The Resident Return (Subclass 155) visa may provide a travel facility to Australia for up to 5 years. To obtain a Resident Return visa with a 5-year travel facility, you need to have been physically present in Australia as a permanent resident for a total of at least 2 years in the last 5 years.

A former Australian citizen who has lost or renounced their Australian citizenship may also be eligible. If you cannot show that you were physically present in Australia for at least 2 years in the last 5 years, you may nevertheless be granted a 1 year travel facility if you have established substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefit to Australia and you have not been absent from Australia for 5 years or more, unless you can demonstrate there were compelling reasons for your absence.

Generally, it becomes increasingly difficult to demonstrate substantial ties of benefit to Australia if you have been absent from Australia over extended periods of time. This is partly because the longer the period of your absence the more difficult it becomes to continue maintaining ties of sufficient importance to be considered ‘substantial’.

If you meet the substantial ties of benefit to Australia requirement but have been absent from Australia for more than 5 years then you must have compelling reasons for your absence, for example severe illness or death of an overseas family member or you have been living overseas in an ongoing relationship with a spouse or partner who is an Australian citizen.