Permanent residents urged to check visa conditions before overseas travel 

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs reminds permanent residents to verify their visa conditions and rights before travelling overseas. It is to avoid the risk of being stranded abroad due to expired travel rights.  All Australian permanent residents planning travel overseas should check the expiration date of their visa’s travel authority. This applies to those who are holding permanent residency visas such as the subclass 189, 190, or 186 visas.  

Travel facility on a permanent visa 

Many Australian permanent residents may not realise the 5-year travel facility, which allows them to leave and re-enter Australia as many times as they like from the date of permanent visa was granted, as long as the visa remains valid.   

The travel facility will expire after 5 years, in this case, permanent residents will need to consider applying for and being granted either: 

1. Resident Return visa – if re-entering Australia as a permanent resident 
2. Australian citizenship – if wishing to travel as an Australian citizen 

To ensure compliance and avoid disruption, permanent residents should: 

• Check their visa status and expiration date via the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). 

• Apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) if their current visa’s travel facility has expired or is nearing expiration. The RRV allows permanent residents to maintain their re-entry rights to Australia. 

Travel Facility Expiry Reminder 

The Travel Facility Expiry Reminder (TFER) service aims to remind certain permanent residents about travel facilities on the permanent visa expire in 60 days for those who do not have a pending RRV application and have personal email addresses recorded in the Department of Home Affairs system. 

Resident Return Visa  

The Resident Return Visa (RRV) is designed for permanent residents who leave Australia after travel validity expires, or it expires when outside Australia. It enables a former Australian permanent resident whose last permanent visa was not cancelled and a former Australian citizen who lost or renounced citizenship to re-enter Australia. There are two streams of RRV: Subclass 155 (for those with a recent history of residency in Australia) and Subclass 157 (for individuals who have been outside Australia for a prolonged period). 

To avoid unnecessary travel disruptions and being stranded overseas, Australian permanent residents are encouraged to check the travel facility before travelling overseas by using VEVO or other relevant resources to verify their visa details and, if necessary, apply for an RRV in advance. 

For more information and to verify visa status, visit the Department of Home Affairs. 

For further details and to schedule a consultation with one of our experts, please contact us at aisupport@absoluteimmigration.com.