. Home Affairs does not extend an existing RRV travel facility. If you need another travel facility after it expires, you must apply for another Resident Return visa and meet the requirements at that time.
Does booking an urgent flight give my RRV application priority?
No automatic priority applies merely because you have booked travel. Home Affairs states that having a ticket to depart does not necessarily result in priority processing.
Official sources
Department of Home Affairs - Resident Return visa subclasses 155 and 157Department of Home Affairs - Proof of permanent residencyFederal Register of Legislation - Migration Regulations 1994Related procedures
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