Australia Former Resident Visa

Last Updated on March 1, 2013

This visa allows resettlement of former Australian permanent residents and persons who served in the Australian Armed Forces before 1981.

Who this visa is for?

This visa is for you if you have either:

 

• spent nine (9) of your first 18 years in Australia as a permanent resident

  or

   

• you completed three (3) months of service in the Australian Armed Forces at any time before 19 January 1981.

Your spouse and dependent family members may be included in your application if they meet certain requirements.

What does this visa let me do?

If you are granted this visa you and your family can live in Australia as Australian permanent residents.

You can also:

 

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods).

You must meet the following requirements for either a Long Residence applicant or a Defence Service applicant to be eligible to apply for this visa.

Long Residence applicant

If you are applying as a Long Residence applicant, you must:

 

• have spent nine (9) out of your first 18 years in Australia as an Australian permanent resident
• be under 45 at time of application
• have never become an Australian citizen
• have maintained close ties (business, clutural or personal ties) with Australia.

Examples of acceptable evidence of ‘close ties (business, cultural or personal ties) with Australia’ include:

 

• frequent correspondence with relatives and/or friends in Australia
• evidence of frequent visits to Australia for business, cultural or personal reasons
• evidence of ownership of property in Australia and evidence of an ongoing active interest in that property
• evidence of other economic or business interests in Australia in which you have an ongoing active concern.

Defence Service applicant

If you are applying as a Defence Service applicant, you must meet one of the following:

 

• have completed at least three (3) months continuous Australian Defence Service
• have been discharged before completing three (3) months service on the basis that you became medically unfit because of that service.

If you are applying within Australia

If you are applying for this visa whilst you are in Australia, you must also:

 

• be the holder of a current substantive visa, other than a Transit (subclass 771) visa

  or

   

• if you do not hold a substantive visa at the time of application, you must apply for this visa within 12 months of your substantive visa ceasing.

Health

You must meet health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

You must meet character requirements.

English language ability

You must have functional English which is the basic language skills necessary to deal with everyday social situations and some work situations in English.

Higher visa application charges may apply to those who do not have a functional level of English.

Debts to the Australian Government

Before you can be granted this visa you must repay, or have made arrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government.

Limitations on applications

If you are in Australia, you may be prevented from applying for this visa if, for example:

 

• you do not hold a substantive visa (which is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) and had a visa cancelled or refused since you last arrived in Australia
• your last visa was granted on the condition that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you remain in Australia
• you hold a sponsored visitor visa
• you are in immigration detention
• you have previously applied for a protection visa.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.