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Former Resident visa (Subclass 151)

AustraliaLong-term residence

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Australia Read the five questions ↓

What exact status does accumulated residence lead to?

The target status is permanent residence in Australia (a permanent visa), available to former Australian permanent residents who lost that status, or to certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force — restoring or granting permanent residence rather than citizenship.

See recorded sources

What qualifying residence period is required and when does the period begin?

Under the long residence pathway, an applicant 18 or older must have spent at least 9 years in Australia as a permanent resident before turning 18 (or, if still under 18, at least half their life as a permanent resident), and must apply before turning 45. Under the defence services pathway (no age limit), the applicant must show that before 1981 they completed at least 3 months of continuous Australian Defence Force service, or were discharged before that with a medical unfitness caused by that service.

See recorded sources

Which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all where the official rules specify this?

What counts towards the long residence requirement is time actually spent in Australia while holding permanent resident status before turning 18 (9 years, or half of life if still under 18) — the applicant must also have never become an Australian citizen and must have kept close business, cultural or personal ties with Australia after ceasing to be a permanent resident, evidenced by regular contact with relatives or friends, frequent visits, owning property, or active business interests.

See recorded sources

What absence/continuity rules affect accumulation of the qualifying residence period?

The requirement is framed as years lived in Australia as a permanent resident before turning 18 (or continuous defence service before 1981), plus ties maintained after losing permanent resident status. The official source does not state a day-counting or permitted-absences rule for the residence years.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Page does not specify a day-counting or permitted-absences policy for the residence years; it only frames the requirement as historical years/proportion of life spent as a permanent resident and post-departure ties, without addressing how temporary absences during that period would be treated.

What other major conditions apply, how is the status obtained, and what renewal, document-validity, retention or loss rules matter?

Obtaining the visa requires applying on paper (since 23 July 2025 the paper application can be imported into ImmiAccount), costing from AUD 6,005.00 (with a lower cost for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens from 1 July 2026), meeting health and character requirements (family members aged 16+ too), possibly providing an Assurance of Support, having no unpaid debt to the Australian Government, and not having had a visa cancelled or a prior application refused (with limited exceptions). It grants permanent stay with work, study and Medicare access.

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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