Resident Return Visa

Australian citizens and Australian residents are two different statuses. When it comes to entering Australia, only Australian citizens have the automatic right for entry. If you are not yet an Australian citizen but holding a permanent visa, you gain the right to stay and live in Australia as long as you wish, however, when you go out of Australia to travel, you need a return visa to be able to enter in Australia again.

A Resident Return Visa (RRV) is a visa being issued by Australian Immigration to permanent residents, former residents, and former Australian citizens so they can enter and return to Australia. In other words, RRV serves as a re-entry visa that allows the holder to go out of Australia to travel to another country and permits to enter again in Australia’s migration zone.

Resident Return Visa Validity Period

When you go out of Australia, Resident Return Visa allows you to renew or maintain your status as an Australian permanent resident. If you are holding a permanent visa and it is about to expire before your schedule to go out of Australia, there is a need for you to apply for visa renewal first before you leave. When you get hold of your RRV, check its validity period. As long as you are still in the bounds of the validity period, you can leave Australia to travel and enter again as often as you want.

Resident Return Visa Classification

Return Resident Visa has two classifications based from its validity period—the subclass 155 and subclass 157. Subclass 155 has a validity period of five years. To be able to qualify for subclass 155, you must be a permanent resident of Australia for at least two years of the last five years. If you are not qualified for subclass 155, you will be assessed for subclass 157. Subclass 157 has a validity period of three months. In some cases, RRV can have a validity period of one year.

Resident Return Visa Application

Applying for Resident Return Visa may be done online, in person, or through post. Your application will be processed right away from there. Shall there be an interview; you will be notified through writing. Similarly, if the assessment requires you to submit additional documents, assure to submit right away to avoid delay in your application, though application with requests for additional requirements would really take more time to process. Whether approved or not, you will be notified of the status of your application of Return Resident Visa.