Returning Resident Visa Australia
Consider this: You are a non-citizen but permanent resident in Australia and plan to leave the country for a couple of weeks. When returning to Australia, you are stopped at the airport and not allowed to enter Australia…
In situations like this you require a Returning Resident Visa that helps non-citizens yet permanent residents in Australia to return to the country or former Australian citizens to come back to their native country.
Remember, only Australian citizens have direct entry to the country. If your current Returning Residents Visa – a kind of a permanent visa – expires when you return to Australia, you must renew your visa before leaving the country so that you have no hassles while returning.
What can you do with Returning Resident Visa?
You can stay permanently for an indefinite amount of time if you have a Returning Resident Visa. Non-citizens or former citizens can also travel in and out of Australia as many times as they want if they have this permanent visa.
Type of Returning Resident Visa and its Eligibility
There are different types of Returning Resident Visa that are classified under subclass. For instance:
1. Former Resident Visa – Also known as the Resident visa, subclass 151, this visa can be given to a person who meets the eligibility criteria for a Long Residence applicant or a Defense Service applicant.
Long Residence applicant – If you are of this category, you must:
Spend at least 9 out of 18 years in Australia as a permanent resident.Be less than 45 years of age and not become an Australian citizen earlier.Maintain useful ties, such as cultural or business activities with the country. Pursuing business interest could be one of them
Defense Service applicant – If you are of this category, you must:
Complete not less than 3 months service in Australian Defence.
If you are applying for Returning Resident Visa within Australia, you must:
Hold a current substantive visa, but not Transit (subclass 771) visa.
Apply for substantive visa within 1 year at the lapse of the earlier visa.
Undergo a health examination.Meet character requirements.
Meet functional English language skills.
Clear outstanding debts to the Australian Government.
2. Resident Return Visa -- Resident Return Visa (subclass 155) is a 5-year Resident Return Visa while Resident Return Visa (subclass 157) is a 3-year Resident Return Visa. If the criteria do not meet subclass 155, then subclass 157 is assessed.
Depending on the length or duration of the visa, the eligibility criteria is as follows:
1. For 5 –year visa, you must spend at least 2 years of the last 5 years in Australia as a permanent resident.
2. For 1 year visa, you must fall under any of the following categories:
Hold a permanent visa –
You must prove that your services can provide some benefits to Australia.f you were absent from Australia for the last 5 years or more, you must state compelling reasons to do so.
Do not hold a permanent visa –
You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia for less than 10 years when you applied for the visa.You must prove that your services can provide some benefits to Australia.If you were absent from Australia for the last 5 years or more, you must state some compelling reasons to do so.
3. For 3 month visa, you must fulfill the following conditions:
Spend at least one day legally in Australia.Spend less than 2 years in Australia.Be a permanent resident or a citizen of Australia while staying in the country.Provide substantial reason for leaving Australia.
4. For a maximum 1 year visa, you must fulfill the following conditions:
You can take up a Resident Return visa if you have a family member who has a Resident Return visa, in case you do not fulfill any of the aforesaid conditions. In such a visa also, the maximum visa granted is only for one year.
Who cannot apply for Returning Resident Visa?
You cannot apply for Returning Resident Visa if you have:
A recent permanent visa that has been cancelled, such as:
Business Owner visa (subclass 127 and subclass 840)Senior Executive visa (subclass 128 and subclass 841)State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner visa (subclass 129 and subclass 842)State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive visa (subclass 130 and subclass 843)Investment-Linked visa (subclass 131 and subclass 844)Business Talent visa (subclass 132)
Expenses
There is a processing fee for getting Returning Resident Visa, which depends from the type of visa you want to apply. However, note the following:
The application fee will not be refunded if you want to cancel the visa application.5-Year Resident Visa for subclass 155 will be around 400 AUD.Former Resident Visa for subclass 151 will be around 2000 AUD for 1st Installment and applicable to those who are stationed outside Australia.Former Resident Visa for subclass 151 will be around 3000 AUD for 1st Installment and applicable to those who are stationed in Australia.Former Resident Visa for subclass 151 will be around 4000 AUD for 2nd Installment.
How to Apply for this Visa?
To apply for Returning Resident Visa, you need to:
Read through the Application Checklist that has information on supporting documents and eligibility conditions for getting the Returning Visa. Address issues related to translation of documents, certification of the necessary credentials, and the help of migration agents to communicate with the department which provides the visa.
Find out if you can apply online. If so, you have to simple follow the instructions to apply for the same. However, you may require to post your application form as online submission would not be applicable to you if you are: A former citizen of Australia
A former permanent resident of AustraliaStationed outside Australia Attend an interview session if required to complete the visa application formalities.
…And, if your application is rejected, you can still apply for a review application for a re-examination of the application.
