- Home
- About us
- Visas and migration
- Travelling to Australia
- Services for Australians
- Doing business with Australia
- Study in Australia
- Bilateral cooperation
- Media
- About Australia
- Australia- Thailand relationship
- Events
Resident Return Visa questions
Should I apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV)?
You should apply for an RRV if:
• you are a non-citizen permanent resident (or were a permanent resident but have lost that status and your last permanent visa was not cancelled); or
• you want to leave and return to Australia as a permanent resident; and
• you might not return to Australia within the validity period of your current return visa; and
• you think you meet criteria for an RRV.
You need not wait for your visa to expire before applying for a new one. You should check your eligibility for a new visa well before your existing visa expires in case there have been changes to eligibility requirements.
If you think your current visa may expire while you are out of Australia, it is advisable to obtain a new RRV before you leave, although you may apply at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.
What are the eligibility criteria for an RRV?
An RRV allows a permanent resident to return to Australia within a period of either 3 months or 5 years. The requirements to be met to be eligible for a grant of a RRV are that:
• you have a valid permanent visa; or
• you have held a permanent visa in the past and your last permanent visa was not cancelled; or
• you were an Australian citizen but you are no longer an Australian citizen.
See: DIAC website for further information about Resident Return Visa
What about family members?
You may be eligible for an RRV because you are the spouse, dependent child/relative of a person who has been, or will be, granted an RRV (whether you apply at the same time or later than the family member).
If you are granted an RRV on the basis of being the family unit member of an RRV holder, your visa will have the same validity as that of the family head.
What if I am unable to prove that I am a permanent resident?
If you are overseas, unable to prove your status but need to return to Australia urgently, you may be eligible for a provisional RRV. On return to Australia you will need to apply to regain your permanent status within three months. If you do not, you will become an unlawful non-citizen liable to detention and removal from Australia.
A provisional RRV may be granted if you meet all of the following requirements:
• you are outside Australia; and
• you are unable to prove that, when you last left Australia, you were an Australian citizen or permanent resident; and
• you are not currently an Australian citizen; and
• if you could prove your claims, you would meet the criteria for either the 3 month or 5 year RRV; and
• there are reasonable grounds for believing your claims can be proved; and
• you have urgent and compelling reasons to travel to Australia before you can substantiate your claims.
Can I obtain a re-evidence of a return visa label?
Yes. For a certain charge, you can obtain a new visa label to put in another passport providing you have not become an Australian citizen. For example, the passport containing your original documentation may have expired, been lost, stolen or mutilated, or no longer applies to you because you used to be on a family passport but now you have your own.
As there is a charge for this service, you should consider whether you need a replacement label. For example:
• you might prefer to apply for a new 5 year RRV rather than re-evidence the balance of your old RRV; or
• if your visa label is in a passport which has expired, you can continue to use the old visa label until it expires by carrying both your old and new passports when travelling.
people our business