EMC Australia / Subclass 155 / 157
You already have permanent residence — this is how you come back after travel.
155 and 157 are not bridging visas. The visa that gave you permanent residence has a travel end date. After that, you still hold PR while you remain in Australia, but you may need 155 or 157 to re-enter. Do not discover this at the airport. 157 is the shorter, more limited visa when you cannot meet 155’s residence or ties tests.
Last reviewed:
Official source: Department of Home Affairs – Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157)
Call +61 3 9069 3284 or WhatsApp · Weekdays 9:00am–5:00pm AEST
Who We Assist
Who We Assist
- You are a permanent resident who needs to travel
- Your 5-year travel facility has ended or is about to
- You have been outside Australia and need to come back as a PR
How it works
What this visa asks of you
These are the parts of this visa, in the order they usually matter.
VEVO
Before you fly
Read the travel end date
PR is not the same as a travel facility. Citizenship, if you can take it, is the clean long-term answer for many people.
A 155 is usually five years if you have been in Australia for the required time. 157 is shorter when you have not.
Which RRV
In or from outside Australia
155 or 157
Residence in Australia, or substantial ties if you have been away.
Ties are documented. A family story without records is how people get 157 when they wanted 155.
How EMC works
How we help
01
Before the airport
We read VEVO and the last PR visa, then say 155, 157, or citizenship.
02
If you have been away
Substantial ties to Australia have a file: family, property, employment, time here. Not a paragraph.
What to Prepare
What to Prepare for Your Consultation
- VEVO or PR grant
- Movement history (time in and out of Australia)
- If applying on ties: family, work, property in Australia
Before you apply
Important Considerations Before Applying
- Do not fly with an expired travel facility.
- A bridging visa is not an RRV.
- Citizenship, if eligible, removes this problem.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the original visa’s travel facility ends. You remain a PR in Australia, but re-entry can need 155 or 157.
It is shorter. It is the visa when you cannot meet 155. It still lets some people return. Then you plan 155 or citizenship.
Start with your situation.
You do not need to memorise the subclass. Book a consultation, or send a short note. MARN 1800335 · Level 14, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.
Other work
This page is general information, not advice about your circumstances. Australian migration law changes. You should consult a Registered Migration Agent before you apply. EMC Australia is OMARA-registered (MARN 1800335).