Resident Return Visa Online Application
System outages and offline periods 28 June to 1 July 2013
The department’s eLodgement systems will be offline for system upgrades from 28 June 2013 and may not be available again until 1 July 2013. Clients planning to apply online for any Australian visa, prior to the introduction of new visa pricing and policies on 1 July, are encouraged to lodge and pay for their application before 9 pm (AEST) on 28 June. Clients will not be able to lodge online visa applications while the systems are offline. If a client does not lodge their visa application prior to 1 July 2013, they will be subject to the new visa pricing arrangements.
More information on system outage timings are posted on the department's website Planned system maintenance and technical issues.
On this page
Before you start
Before you continue you should read all the information about the Resident Return visa.
See:
Returning Residents
Return Documents for Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents
Australian permanent residents can also check their eligibility and apply for Australian citizenship.
See: Applying for Citizenship
Online applications can be made using a computer with an internet connection.
To apply online your browser must support 128 bit encryption. You can check your browser if you experience problems connecting to these services.
See:
Online Services – Browser Requirements
eVisa FAQ
Transaction Reference Number
A Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is a unique number assigned to each online application. It is important that you record this number as it is used to:
- identify your application when you communicate with the department
- access information about the progress of your online application.
Start an application
You are encouraged to complete your application with as much information as possible at time of lodgement. Applications with missing information may take longer to finalise.
Important: When completing the online application you must avoid copying and pasting bullet points, numbering, accents etc from formatted documents into the free text fields. Only use numbers 0 – 9 and letters A – Z (upper and lower case), dashes '-' and underscores '_'
| Location | Related information | See |
|---|---|---|
| Outside or in Australia | For Australian permanent residents. Note: You are not able to apply online if you are a former Australian permanent resident or former Australian citizen. |
Start your Application |
Continue a saved application
| Location | Related information | See |
|---|---|---|
| Outside or in Australia | You will need to use your Saved Application ID and password. | Continue a Saved Application |
To complete an application you may be required to attach supporting documentation.
See: Attaching Documents to a Resident Return Visa Application
Check the progress of your lodged application
| Location | Related information | See |
|---|---|---|
| Outside or in Australia |
You will need to use your Transaction Reference Number (TRN). Singapore and German citizens may experience problems checking on the progress of their application through the department's query application status facility. |
Resident Return visa label requirements
Australia does not require you to have a Resident Return visa label or stamp in your passport to remain in or enter Australia. However, if you are travelling through other countries, you may be required by those countries to have an Australian visa label or stamp in your passport.
A visa label may be obtained by attending any office of the department with your current passport, or by sending in your passport by registered post to your nearest office.
See: Form 1405 – Visa label request and payment ( 83KB PDF file)
Obtaining evidence of your Resident Return visa will incur a charge.
See: Visa Evidence Charge
Your visa is linked electronically to the passport details provided in your visa application. You can view your visa online using Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). VEVO is a free internet service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It allows you, and your employer or education provider, to view your visa details online.
See: Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)
Help
If you are experiencing difficulty with the application, most fields have help that can be accessed by clicking on the 
symbol.
Before you ask for additional help about this visa, you should read all the available web content and the visa information form.
See: Resident Return FAQ
If you have read all of the available information, and you still require help, contact us with your enquiry.
See: Resident Return Visas Enquiry Form