Resident Return Visa Checklist – Australia Migration Visa

If you leave Australia after your travel validity expires, or it expires when you are outside Australia, you will not be able to return to Australia as a permanent resident. This visa allows you to return as a permanent resident.

With this visa, you can, travel in and out of Australia up to 5 years as many times as you want until the travel validity expires.

Eligibility Criteria,

You must be 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 citizenship.

Resident Return Visa 155 & 157 Checklist

1-9

Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

10. Historical documents

Provide evidence of your permanent residency with your visa application, particularly if you migrated to Australia before 1990. This could include:

the pages of your old expired passport(s), which should include your photo, personal details, passport issue and expiry dates, and evidence of permanent residency wet stamps or printed visa labels
any Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (CERS) issued to you before this product was abolished on 1 June 2016
any separate permanent visa (or permanent entry permit) documentation issued to you overseas before and / or on your arrival in Australia
any historical documentation you have received to this effect from the National Archives of Australia (NAA).

In addition to the above, you should provide a copy of your current passport.

If you migrated to Australia before 1990 and you have no evidence of your permanent residency, you should contact NAA in the first instance and obtain any necessary documentation prior to lodging your application. This includes any international movement records before 1990, and any relevant visa documentation. Failing to do so may result in significant delays in processing your application.

11. Substantial ties and compelling reasons for absence documents

If you do not meet the residence requirement, you must provide documents that show evidence of your substantial ties, which are of benefit to Australia, and

compelling reasons for any absences from Australia of 5 or more continuous years or
if you are outside Australia and were an Australian citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before the application, compelling reasons for any periods of absence that total more than 5 years from the date you last departed Australia

Provide a statement that shows your ties are both substantial and of benefit to Australia. There may be delays in processing your application if you do not attach documents to your application showing that your ties are both substantial and of benefit to Australia.

Examples of documents you can attach are (but not limited to):

Business ties documents

company reports defining your role and authority
business transactions
partnership or joint venture agreements
contracts showing your signature
business or personal records.

Cultural ties documents

publications written by you
contracts
evidence of membership of cultural associations
newspaper articles about you
programs listing your artistic or cultural performances.

Employment ties documents

employment contracts
a letter of offer from an employer
recent official documents such as group certificates and payslips
employee identification or security pass.

Personal ties documents

Substantial personal ties may be of benefit to Australia if the applicant is, or has been, a participating member of the Australian community and economy, and their ties enrich the lives of individual Australian residents and citizens. This may include regarding Australia as home or having an intention to reside in Australia.

Proving substantial personal ties to Australia
Example situation	Example documents
You have a history of long-term residence in Australia, spent your formative years in Australia or have spent a significant amount of time in Australia since first being granted a permanent visa.	Utility bills, bank statements, travel record, permanent visa decision, school records
You have an Australian citizen partner or, in the case of a minor child, Australian citizen parent, who has previously lived in Australia.	Copies of birth certificates, marriage or citizenship certificates of partners and children Evidence of continuing relationship with Australian citizen partner
You have one or more Australian citizen minor children living in Australia (including at boarding school) where no legal impediment to access exists.	School reports, proof of residence of family home
You are returning to Australia after living overseas with your family unit, including Australian citizen minor children.	Plane tickets, property purchase documents, school enrolments, moving receipts

Compelling reasons for absence

If you are outside Australia when you apply, and

you hold a permanent visa, or last departed Australia as a permanent resident or citizen (but subsequently lost that citizenship) – you must have compelling reasons for any absence(s) from Australia of more than 5 continuous years immediately before the date of your application;
you were an Australian citizen or permanent resident less than 10 years before you applied for a RRV – you must have compelling reasons for any absence(s) that amount to 5 years in total between the date you departed Australia as a citizen or permanent resident and the date of application.

You are not eligible for an RRV if you are outside Australia when you apply and you were not an Australian citizen or permanent resident in the 10 years immediately before the application unless either of the above applies to you.

If you are in Australia when you apply

you must have compelling reasons for any absence of more than 5 continuous years since the grant of your most recent permanent visa, or since you ceased to be an Australian citizen.

Your reasons should include any elements which you thought were compelling at the time. Although not mandatory, you should indicate how the compelling reasons for your absence link to the entirety of your absence from Australia. This could be done by a statement explaining the circumstances of your absence(s). Attach other documents showing your compelling reasons for absence(s) from Australia to your application, or there may be delays in processing your application. Examples of documents you can attach are (but not limited to):

severe illness or death of an overseas family member,
work or study commitments by the applicant or the applicant’s partner,
the applicant is living overseas in an ongoing relationship with a partner, or has minor children,
the applicant or the applicant’s accompanying family members have been receiving complex or lengthy medical treatment,
the applicant has been involved in legal proceedings overseas and the timing was beyond the applicant’s control,
the applicant has been caught up in a natural disaster, political uprising, pandemic, or other similar event preventing them from travel.

It will take us longer to process your application if we need to ask you for more documents. We may still, however, make a decision on your application based on any available information without requesting any additional information from you. As such, it is very important that you read all information on the website, and provide a complete application at the time of lodgement.

Documents required because you are a member of the family unit of a person who holds this visa

For married couples, provide the marriage certificate.

For de facto relationships, provide either:

evidence that your relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory,
enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply.

For both married and de facto applicants, you must provide evidence that you are in a genuine and continuing relationship. Evidence can include but is not limited to:

joint bank account statements,
billing accounts in joint names,
joint leases or mortgages,
documents that show your partner has lived at the same address as you.

For children under 18 years old, provide:

copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents,
copies of the adoption paper, if applicable.

15. Pay your debts to the Australian Government, Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

16. Best interests of the child, if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

17. Not had a visa cancelled or an application refused , Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

18. Dependants under 18 documents , if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

19. Dependants over 18 documents , if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

20. Proof of dependency, Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

21. Parental responsibility documents , if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

23. Prepare Documents , Please refer to our General Checklist here

https://dlegal.com.au/articles/migration/checklists/general-checklist/

Eligibility Criteria,

Resident Return Visa 155 & 157 Checklist

1-9

Please refer to our General Checklist here

10.

Historical documents

11.

Substantial ties and compelling reasons for absence documents

Business ties documents

Cultural ties documents

Employment ties documents

Personal ties documents

Proving substantial personal ties to Australia

Example situation

Example documents

Compelling reasons for absence

Documents required because you are a member of the family unit of a person who holds this visa

12.

Health documents, Please refer to our General Checklist here

13.

Character documents , Please refer to our General Checklist here

14.

Adequate health insurance, Please refer to our General Checklist here

15.

Pay your debts to the Australian Government, Please refer to our General Checklist here

16.

Best interests of the child, if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

17.

Not had a visa cancelled or an application refused , Please refer to our General Checklist here

18.

Dependants under 18 documents , if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

19.

Dependants over 18 documents , if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

20.

Proof of dependency, Please refer to our General Checklist here

21.

Parental responsibility documents , if applicable, Please refer to our General Checklist here

23.

Prepare Documents , Please refer to our General Checklist here

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