Permanent residence is permanent. The travel facility attached to it is not. That single distinction strands more Australian permanent residents at overseas airports than any other rule in migration law.
Below, we explain what a resident return visa does, who qualifies for the five-year facility, what happens when you fall short, and why the 2026 fee change makes this worth planning rather than leaving to the week before you fly.
What is a resident return visa?
A resident return visa restores your right to leave Australia and return as a permanent resident. It comes in two subclasses: the 155 and the 157.
Your permanent residence continues while you stay in Australia. It does not lapse, and nobody takes it away because a date passed. However, the travel facility attached to your visa is a separate thing, and it usually runs for five years from grant.
Why you need a resident return visa at all
Once the travel facility expires, you can keep living in Australia indefinitely. You can work, study, access Medicare and stay as long as you like.
But the moment you leave, you cannot come back as a permanent resident without a valid facility or a resident return visa. Airlines check this before you reach the gate. Consequently, people discover the problem at a check-in desk in another country, which is the worst possible place to discover it.
Check your travel facility expiry on VEVO today. Not before your next trip — today.
Subclass 155: the standard resident return visa
The 155 is the ordinary pathway. If you have been lawfully in Australia as a permanent resident or Australian citizen for at least two of the last five years, you generally qualify for a five-year travel facility.
The two years do not need to be continuous. Instead, the Department adds up your time in Australia across the five-year window. Therefore, keep a clear record of your departures and returns, because you will need to account for them.
Substantial ties: the fallback when you fall short
Fall short of two years and your resident return visa goes down the substantial ties route instead. A shorter facility — often twelve months — may be granted where you show substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties benefiting Australia.
Where you have been absent for five years or more, you must also show compelling reasons for that absence.
This is an evidence case, not a form. Ties must be demonstrated and quantified, and connected to a benefit to Australia. For example:
- Business ties. Australian company ownership, ABN activity, contracts, employees, tax paid.
- Employment ties. An Australian employer, a role you are returning to, a contract of employment.
- Personal ties. Australian citizen or permanent resident family, property, ongoing commitments.
- Cultural ties. Contribution to Australian institutions, communities or professional bodies.
Asserting the ties is not enough. A resident return visa built on assertion fails. Evidence them.
Subclass 157: the three-month facility
The 157 is the fallback for people who cannot meet the 155 residence or ties requirements. It grants a three-month travel facility only, and it turns on narrow compassionate or compelling grounds.
Three months is not much room. Accordingly, treat the 157 resident return visa as a rescue, not a plan.
Resident return visa cost in 2026
The economics changed sharply this financial year. From 1 July 2026, the charge is AUD $1,475 for both the 155 and the 157.
Previously, the 155 cost $490 and the 157 cost $570. In other words, this is no longer a small administrative fee.
Importantly, the charge is set by your lodgement date. Therefore, timing matters if further indexation is announced.
Why you should apply from inside Australia
You can apply from inside or outside Australia. However, the two positions are not equivalent.
An onshore application gives you time and options. If the Department asks for more evidence about your ties, you can gather it. If the application is refused, you can consider review while remaining lawfully in Australia.
Applying offshore with a flight already booked gives you neither. You are negotiating with a deadline you set yourself. Consequently, the strongest thing most permanent residents can do is apply before they leave.
Citizenship ends the cycle
Australian citizens never apply for a resident return visa again. At $1,475 every five years, plus the evidence-gathering each time, the arithmetic makes itself.
If you meet the residence requirement, citizenship is usually the better investment.
LINK: Australian citizenship post, anchor “Australian citizenship guide”
One warning, though. Time spent overseas on a resident return visa still counts against the citizenship absence limits. A resident return visa protects your re-entry. It does not advance your citizenship application.
The mistakes we see most
- Assuming permanent residence and the travel facility are the same thing. They are not.
- Checking VEVO after booking the flight. Check it now instead.
- Treating a substantial ties case as a form. It is a submission built on documents.
- Leaving it until you are already overseas. Onshore gives you room to fix problems.
- Staying a permanent resident out of inertia. If you qualify for citizenship, price the alternative.
Frequently asked questions about the resident return visa
Does my permanent residence expire?
No. Permanent residence continues while you remain in Australia. Only the travel facility attached to your visa expires, and it usually runs five years from grant.
How long is a resident return visa valid?
The subclass 155 generally grants a five-year travel facility where you meet the two-year residence requirement. A shorter facility, often twelve months, may be granted on substantial ties. The subclass 157 grants three months.
How much does a resident return visa cost in 2026?
From 1 July 2026, the charge is AUD $1,475 for both the 155 and the 157. Previously the figures were $490 and $570 respectively.
What happens if I leave Australia without a valid travel facility?
You cannot board a flight back to Australia as a permanent resident. Airlines verify this at check-in. You would need to apply for a resident return visa from overseas, and approval is not guaranteed.
Can I apply for a resident return visa from overseas?
Yes. However, applying onshore before you travel gives you far more room to respond to requests for evidence, and to consider your options if the application runs into trouble.
Do I still need a resident return visa if I have applied for citizenship?
Yes, if you intend to travel before the citizenship application is decided and your travel facility has expired. Remember also that time overseas counts against the citizenship absence limits.
Speak to a resident return visa lawyer in Parramatta
Ultimately, the hard resident return visa cases are the ties cases. Tolic Lawyers prepares subclass 155 and 157 applications, including the substantial ties submissions where the two-year residence rule is not met.
If your travel facility has expired and you are currently overseas, that is urgent. Contact us today.
Call (02) 8077 2562 or book a consultation. Suite 19/103 George Street, Parramatta NSW 2150.
Written by Arnela Tolic, Principal Solicitor, Tolic Lawyers.
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is current at the date of publication. It is not legal advice, and you must not rely on it as legal advice. Visa application charges rise on 1 July each year, and travel facility periods are set on the individual visa grant. Every matter turns on its own facts — obtain advice specific to your circumstances before acting.
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