Securing permanent residency in Australia is a significant milestone. By applying for and obtaining a permanent visa, individuals gain the right to reside in Australia indefinitely. The most common pathways to this status are through Family Visas and Skilled Work Visas.

Upon receiving your visa, as an Australian permanent resident, you are entitled to return to Australia after traveling abroad, provided the travel facility on your visa remains valid. It’s important to note that, currently, there is no automatic right of re-entry to Australia.

Becoming an Australian citizen is a possibility once you meet specific criteria, such as holding a permanent visa and residing in Australia for a designated period as mandated by the authorities.

Advantages of Holding an Australian Permanent Resident Visa

While there are differences between being an Australian citizen and a permanent resident, the latter status comes with a host of benefits:

✔ Unrestricted Residency: Enjoy the freedom to live in Australia without time limits.

✔ Employment and Education: Work and study opportunities are available across the country.

✔ Healthcare Access: Enroll in the Australian National Health Scheme for comprehensive medical care.

✔ Property Ownership: Apply for bank loans to purchase property in Australia.

✔ Family Sponsorship: Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residency in Australia.

✔ Pathway to Citizenship: If eligible, apply for Australian citizenship.

✔ New Zealand Work Rights: Permanent residents can live and work in New Zealand.

✔ Travel Flexibility: Travel to and from Australia, as allowed by your visa’s travel facility.

✔ Language Support: Access free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program.

✔ Government Services: You may qualify for additional government services.

Understanding the Limitations of Permanent Residency

While Australian permanent residency offers numerous benefits, there are some limitations compared to full citizenship:

✔ No Australian Passport: Permanent residents cannot hold an Australian passport.

✔ Limited Financial Aid: You won’t have access to student loans.

✔ Voting Restrictions: Permanent residents generally cannot vote in federal elections unless they were eligible British subjects before 26 January 1984.

✔ Military Service: Joining the Australian Defence Force is not permitted.

✔ Restricted Re-entry: Returning to Australia after traveling abroad requires a valid travel facility on your visa.

✔ Government Employment: Permanent residents may face restrictions on obtaining ongoing work with the Australian government.

If you are a permanent visa holder living outside Australia, your eligibility may be affected. It’s crucial to stay informed about your rights and obligations by consulting the appropriate government departments.

Travel Facility on the Australian PR Visa

Upon receiving your initial permanent visa, you’re typically granted a 5-year travel facility. This allows you to re-enter or leave Australia as many times as you wish during those 5 years, starting from the date the visa was granted. However, once the 5-year travel facility expires, you’ll need to take further action to maintain your ability to travel:

✔ Australian Citizenship: If you wish to continue traveling as an Australian citizen, you must apply for and be granted citizenship.

✔ Resident Return Visa (RRV): To re-enter Australia as a permanent resident after the travel facility expires, you’ll need to apply for an RRV.

Entering Australia on a temporary visa after your PR visa’s travel facility has expired can negatively impact your permanent resident status.

Travel Facility Expiry Reminder (TFER) Service

The Travel Facility Expiry Reminder (TFER) service is designed to notify permanent residents 60 days before their travel facility on a permanent visa is set to expire. Currently, this service is available only for visa holders of the following subclasses:

✔ Partner Visa: Subclass 199

✔ Resident Return Visa: Subclass 155

✔ Partner Visa: Subclass 801 & 199

✔ Skilled Sponsored Visa: Subclass 170

✔ Employer Nomination Scheme: Subclass 186

✔ Skilled Independent Visa: Subclass 189

These reminders are sent via email to visa holders who have no pending RRV applications and whose personal email addresses are recorded in the system. For dependents without a recorded email, the primary applicant’s email address will be used.

Resident Return Visa (RRV)

If your travel facility on a permanent visa has expired, or is about to expire while you’re outside Australia, and you wish to return as a permanent resident, you’ll need to apply for an RRV (subclass 155 or 157). This also applies if you are a former Australian permanent resident whose last visa wasn’t canceled, or a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced their citizenship.

Your permanent resident status is only reinstated once the RRV application is granted. If your application is refused, you may need to apply for another permanent visa, such as a former resident visa, skilled visa, or family visa.

It’s crucial to apply for an RRV in a timely manner, and if refused, consider reapplying or exploring other permanent visa options.

Authority to Return or Return Endorsement

If you migrated to Australia before 1987 and travelled outside the country between 1st March 1976 and 31st December 1986, your passport likely bears a wet stamp, proving you held either:

✔ Authority to Return

✔ Return Endorsement

These were the original forms of return documentation for Australian permanent residents. If you held one of these documents before 1st September 1994, you were automatically granted a transitional (permanent) visa on that date.

This document allows you to travel to and enter Australia within 3 years of each departure, with the right to remain indefinitely. It remains valid if:

✔ It hasn’t been cancelled.

✔ You haven’t become an Australian citizen.

✔ You haven’t been granted any other substantive visa since 1st September 1994 (with certain exceptions).

If you returned to Australia within 3 years of each departure, this document continues to be valid. For further details, consult the official Home Affairs website.

Australian PR Visa Application Process

Step 1: Check Eligibility and Occupation

✔ Verify that you meet the eligibility requirements.
✔ Ensure your occupation is on the list of in-demand occupations.
✔ Review the points table to confirm you meet the required points.

Step 2: English Proficiency Test

✔ Take an English proficiency test accepted by Australian immigration authorities (e.g., PTE, IELTS, TOEFL).

Step 3: Skills Assessment

✔ Obtain a skills assessment from the relevant authority, evaluating your skills, work experience, and education against Australian standards.

Step 4: Register on SkillSelect

✔ Register your Expression of Interest (EOI) on the SkillSelect website.
✔ Complete the online form and respond to questions based on your visa subclass:

• Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
• Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
• Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)

Step 5: Receive Invitation to Apply

✔ Await an invitation to apply for the PR visa if your EOI meets all requirements.

Step 6: Submit PR Application

✔ Submit your PR application within 60 days, including all required supporting documents (personal, work experience, and immigration documents).

Step 7: Submit Police and Medical Clearance

✔ Provide the necessary police and medical clearance certificates.

Step 8: Receive PR Visa

✔ Obtain your PR visa.

Permanent Residence Proof

To prove your status as a permanent resident, use VEVO for:

✔ Emailing or printing out your status.
✔ Granting permission for an organization or government agency to perform a VEVO check.

This can be done as long as the visa remains linked with your passport or ImmiCard. Access to your VEVO record depends on whether your most recent entry to Australia was before or after 1990.

Before 1990:

✔ If you arrived before 1990 and haven’t traveled overseas since, your record may not exist.
✔ To request your electronic visa record, you need to provide identity documents, evidence of arrival in Australia, and details of a valid passport.
✔ If you don’t have a passport and cannot obtain one, you might be eligible for an ImmiCard.
✔ You can access your VEVO account once the visa is recorded in the system and your passport or ImmiCard is linked with the visa.

After 1990:

✔ Your VEVO visa record remains linked with your passport.
✔ If your passport is renewed, provide the new passport details to the authorities to link the visa with your new passport. Only then will you be able to access your VEVO record.

Visa options

One can become a permanent resident of Australia in varied ways. There exist three ways to do the same, and they are discussed below,

1. Family Stream Permanent Visa:

✔ For children, parents, partners, or dependent relatives of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
✔ For adopted children or children in the process of adoption outside Australia.
✔ For carers needed to move to Australia to provide long-term care for an approved relative.

2. Business or Investor Stream Permanent Visa:

✔ For those interested in permanent visa options based on investment or business requirements.

3. Work Stream Permanent Visa:

✔ For workers with an Australian employer ready to sponsor them or those with skills that Australia values.

4. Others:

✔ Retirement Visa Pathway: For eligible retirees, providing an option for long-term residents well established in their community.
✔ Former Resident Visa
✔ Global Talent Visa: For individuals with an internationally recognized record of outstanding and exceptional achievement.
✔ Humanitarian and Refugee Visa: For those who have left their country due to persecution.

Points Requirement for Australian PR Visa

To qualify for an Australian PR visa, you need to score at least 65 points on the Points Grid.

✔ Ages between 25 to 32 years: 30 points
✔ English proficiency (8 bands): 20 points
✔ Work experience outside Australia (8 to 10 years): 15 points
✔ Work experience in Australia (8 to 10 years): 20 points
✔ Education outside Australia (Doctorate Degree): 20 points
✔ Niche skills (Master’s degree or Doctorate degree by research in Australia): 10 points
✔ Studying in a regional area: 5 points
✔ State sponsorship (190 visa): 5 points
✔ Professional year within the skilled program in Australia: 5 points
✔ Accredited within community language: 5 points
✔ Skilled spouse or de facto partner: 10 points
✔ Spouse or de facto partner competent in English: 5 points
✔ Applicant without a spouse or where the spouse is an Australian citizen or PR holder: 10 points
✔ Relative or regional sponsorship (491 visa): 15 points

Meeting these requirements makes it easier to obtain an Australian PR visa. While the process may seem manageable, handling all visa requirements can be complex. It’s advisable to hire a professional to help navigate the process and increase your chances of obtaining the PR visa without delays due to missing documents or unmet requirements.