Eligibility
If you do not meet the requirements for a five (5) year Resident Return visa, your application will be assessed against the criteria for a three (3) month Resident Return visa.
Five year resident return visa
To be eligible for a five (5) year Resident Return visa you must be one of the following:
- an Australian permanent resident
- a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled
- a former Australian Citizen who lost or renounced their citizenship.
You are not eligible for this visa if your most recent permanent visa was one of the following Business Skills visa and it has been cancelled, or is subject to a notice of intention to cancel:
- Business Owner visa (Subclasses 127 and 840)
- Senior Executive Visa (Subclasses 128 and 841)
- State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner Visa (Subclasses 129 and 842)
- State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive Visa (Subclasses 130 and 843)
- Investment-Linked Visa (Subclasses 131 and 844)
- Business Talent Visa (Subclass 132).
You must also meet one of the following eligibility requirements.
| Eligibility Requirement | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Residence requirement | You must have spent two (2) of the last five (5) years in Australia as a permanent resident. |
| Substantial ties and compelling reasons for absence | You can provide evidence of substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefit to Australia, and If you have been absent for more than five (5) years, you are able to provide evidence of compelling reasons for your absence. |
| Member of a family unit | You are the immediate family member of a Resident Return Visa holder. |
Three month resident return visa
To meet the eligibility requirement for a three (3) month Resident Return visa you must have:
- spent less than two (2) of the last five (5) years in Australia as a permanent resident
- had compelling and compassionate reasons for departing Australia and for any absence from Australia of more than three (3) months.