Returning Residents
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Returning Residents
You are eligible for such a returning visa in the following case:
- You currently do or used to reside in Australia
- You used to be an Australian citizen
- You used to be part of the army and you come up to the Australian Armed Forces’ requirements and fulfil those for a ‘defence service applicant’ under Migration Regulations 2007
Visa options allow a returning resident to:
- Live in Australia as a permanent resident, and
- Travel to and from Australia for up to five years from the date the visa is granted
Applications for a returning resident visa can be made both inside or outside Australia.
Applying Either Inside or Outside Australia
Visa option 1
If you are:
- 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 their citizenship
And you want to:
- Keep or regain your status as an Australian permanent resident
Visa option 2
If you:
- Spent most of your life in Australia as an Australian permanent resident before turning 18, never acquired Australian citizenship, and have not yet turned 45, or
- Are a former member of the Australian Defence Services and meet the definition of a ‘defence service applicant’ in the Migration Regulations 2007
And you want the option to:
- Include your partner and dependent family members in your application