What is the Former Resident return 151 visa

The 151 visa provides an opportunity for former residents who spent most of their childhood in Australia as permanent residents, and former residents who served in the Australian defence forces to obtain permanent residence.

Be able to meet the long residence requirement

• if you are 18 years or older, spent at least 9 years in Australia as a Permanent resident before you turned 18 or if you are younger than 18, spent at least half of your life in Australia as a permanent resident
• younger than 45 years of age at the time you apply
• have never been an Australian citizen
• kept close business, cultural or personal ties with Australia

Has maintained business, cultural or personal ties with Australia

The applicant should :

• demonstrate the existence of ties of a business, cultural or personal nature and
• provide documentary evidence that the ties in question have been maintained since the applicant ceased to be an Australian permanent resident.

Such evidence may include (but is not limited to):

• correspondence with (and from) relatives and/or friends in Australia
• visits to Australia for business, cultural or personal reasons
• ownership of property in Australia (with evidence also of their ongoing active interest in that property)
• other economic or business interests in Australia in which the applicant demonstrates an ongoing active participation.

Visa 151 – Visa Grant

If the applicant is outside Australia at the time of application, the applicant must be outside Australia at the time of grant.

If the applicant was in Australia at the time of application, the applicant must be in Australia at the time of grant.