151 Former Resident visa (subclass 151)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Former Resident visa (subclass 151)
Visa type	Permanent
Stay	Indefinite
Cost	From AUD6,005
Apply from	In or outside Australia
Decision location	Same location as application
Eligibility timing	Under 45 for long residence
Work rights	Work permitted
Study	Study permitted
Medicare	Eligible to enrol
Travel facility	Multiple travel for five years
Citizenship	May apply if eligible
Family sponsorship	May sponsor eligible relatives
Include family	Before decision
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Application method	Paper application required

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Purpose

This permanent visa is for former Australian permanent residents and certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force.

You must meet either the long residence requirement or the defence service requirement.

Eligibility

Long residence requirement

You must show all of the following:

• If aged 18 or over, you spent at least 9 years in Australia as a permanent resident before turning 18.
• If under 18, you spent at least half your life in Australia as a permanent resident.
• You are younger than 45 when applying.
• You have never been an Australian citizen.
• You maintained close business, cultural or personal ties with Australia after ceasing to be a permanent resident.

Relevant ties can include regular contact with Australian relatives or friends, frequent visits, property ownership, or active business interests.

Defence service requirement

Before 1981, you must have either:

• Completed at least 3 months of continuous Australian defence service; or
• Been discharged before 3 months because you were medically unfit due to Australian defence service.

There is no age requirement under this pathway.

Other requirements

You and accompanying family members must meet health requirements. Family members aged 16 or over must meet character requirements.

You may also need to:

• Provide an Assurance of Support.
• Repay Australian Government debts, or have a formal repayment arrangement.
• Address any previous visa cancellation or application refusal.

Stay and Rights

This visa lets you:

• Stay in Australia permanently.
• Work and study in Australia.
• Enrol in Medicare.
• Sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia.
• Apply for Australian citizenship if eligible.

You become a permanent resident on the grant date. For citizenship purposes, permanent residence begins:

• On grant, if you are in Australia; or
• On entry to Australia, if granted while outside Australia.

Family Provisions

You can include family-unit members when applying or add them before a decision is made.

Family members must meet applicable health and character requirements. If applying outside Australia, non-migrating family members may also need to meet these requirements.

For dependent children:

• Usually, a child or stepchild must be under 23.
• A dependant over 23 may be included if unable to earn a living because of physical or cognitive limitations.
• A dependent adult must generally show at least 12 months of financial dependency.

For applicants under 18, obtain consent from any person with legal responsibility who is not migrating, using Form 1229 or a statutory declaration, unless an applicable court order or home-country law permits migration.

Cost

The main applicant charge is AUD6,005. An additional charge applies for each family member included.

You may also need to pay for health examinations or police certificates.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible citizens holding valid passports from:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

The application cannot be processed until the correct visa application charge is paid.

Documents

Provide accurate information and evidence.

Identity

Provide certified copies of:

• Current passport pages showing photo, personal details, signature, and issue and expiry dates.
• National identity card, if held.
• Evidence of any name change.

Long residence pathway

Provide evidence of:

• Arrival and departure dates for Australia.
• School attendance.
• Continuing business, cultural or personal ties with Australia.
• Contact with Australian relatives or friends.
• Visits to Australia.
• Active economic or business interests in Australia.

Defence service pathway

Provide evidence of Australian Defence Force service before 1981.

Family members

Provide applicable identity, relationship, dependency, character and relationship evidence. For a de facto partner, provide evidence of a relationship lasting at least 12 months before applying.

Translations and certification

• Translate all non-English documents into English.
• Submit original documents and translations.
• Paper applications require certified copies, except original police certificates.
• Do not arrange police certificates until requested.
• Keep a complete copy of the application and supporting documents.

How to Apply

You must apply on paper. You cannot lodge in person or online.

1. Complete Form 47SV — Application for special migration to Australia.

2. Include supporting documents and certified copies.

3. Pay the visa application charge online through ImmiAccount.

4. Mail the application to:

   Subclass 151 Visa Application
   Department of Home Affairs
   GPO Box 9984
   Sydney NSW 2001
   AUSTRALIA

All applicants must apply together on the same form.

You may be in or outside Australia when applying, but not in immigration clearance.

From 23 July 2025, paper applicants can import submitted applications into ImmiAccount after receiving an acknowledgement letter. This allows online document uploads, messages, status viewing, updates, bridging visa applications and withdrawal requests.

Processing

Use the visa processing time guide for recently decided applications; it is not specific to an individual case.

Processing may take longer if:

• The application is incomplete or incorrect.
• Required documents are missing.
• Further information is needed.
• Information requires verification.

The Department will notify you in writing of the decision. A refused application does not result in a refund of the application charge.

Conditions and Obligations

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws.

If you are in Australia while the application is being processed, remain lawful by holding a valid visa.

If you held a substantive visa when applying, you were granted a Bridging Visa A. Do not cancel your current visa: cancellation may make you unlawful and ineligible for a Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B.

Tell the Department about changes to your:

• Address, phone number or passport.
• Marital or de facto relationship status.
• Family composition, including a child’s birth.
• Decision to withdraw the application.

Use Form 1023 to notify incorrect answers in an application.

Travel

You can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from grant.

After the travel facility expires, you need a Resident Return visa (RRV) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

If your travel facility expires while outside Australia, or you leave after it has expired, you cannot return as a permanent resident without an RRV. The maximum RRV travel period for a person who does not meet the residence requirement is 12 months and cannot be extended.

If you remain in Australia and do not travel, you do not need an RRV.

New Zealand passport holders

Tell the immigration officer that you hold a Former Resident visa and do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). Grant of a subclass 444 visa may affect eligibility for an RRV and Australian citizenship.

Important Warnings

• You must be in Australia at decision if you applied in Australia.
• You must be outside Australia at decision if you applied outside Australia.
• Do not travel to Australia after an offshore application until written visa grant notification.
• Incomplete applications may be invalid and will not be processed.
• Do not send original documents, except original police certificates.
• Your visa is digitally linked to your passport; no visa label is issued.
• Check visa details and travel validity through VEVO.