The Resident Return Visa After a Partner Visa
A permanent partner visa (801 or 100) carries a travel facility of 5 years from the grant date, and a holder who is not yet a citizen applies for a subclass 155 Resident Return visa, at A$1,475 as at 23 September 2026, to keep returning as a permanent resident.
Your permanent residence does not end when the travel facility does. You only need a Resident Return visa to come back into Australia as a permanent resident after that date. This page was checked against the Home Affairs Resident Return visa page and Schedules 1 and 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) on 23 September 2026.
Do you need a Resident Return visa after a partner visa?
Only if you will leave Australia and want to return as a permanent resident after your travel facility has ended. The Department says that if you are in Australia, your facility has expired and you do not wish to travel, you do not need one. It also warns that coming back on a temporary visa, such as a visitor visa, instead of a Resident Return visa can affect your permanent resident entitlements and your citizenship residence.
When does the travel facility on a subclass 801 or 100 end?
Five years from the date the permanent visa was granted. The Department's 801 and 100 pages both say you can travel "as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa".
| Visa | Granted | Travel facility ends |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 801 | 20 August 2025 | 20 August 2030 |
| Subclass 100 | 1 October 2025 | 1 October 2030 |
Subclass 801
Priya lodged her 820 and 801 on 15 March 2023, and her 801 was granted on 20 August 2025. Her facility runs to August 2030. It is tied to the 801 grant date, not to her lodgement date or her 820 grant.
Subclass 100
Marco's 309 was granted on 10 January 2024 and his 100 on 1 October 2025. His facility runs to October 2030. It is counted from the 100 grant, not the 309 grant, because the 309 is a temporary visa with its own travel right that ends when the 100 is granted.
VEVO shows the exact date your travel facility ends, and the Department directs holders to check it there.
Which Resident Return visa fits a partner visa holder?
- A subclass 155 with a 5-year facility, if you were in Australia for at least 2 years in the 5 years before you apply, as a permanent resident or citizen (cl 155.212(2) of Schedule 2). The Department counts this as 730 days, with the arrival and departure days included.
- A subclass 155 with a facility of up to 12 months, if you are short of the 730 days but have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties that benefit Australia (cl 155.212(3)). Limits on long absences also apply.
The subclass 157 (a 3-month facility for compelling and compassionate reasons), and the options for former permanent residents and former citizens, are described on the Department's Resident Return visa page.
| Option | Who it suits | Key criterion | Cost as at 23 September 2026 | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stay in Australia | Anyone not planning to travel | None | Nil | Nil |
| Five-year subclass 155 | Most 801 and 100 holders who have lived here | 730 days in Australia in the last 5 years | A$1,475 | Generally within 5 working days |
| One-year subclass 155 | Holders who spent long periods overseas | Substantial ties of benefit to Australia | A$1,475 | 12 weeks or more |
| Citizenship by conferral | Holders who meet both residence tests | 4 years' residence including 12 months as a permanent resident | A$595 (Form 1298i) | 75% in 13 months, lodgement to ceremony |
| Subclass 157 | Named here only | See the Department's Resident Return visa page | See the Visa Pricing Estimator | See the processing times tool |
How much does a Resident Return visa cost after a partner visa, and how long does it take?
Item 1128 of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), as compiled at 1 July 2026, sets the charge at A$1,475, or A$505 if you hold a passport from an eligible Pacific country or Timor-Leste. Check the Visa Pricing Estimator on the day you apply, because charges usually change on 1 July. The Department states that applications meeting the residence requirement are "generally processed within 5 working days", while those that do not "can be 12 weeks from lodgement or more". The global visa processing times tool shows current figures.
How do you apply for a Resident Return visa as an 801 or 100 holder?
- Apply online in ImmiAccount. You cannot include family members, so each person applies separately.
- Apply from inside or outside Australia, but not while in immigration clearance.
- Count your days. If you are unsure, request your international movement records from the Department before you lodge.
- Attach evidence of your ties if you are short of the 730 days.
The Department may grant a 5-year 155 automatically, without documents, if your residence, name and character raise no questions.
Should a partner visa holder apply for citizenship instead?
These are the facts to weigh.
- Citizenship by conferral needs 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including 12 months as a permanent resident (s 22 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (Cth)).
- An onshore partner visa holder has usually lived in Australia since before lodging the 820.
- A citizen needs no Resident Return visa. The Department states that an RRV already granted ceases on citizenship.
Priya, living in Australia since February 2022 with an 801 granted on 20 August 2025, can apply for citizenship from about August 2026, four years before her travel facility ends in August 2030. Marco, who arrived in May 2024, meets the 4-year test from about May 2028, still two years before his facility ends. The dates and absence rules are set out on the page on Australian citizenship after a partner visa.
Whether to apply for citizenship is a personal choice. The Department notes that Australia allows dual citizenship but some countries do not, which is one reason a holder may keep permanent residence and renew the RRV instead.
What if your relationship ended after the permanent partner visa?
The Resident Return visa does not depend on it. The criteria in Part 155 of Schedule 2 turn on your time in Australia and your ties, not on your sponsor. The relationship requirement for the 801 or 100 is assessed up to the permanent grant, and the permanent visa does not require the relationship to continue afterwards.
What if your partner visa travel facility has already expired while you are overseas?
You can apply for the subclass 155 from outside Australia. If you have been away for much of the 5 years and are short of 730 days, you will need to show substantial ties of benefit to Australia for a facility of up to 12 months. Absences of 5 years or more need compelling reasons. The Department assesses every RRV application against both the 155 and the 157, and it may grant a 157 with a 3-month facility if you meet only that. Long absences are assessed case by case. Applying these rules to your own circumstances is immigration assistance, which ss 276 and 280 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) restrict to registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners.
Questions about the Resident Return visa after a partner visa
Does an RRV give you a new permanent visa?
Yes. The RRV is itself a permanent visa with its own travel facility, which runs from its grant date. The Department states that any unused time on your old facility does not carry over.
Do children granted with the partner visa need their own RRV?
Yes, if their own travel facility has ended. You cannot include family members in your application, but applications lodged at the same time can be processed together if you declare them.
Does time on an RRV count toward citizenship residence?
Yes. You remain a permanent resident while you hold it, so time in Australia counts towards both citizenship tests.
Can you apply before the travel facility ends?
Yes, but the new facility replaces the old one from its grant date. The Department suggests withdrawing a pending RRV application if your current facility already covers your trip.
How do you get permanent residence after a partner visa?
Through the second stage, which is covered on the partner visa subclass 801 page.
Permanent residence, citizenship and the subclass 801
- The permanent grant that starts your 5-year travel facility: partner visa subclass 801.
- The alternative that ends the need for an RRV: Australian citizenship after a partner visa.
- Medicare, work and your other rights after the grant: after your partner visa is granted.
A short-facility RRV, a refusal, or a return on the wrong visa can each cost you time towards citizenship. If you are short of 730 days or have been overseas for years, an application prepared by a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner is more likely to succeed, because the ties evidence has to show benefit to Australia, not just a connection. No adviser can guarantee a grant.
Questions people ask
Who is eligible for a Resident Return visa after a partner visa?
An 801 or 100 holder who is still a permanent resident and not yet a citizen. A 5-year subclass 155 needs at least 2 years (730 days) in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen in the 5 years before you apply. With fewer days, you may get a shorter facility if you show substantial ties of benefit to Australia.
How much does a Resident Return visa cost?
Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994, as compiled at 1 July 2026, sets the charge at A$1,475, or A$505 for an applicant with a passport from an eligible Pacific country. Prices change, so confirm the figure in the Visa Pricing Estimator before you apply.
How long does a Resident Return visa take?
The Department states that applications meeting the residence requirement are generally processed within 5 working days, while those that do not can take 12 weeks or more. The global visa processing times tool shows current figures.
What happens if you break up after getting the 801 or 100?
The Resident Return visa does not depend on the relationship. It turns on your time in Australia and your ties, so a separation after the permanent grant does not by itself stop you from getting one.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Home Affairs, Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 801) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Partner visa (subclass 100) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Federal Register of Legislation www.legislation.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Visa Pricing Estimator immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs, Request movement records immi.homeaffairs.gov.au