Permanent Residency Australia
Permanent Residency Australia
You can become a permanent resident of Australia if your application for a permanent visa is successful and you are granted status that allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely.
There are various permanent visas such as for skilled work, business investors or entrepreneurs, people with particular talents, and refugees.Other common initial permanent visas are for family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents or eligible citizens of New Zealand.
Applicants for a permanent visa will need to meet the eligibility criteria of the visa as well as satisfy requirements pertaining to health, character, identity and security.
Once you are granted permanent residence, you are generally allowed to stay indefinitely in Australia, work and study in Australia, enrol in Medicare (the Australian national health scheme), apply for bank loans to purchase property, and receive consular protection overseas.
As a permanent resident of Australia, you may also sponsor relatives for permanent residence provided you and your relatives fulfil relevant visa criteria. If you are eligible, you can apply for Australian citizenship.
However, your eligibility for the abovementioned features and benefits of permanent residence may be impacted if you hold a permanent resident visa but do not reside in Australia.
As an Australian permanent resident, you do not have an automatic right to return to Australia if you travel or reside overseas. To re-enter Australia from overseas you need valid re-entry documents; you must either have travel facility on your initial permanent visa or hold a Resident Return visa. In some circumstances, you may return to Australia on an Authority to Return or Return Endorsement.
When your initial permanent residence visa is issued, you will be given a 5-year travel facility. This means, as long as your visa remains valid, you are authorised to depart and re-enter Australia as many times as you wish in the 5 years from the date when your permanent visa is granted. After 5 years, your travel facility will expire and you will need to apply for, and be granted, a Resident Return visa or Australian citizenship.
If you are not eligible for a Resident Return visa or citizenship in Australia, you may have to consider applying again for a permanent residence visa, for example, a family visa or a skilled visa.