Other
Subclass 155 — Resident Return visa
Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Content verified 30 July 2026.
For permanent residents whose travel facility has expired or is expiring, so they can keep leaving and re-entering Australia as permanent residents. Grant length depends on time spent in Australia.
Government charge
$1,475.00
This is the government Visa Application Charge (VAC), payable directly to the Department of Home Affairs when you lodge. It is not a fee charged by this platform, and it is separate from any platform or practitioner fee. Always check the official source for the current amount.
Who the Resident Return visa is generally for
General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. The subclass 155 Resident Return visa (RRV) is, in broad terms, the pathway that lets people who already hold (or recently held) Australian permanent residence travel internationally and return while keeping that permanent resident status. It is also relevant in some cases to former Australian permanent residents and certain former citizens. A common point of confusion is that a permanent visa does not, by itself, give an unlimited right to travel in and out of Australia forever — the travel facility attached to it expires, and an RRV is typically the way that facility is renewed. In general terms, eligibility tends to rest on one of two ideas. The first is a residence pathway: having lawfully spent a qualifying period in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen within a defined window before applying. The second is a substantial-ties pathway, used where the residence pattern is not met — here an applicant typically shows ongoing ties of benefit to Australia, which can be business, employment, cultural, or personal in nature. The length of the travel facility that is granted can differ depending on which basis the application rests on and the applicant's particular history. The exact residence periods, the look-back windows, how substantial ties are assessed, and how each factor affects the length of the travel facility are technical and change over time, so they are not reproduced here. Check the official page for current requirements, and a registered migration practitioner can advise on how the criteria apply to an individual's circumstances.
Common questions
Q: Does my permanent visa already let me travel in and out of Australia indefinitely? A: Not indefinitely. In general terms a permanent visa includes a travel facility that allows re-entry for a limited period, and once that facility expires the permanent status remains but the right to re-enter from overseas needs to be renewed — commonly through a Resident Return visa. Check the official page for how this applies to a specific visa. Q: What is the difference between the residence basis and the substantial-ties basis? A: Broadly, the residence basis looks at how much qualifying time a person has lawfully spent in Australia within a defined period, while the substantial-ties basis is typically relevant when that residence pattern is not met and instead focuses on ongoing connections of benefit to Australia. The precise tests are technical; a registered practitioner can advise on which basis fits a given situation. Q: How long is the travel facility once granted? A: It varies. The length of the travel facility attached to a granted Resident Return visa can differ depending on the basis of the application and the applicant's history. The official page sets out the current possibilities, and a practitioner can explain what a particular applicant is likely to receive. Q: Do I have to be inside or outside Australia to apply? A: Lodgement is generally handled online and the situation can differ depending on where the applicant is located and their circumstances. Rather than assume, check the current official guidance and, if unsure, a registered practitioner can advise on timing and location before any travel is booked.
Health and character
The subclass 155 Resident Return visa is a permanent visa. The Department of Home Affairs indicates it is generally used by people who are 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. As with Australian visa applications generally, applicants are asked to consider whether they meet the character requirements. For character, applicants are generally asked to declare any criminal conduct they have been charged with or convicted of in any country, to answer all questions truthfully, and to provide all requested information. After an application is lodged, the Department may ask for supporting material depending on the answers given — for example a police certificate, a completed Form 80 (personal particulars for character assessment), a statement of character, a military certificate, or a letter of good conduct. The character requirements are set out in section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. The Department states that it considers all the circumstances of a case, and that even where a person does not meet the character requirements the Minister can choose to grant a visa. Health is handled separately. Whether health examinations are needed, and what type, depends on factors such as the visa applied for and the applicant's circumstances, and the Department advises applicants — through ImmiAccount for online applications, or via the processing officer for paper applications — if examinations are required. Where a person has had health examinations in the last 12 months, they might not need to complete all of them again. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Costs
To lodge a subclass 155 Resident Return visa application, a Visa Application Charge is payable to the Australian Government. This charge includes a base application charge and is set by the Department of Home Affairs. It is separate from, and additional to, any fee charged by a migration agent, legal service, or online platform such as this one. Additional charges can apply. The Department applies an additional applicant charge for family members included in the same application, and a non-internet application charge can apply where an application is lodged on paper rather than online (the Department lists the Resident Return visa subclass 155/157 among the subclasses this can apply to, subject to exemptions). The charges are reviewed from time to time, so the amount payable depends on when and how the application is made. The Department publishes the current amounts and provides a Visa Pricing Estimator that gives an indicative estimate based on the details entered; it notes the estimator does not take into account other costs relating to a visa. Applicants can confirm the charge for their situation through the Department's official fees and charges information. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Travel facility and timing
Australian permanent residents usually receive a five-year travel facility when granted their first permanent visa. This is the period during which a permanent resident can travel in and out of Australia as a permanent resident, and the subclass 155 Resident Return visa is one of the visas used to obtain a new travel facility. According to the Department of Home Affairs, a permanent resident does not have an automatic right to return to Australia from overseas; the right of re-entry depends on the validity of the travel facility on the permanent visa. Once that travel facility expires, a permanent resident who wishes to leave and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident generally needs a valid travel facility, such as a Resident Return visa. The Department also states that a permanent resident who is in Australia and does not plan to travel does not need to apply for a Resident Return visa after the travel facility expires. The travel facility granted can be for a period shorter than five years depending on the applicant's circumstances. For an indication of how long applications are taking, the Department publishes a visa processing time guide that reflects recently decided applications; it is a guide only and actual timing varies with individual circumstances. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Conditions that generally apply to this visa
General information only. The subclass 155 Resident Return visa is a permanent visa. Its purpose is to restore or renew the travel facility attached to a person's permanent residence, so that they can keep leaving and re-entering Australia as a permanent resident. In general terms, once granted it lets the holder do the things their original permanent visa allowed. Unlike many temporary visas, this permanent visa does not generally impose ongoing personal visa conditions of the kind associated with temporary stays. For that reason, condition numbers commonly seen on temporary visas (for example those dealing with health insurance, no further stay, or limits on work or study) are not reproduced here, because the official material does not attach those conditions to this visa. Frame any particular case against the current official page rather than assuming a condition applies. The main practical limitation attached to the visa is not a personal condition but the length of the travel facility that is granted. In broad terms the facility runs for a defined period from the date of grant, and re-entry as a permanent resident depends on returning while that facility is still valid. If the holder does not travel, the permanent status itself continues; if the holder travels after the facility has ended, the ability to re-enter as a permanent resident is affected. The visa grant notification issued by the Department is the authoritative record of what applies to a specific grant, including the travel-facility period and any conditions noted on it. Applicants are generally advised to read that notification carefully and to check the official page for the current position. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Eligibility in general terms: who this visa is for and what is assessed
General information only, framed generally and not as a personal assessment. The Resident Return visa is, in broad terms, for current Australian permanent residents, and in some cases former permanent residents and former Australian citizens, who want to keep or regain the ability to travel and re-enter Australia as permanent residents. A member of the family unit of a Resident Return visa holder may also be relevant to the criteria. There are, in general, two main pathways. The first is a residence pathway: an applicant who has lawfully spent a qualifying period in Australia as a permanent resident within a defined look-back window is generally assessed against that residence record. In broad terms this pathway is associated with the longer travel facility of up to five years. The second is a substantial-ties pathway, generally relevant where the residence pattern is not met. Here decision-makers generally look at whether the applicant has substantial ties of benefit to Australia, which may be business, employment, cultural, or personal in nature. Under the current rules this pathway is generally associated with a shorter travel facility (commonly up to twelve months). For people who have been outside Australia for long continuous periods, or who last held permanent status a long time ago, the material indicates additional matters are generally weighed, such as whether there is a compelling reason for a lengthy absence. This visa does not use a points test, an occupation list, an English-language test, or an employer nomination; the focus is on permanent-residence status and, where relevant, ties to Australia. The exact qualifying periods, look-back windows, how substantial ties are weighed, and how each factor affects the length of the facility are technical and change over time, so they are not reproduced here. Applicants are generally asked to confirm current requirements on the official page, and a registered migration practitioner can advise on how the criteria apply to an individual's circumstances. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Family members and what the visa generally allows after grant
General information only. Because the Resident Return visa is tied to a person's own permanent-residence status, each permanent resident generally needs their own travel facility. Family members who are themselves permanent residents typically lodge their own applications rather than being added as dependants to another person's grant, and the criteria separately recognise a member of the family unit of a Resident Return visa holder. Applicants are generally asked to confirm on the official page how family members should apply in their situation. After grant, the visa in general terms maintains the holder's status as an Australian permanent resident and lets them leave and re-enter Australia as many times as they wish while the travel facility remains valid. In broad terms it allows the holder to continue the activities their original permanent visa allowed, including living, working, and studying in Australia. Because the visa maintains permanent-residence status, it generally supports continued access to services available to permanent residents, such as Medicare enrolment through Services Australia, subject to that agency's own eligibility rules. Holders travelling internationally generally still need a valid passport or travel document. The visa is itself a permanent-residence travel facility rather than a separate pathway to a new status; it renews the travel facility of existing permanent residence. Holders remain subject to the usual obligations that attach to permanent residents, and the travel-facility period shown on the grant governs re-entry as a permanent resident. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Common refusal reasons and review at the Administrative Review Tribunal
General information only, and neutral in tone. Applications of this type are, in general, refused where the decision-maker is not satisfied the applicant meets the residence pathway and has not established substantial ties of benefit to Australia; where evidence of permanent-residence status, identity, or time spent in and out of Australia is incomplete; or, for long absences, where a compelling reason for the absence has not been shown. These are general patterns, not a prediction about any particular case. If a decision is unfavourable, merits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal (the ART, which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) may be available for a reviewable migration decision. On review the Tribunal generally looks at the decision afresh on the material before it. Who may apply for review can depend on whether the application was made inside or outside Australia; in some offshore situations the review is generally lodged by an eligible relative in Australia rather than by the applicant. A strict statutory time limit generally applies to lodging a review application, and these limits are generally not able to be extended, so the exact deadline stated in the decision notice is important. A review application fee also generally applies, and it is set by the Tribunal and indexed each year. Applicants are generally asked to confirm the current deadline and fee with the ART and against their decision notice. In broad terms a reduced fee may be available on financial-hardship grounds, and part of the fee is generally refunded where the review outcome is favourable, according to the Tribunal's own rules. None of this is advice about whether to seek review or what the outcome would be. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Costs in general terms: government charges and other expenses
General information only, and figures should always be confirmed on the official pricing estimator at the time of applying. The main government charge is the Visa Application Charge (VAC) set by the Department of Home Affairs. For most applicants the base VAC for this visa is AUD 1,475 (the current amount shown on the department's pricing estimator at the time of writing). This is a government charge and is separate from, and additional to, any service or platform fee a practitioner or third party may charge. Because each permanent resident generally lodges their own Resident Return visa application, this visa does not use the combined-family charging structure (with separate additional charges for applicants aged 18 and over and for those under 18) seen on some other visas; applicants are generally asked to check the estimator for their specific situation. The official material also does not indicate a second-instalment VAC for this visa. The VAC is generally non-refundable, including where an application is refused or withdrawn, other than in limited circumstances set out by the Department. A payment surcharge may also apply depending on the payment method used. Depending on individual circumstances, other costs may arise that are not the VAC, such as health examinations, police certificates, and biometrics. These are generally paid to the relevant provider or authority rather than forming part of the VAC. Applicants are generally asked to confirm the current VAC and any other charges on the official pricing estimator before applying, and to keep the government charge clearly separate from any service fee. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Health cover and Medicare
The Resident Return visa (subclass 155) is a permanent visa. It renews the travel facility that lets an existing permanent resident leave and re-enter Australia while keeping their permanent residence status. Because it is a permanent visa rather than a temporary one, permanent residents living in Australia are generally able to enrol, or re-enrol, in Medicare through Services Australia. This visa does not carry an "adequate health insurance" visa condition (such as condition 8501), and there is no requirement to hold Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Those private-cover requirements apply to certain temporary visa holders rather than to permanent residents, whose main health-cover pathway is Medicare. Time spent outside Australia affects Medicare. Services Australia states that a person remains enrolled for 12 months from the date they first left Australia but cannot use Medicare services from outside the country; a person who lives overseas for more than 12 months is no longer enrolled and needs to enrol in Medicare again after moving back. Enrolment and re-enrolment can generally be done online through myGov or by lodging a Medicare enrolment form with the required supporting documents. Australia also has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with 11 countries, which Services Australia lists as Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. These agreements cover the cost of some medically necessary care and are mainly relevant to short overseas trips; Services Australia notes that a person who has been overseas long enough to lose Medicare enrolment can no longer use an RHCA. Medicare rules, enrolment steps, RHCA coverage and current requirements can change, so the authoritative details are on the Department of Home Affairs subclass 155 page and the Services Australia Medicare and Reciprocal Health Care Agreements pages. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Official forms associated with this visa
Departmental forms that commonly come up for subclass 155, linked to the department’s own files. Whether a form applies to you depends on your circumstances — the note beside each is general only.
- 956.PDF — Form 956 - Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person ↗If you appoint a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
- 1022.PDF — Form 1022 - Notification of changes in circumstances ↗To notify a change in circumstances after lodgement.
- 1023.PDF — Form 1023 - Notification of incorrect answer(s) ↗To correct an incorrect answer after lodgement.
Official information and lodgement
Applications are lodged through your own ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website — never through this platform.
Visit the official Home Affairs page ↗Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Content verified 30 July 2026.