Your Bridge Back to Australia When Your PR Travel Facility Has Expired
The Resident Return Visa (RRV) — Subclass 155 or 157 — allows Australian permanent residents or former permanent residents to re-enter Australia and retain or regain their permanent resident status. This visa is essential for those whose PR travel facility has expired and who wish to maintain ties with Australia.
Key Benefits of the Resident Return Visa
✅ Re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
✅ Maintain your permanent resident status
✅ No need to apply for a new PR visa
✅ Fast processing for eligible applicants
✅ Pathway to citizenship (if residence criteria met)
Important Note:
⚠️ Your permanent visa does not expire, but the travel facility does (usually after 5 years)
⚠️ You need an RRV to return to Australia if you’re outside and your travel facility has expired
Eligibility Requirements
Subclass 155 (Longer-Term RRV)
✔ Have spent at least 2 years in the last 5 years physically present in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen
✔ If not, show substantial ties (business, cultural, employment, personal) to Australia
✔ Must be a former or current permanent resident or Australian citizen who has lost citizenship
Subclass 157 (Short-Term RRV)
✔ Have compelling reasons for leaving and returning to Australia
✔ Must have spent at least 1 day in Australia in the last 5 years as a permanent resident
✔ Generally valid for 3 months
Application Process & Timeline
Apply Online – via ImmiAccount (can apply from inside or outside Australia)
Processing Time – Often within days for straightforward 155 applications
Visa Grant – Regain travel facility and continue your life in Australia
Why You Might Need an RRV
✔ Your travel facility expired, and you are currently overseas
✔ You want to travel internationally, but your PR travel rights have lapsed
✔ You lived overseas but maintain strong ties with Australia
How Immigrad Can Help
✅ Assess your eligibility for Subclass 155 or 157
✅ Guide on demonstrating substantial ties to Australia
✅ Assist with urgent applications for travel
✅ Provide legal support for complex cases or previous visa loss
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Official Resources: Home Affairs –
Note: Immigration regulations change frequently. While we maintain current knowledge, we recommend verifying information with the Department of Home Affairs or consulting a registered migration agent.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Resident Return visa?
The Resident Return visa, subclass 155 or 157, allows an Australian permanent resident or former permanent resident to return to Australia and keep permanent resident status. The Department of Home Affairs describes it as the visa you need if you leave Australia after the travel facility on your permanent visa has expired, or it expires while you are outside Australia.
Does my permanent residence expire if my travel facility runs out?
Your permanent visa does not cease simply because the travel facility ends while you remain in Australia. What ends is the authority to travel and re-enter as a permanent resident, usually five years from grant. If you are overseas without a valid travel facility you cannot return as a permanent resident until a Resident Return visa is granted.
How much does a Resident Return visa cost?
The Department of Home Affairs publishes the Resident Return visa application charge as AUD1,475.00 to apply online. From 1 July 2026 a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Other costs, such as document certification or courier fees, are separate. The Department’s Visa Pricing Estimator confirms the charge that applies to you.
What is the difference between subclass 155 and subclass 157?
The subclass 155 is the longer-term Resident Return visa for applicants who can show the required residence in Australia or substantial ties of benefit to Australia. The subclass 157 is a short-validity visa for applicants who cannot meet the subclass 155 residence requirement. Which one you are eligible to apply for depends on your time in Australia and your ties.
When should I apply for a Resident Return visa?
Apply before you travel, not after you have left. If your travel facility has already expired, or will expire while you are overseas, lodge the application in time for a decision before your departure or return date. Leaving Australia without a valid travel facility is the situation the Resident Return visa exists to fix, and it is easier to avoid than to repair.
Related Immigrad pages
This page provides general information only, current as at 16 September 2026, and is not personal migration advice. Fees and requirements published by the Department of Home Affairs change. Complex circumstances should be discussed with a registered migration agent. Immigrad, MARN 1805710.