Apply for your Resident Return visa (subclass 155)

A Resident Return Visa enables you to travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want until the travel validity expires.

Before you start your application, please answer some eligibility questions to make sure that this visa is the right choice for you and that you can use our online service.

In order to be eligible for a Resident Return visa you must be either an Australian permanent resident, a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled, or a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced Australian citizenship. Unfortunately, if you are not an Australian permanent resident, you are cannot use our online service offering.

If you want to discuss your situation and possible visa options with a registered migration agent and receive an individual quote for our services, you can book our visa consultation to discuss your case with us.

In order to be eligible for a Resident Return visa with a validity period of 5 years (from the date of visa grant), you must meet the so-called residence requirement. This means that you must have been physically present in Australia for at least 730 days in the 5-year-period prior to your application. These 730 days do not have to be consecutive but can be accumulated over the last 5 years. 

 If you do not meet the residency requirement of having been present in Australia for a period totalling at least 2 years in the last 5 years, you may still be eligible for a Resident Return visa if you can demonstrate substantial ties which are of benefit to Australia. However, please note that our online service offering is only available for applicants who do meet the residency requirement.

If you have been present less than 2 out of the last 5 years and want to discuss your situation with a registered migration agent and receive an individual quote for our services, you can book our visa consultation to discuss your case with us.

Please note that our online service offering is only available for applicants who don't have any criminal convictions or charges.

Since details of convictions and offences must be disclosed in the visa application, these cases can be more complex depending and require therefore a thorough individual assessment and personal consultation.

If you want to discuss your situation with a registered migration agent and receive an individual quote for our services, you can book our visa consultation to discuss your case with us.

Ready to start!

The online questionnaire for a Resident Visa consits of four different parts:

	Personal details: contact details, passport data and identity documents
	Character questions and criminal convictions
	Formal declarations

Just click on 'next' and start the online questionnaire where you can provide all required details for the Resident Return visa application. All you need at this stage is a valid passport and (if available) details of other ID documents, like birth certificate or marriage certificate. We will then review your details and contact you if any other documents should be required.

You can save the online form at any stage and continue later if you wish. Just click on 'Save and continue' at the bottom of the page. You will then receive an email containing a link to your saved questionnaire. Your entries will be saved for 30 days.

Please note before you proceed: We are not the Australian Department of Home Affairs and not affiliated with it in any way. As Migration Agency we are an independent service provider acting on your behalf. If you have any questions about us our our service, don't hesitate to contact us.

Your location

You can apply for your Resident Return visa while you are inside or outside of Australia and also leave Australia while your visa application is being processed. However, please note:

• In order to have the right to return, your Resident Return visa must have been granted;
• If you are planning to apply for citizenship or if you have a pending citizenship application, please be aware that leaving Australia without a valid Resident Return visa may impact your eligibility.

If your current visa is already expired, please note: If you have already passed immigration clearance at the airport or are currently outside of Australia, your application for a Resident Return visa needs to be granted while you are outside of Australia.

Visa applicant's passport details

A current and valid passport or travel document is required to apply for a Resident Return visa and as proof of the visa applicant's identity. The visa will then be electronically linked to this passport.

You can simply upload a photo or colour scan of the passport's data page (that's the page containing your picture). You can simply use your smartphone camera to take a picture of the passport. Alternatively, you can send us the photo or scan of the passport later by email.

An Australian visa is electronically linked to the visa holder's passport number and one's passport details have to be updated actively after a new passport has been issued.

If you have not yet used your current passport for travelling internationally, it may be that your passport details have not been updated with the Department of Home Affairs. Therefore, if you have the details of the passport you used when entering Australia the last time at hand, we would kindly ask you to provide them as well as this helps to verify your visa status and eligibility. 

Providing these details facilitates a faster and smother processing of your visa application.

Personal details and identity documents

Now we need some basic personal details and details of other identity documents.

If you have changed your name and not notified the Department of Home Affairs of your change of name yet, you have to provide formal evidence (e.g. a copy of your marriage certificate) with your visa application in order to have this name change recorded in the Department's system and avoid problems upon arrival in Australia.

Please send us a copy of this document.

For data security reasons, we advise against sending identity documents by email and offer a secure upload function in our online form for this purpose.

However, if you wish to send us your documents by email, please send them to the following email address: 

support@visapath.com.au

Please ensure legibility.

Please note that we cannot lodge your application for a Resident Return Visa until we have received all required details and documents. 

Character questions and criminal convictions

This section contains questions concerning criminal charges, convictions and service in police or military forces. Please read all of the following questions carefully and answer them truthfully.

Criminal offences, charges and convictions have to be disclosed in a visa application. This includes, for example, traffic offences that went to court, spent convictions and suspended sentences.The Department may request a National Police Check if their records indicate any previous convictions or charges or if it is deemed relevant for assessment of the application. Not disclosing criminal charges and convictions as well as giving false, incomplete or misleading information in a visa application is a serious offence and can result in a visa refusal or even a cancellation, depending on the case.

If you are unsure whether or not there are any convictions or charges recorded, we strongly recommend applying for an Australian Federal Police Check first. Addressing character related issues and undisclosed conviction and/or charges is not part of this online service offering. So if in doubt whether or not something has to be disclosed, please contact us to clarify this matter before booking our service as we may terminate the contract and cease representation in case of undisclosed character related aspects.

Since you have answered 'Yes' to one of the questions above, our online service offering is not available in your particular case, as outlined at the beginning of this questionnaire.

Details in relation to convictions, charges and offences must be disclosed in the visa application. Failure to do so can cause significant problems and even result in a visa refusal or cancellation. Consequently, these applications are more complex and require a thorough individual assessment and personal consultation.

If you want to discuss your situation with a registered migration agent and receive an individual quote for our services, you can book our visa consultation to discuss your case with us.

Please read the following questions carefully:

• Have you ever been directly or indirectly involved in, or associated with, activities which would represent a risk to national security in Australia or any other country?
• Have you ever been charged with, or indicted for: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, slavery, or any other crime that is otherwise of a serious international concern?
• Have you ever been associated with a person, group or organisation that has been or is involved in criminal conduct?
• Have you ever been associated with an organisation engaged in violence or engaged in acts of violence (including war, insurgency, freedom fighting, terrorism, protest) either overseas or in Australia?
• Have you ever been involved in people smuggling or people trafficking offences?

Since you have tp answer 'Yes' to one or more of the questions above, our online service offering is not available in your particular case, as outlined at the beginning of this questionnaire.

Details in relation to matters of national security must be disclosed in the visa application. Failure to do so can cause significant problems and even result in a visa refusal or cancellation. Consequently, these applications are more complex and require a thorough individual assessment and personal consultation.

If you want to discuss your situation with a registered migration agent and receive an individual quote for our services, you can book our visa consultation to discuss your case with us.

Important note:

You have served in a military force, police force or similar but stated that you have not been trained using weapons.

Please note that this questions includes basic training as well. We would therefore ask you to check your answer. A brief indication of the type of the completed training is perfectly sufficient.   

Formal declarations and confirmations

Finally, there are only some official declarations and confirmations left. Please read the following statements carefully.

I declare that:

• the information provided in this form is complete, correct and up-to-date.
• I understand that if any fraudulent documents or false or misleading information has been provided with this application or if I fail to satisfy the Minister of my identity, my application may be refused and I, and any member of my family unit, may become unable to be granted a visa for a specified period of time.
• I understand that if documents are found to be fraudulent or information to be incorrect after the grant of a visa, the visa may subsequently be cancelled.
• I understand that if this application is approved, any person not included in this application will not have automatic right of entry to Australia.

Please download and read the Privacy Notice of the Australian Department of Home Affairs:

Privacy Notice Form 1442i

Note:

You have answered 'No' in at least one of the declarations above. Unfortunately, this means that we are not able to process your visa application further.