Resident Return Visa (155/157) and Travel Facility
One of the most common misunderstandings about a permanent visa (Permanent Resident — PR) in Australia is thinking that “permanent” means “free to come and go forever”. In reality it does not. A PR visa comes with a right to re-enter Australia (travel facility) — that is, the right to use that visa to come back into Australia — and this right has its own time limit, even while your permanent resident status continues. When the travel facility expires, the tool to restore your right to return to Australia as a PR is the Resident Return Visa (RRV), subclass 155 or 157. Understanding these two concepts correctly can save you from being stranded overseas with no way back in.
What the travel facility is for
When you are granted PR, your visa includes a travel facility — this is the part that allows you to leave Australia and return as a permanent resident. The key point to grasp: PR status and the travel facility are two different things.
- While the travel facility is current, you can leave Australia and return normally.
- When the travel facility expires while you are in Australia, you remain a permanent resident — PR status is not automatically lost.
- But if the travel facility has expired and you leave Australia, you will no longer be able to use that PR visa to re-enter. At that point you need an RRV to return.
In other words, an expired travel facility does not take away your PR status while you are inside the country — but it takes away your ability to return if you have already gone overseas.
What the Resident Return Visa (RRV) is for
The RRV is a visa that restores the ability to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident after a PR travel facility has expired (or is about to expire). There are two main subclasses:
- Subclass 155: for permanent residents who have actually resided in Australia for a certain period beforehand. This is the usual path for people who still live mainly in Australia.
- Subclass 157: for people who do not meet the residence requirement for 155 but can demonstrate substantial ties to Australia, or have compassionate/compelling reasons.
Both serve the same purpose: to allow a person who is already a permanent resident to return to Australia and continue that status.
Who this article is for
This article is useful for any permanent resident who has plans — or the possibility — of leaving Australia: for business, to visit family, to work, or to live overseas for a period. It is especially important for people who have held PR for a long time and have not rechecked the status of their travel facility.
What “substantial ties” to Australia means
If you do not meet the residence requirement for subclass 155, you may still be eligible for subclass 157 if you can demonstrate substantial ties to Australia consistent with permanent resident status. This is a concept assessed case by case, and is more flexible than a fixed formula.
Factors that may be considered include: close family relationships in Australia, business or employment connected with Australia, assets in Australia, or work overseas that serves Australia’s interests. Because this is a circumstance-based assessment, the outcome is not guaranteed — which is why you should rely on the 155 path where you can, rather than falling into a position where you must argue substantial ties.
Why you must check the travel facility BEFORE leaving Australia
The classic dangerous situation plays out like this: a person travels for work or to visit family, does not notice that the travel facility has expired, and then, when they want to return to Australia, discovers they cannot board the plane because they no longer hold a valid re-entry visa. At that point they are forced to lodge an RRV from overseas, and if they do not meet the residence requirement for 155 they must take the substantial-ties path — an uncertain process that can drag on.
The simple way to avoid this: check the expiry date of your travel facility before every trip, rather than waiting until you need it. This check should be a fixed step in the travel planning of every permanent resident.
Fees, processing times and validity
The RRV is a visa application with its own process and fee. According to the official Home Affairs source, the online application charge for subclass 155 is 1,475 AUD, while the paper application charge is 570 AUD. Processing times, as well as the validity of the travel facility that is granted, both change with the rules and from case to case; the residence requirement for subclass 155 is measured in days/periods set by the rules and may change. Because the remaining values fluctuate, when you check the official source, confirm the expected processing time, residence requirement and travel-facility validity that apply to your circumstances.
Common risks
- Confusing PR status (while in Australia) with the ability to re-enter (which needs a current travel facility).
- Leaving Australia when the travel facility has already expired without first obtaining an RRV.
- Living overseas long-term to the point of no longer meeting the residence requirement for 155, then having to rely on the substantial-ties criterion.
Common mistakes
- Assuming “once I have PR I can come and go any time”.
- Not checking the travel-facility expiry date before booking a ticket.
- Leaving everything to the last minute, while overseas, before dealing with it.
When to ask an RMA or the official source
If your travel facility has expired or is about to, if you have lived overseas a lot and are not sure you still meet the residence requirement, or if you need to rely on substantial ties, consult a migration agent registered with OMARA (RMA) or an immigration lawyer and cross-check against the official Department of Home Affairs source before leaving Australia. For complex cases, early advice is much better than crisis management at the airport.
Self-check
- Do I know when the travel facility on my PR visa expires?
- Is the travel facility still valid for my upcoming trip?
- If it has expired, am I eligible for subclass 155, or must I rely on 157?
- Have I checked this BEFORE booking a ticket?
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs — Resident Return visa (subclass 155): conditions, residence requirements, fees and process on the visa-listing/resident-return-visa-155-157 pages of immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. That page also links to information on subclass 157.
PR status and the travel facility are not the same thing. Check your travel-facility expiry date now and before every trip; if it has expired, do not leave Australia until you have sorted out an RRV. For many people, applying for Australian citizenship (when eligible) is the way to remove this worry entirely — but that is a separate choice, to be explored according to your circumstances.