( For permanent residents )
Citizenship and resident return
Assistance with Australian citizenship applications and resident return visas.
( The situation )
Who this service is for
For permanent residents ready to apply for Australian citizenship, and residents needing a resident return visa to protect their status.
General information only. This is not immigration assistance and does not take your circumstances into account. Migration law changes frequently. Confirm the current position before acting.
Shoreline Migration · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 2619597
( How we can help )
- Eligibility review for citizenship by conferral
- Assistance with the application and supporting documents
- Resident return visa guidance for travel and status
- Clear answers on residence requirements
( The pathways )
Three roads from permanent residence
Permanent residence is a visa, and it carries a travel facility that expires. Citizenship is the end of that road; the resident return visa is how a permanent resident keeps travelling until they get there.
Permanent residence, and what comes next
- 01Becoming a citizen
Citizenship by conferral
For a permanent resident who has lived in Australia for the required period, is of good character, and meets the knowledge and language requirements. Most applicants sit the citizenship test; a ceremony concludes it.
Our part
We check the residence requirement against your actual travel history before you apply, prepare the application and the evidence, and advise where a character question needs addressing first.
- Residence requirement
- Test and interview
- Ceremony
- 02Keeping the right to travel
Resident Return Visa (155 and 157)
A permanent resident’s travel facility expires, usually five years after the grant. Leaving Australia after that without a resident return visa means not being able to return as a permanent resident. The length of the visa depends on how long you have lived here recently.
Our part
We establish which visa you are eligible for and for how long, and where you are outside Australia with an expired facility, the fastest lawful way back.
- Five years
- One year
- Three months
- 03A claim from birth or family
Citizenship by descent, and evidence of citizenship
A child born overseas to an Australian citizen parent may be registered as a citizen by descent. People who are already citizens but cannot prove it apply for evidence of citizenship.
Our part
We advise which applies, assemble the proof of the parent’s citizenship at the time of birth, and prepare the application.
- Descent
- Evidence
- Identity documents
The dates
Citizenship is decided on dates: residence, absences, and the travel facility.
Every day outside Australia counts, and the rules about how many count differently in the last year. We work through your travel history as the Department will, before you apply, so the application is made when it can succeed.
Book an initial consultation( The visas in this area )
Citizenship and resident return: the subclasses
The subclasses this practice area works within, grouped the way the Department of Home Affairs lists them. The colour says what kind of visa it is.
Bridging, return and other
- Permanent
- Temporary
- Bridging
( The pathway )
From permanent residence to citizenship
From permanent residence to the ceremony.
- Stage 1 of 5
Permanent residence
Citizenship starts from permanent resident status.
- Stage 2 of 5
Residence requirement
The qualifying years of lawful residence accrue.
- Stage 3 of 5
Application
Apply with identity and residence evidence.
- Stage 4 of 5
Test and interview
Most applicants sit the citizenship test.
- Stage 5 of 5
Ceremony
Citizenship is conferred at a ceremony, the final step.
( Talk it through )
Speak with us about citizenship and resident return
Telephone or email the office with a question, or book an initial consultation for advice on your circumstances.
Governing law
Advice on citizenship and resident return rests on the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994, and on the legislative instruments made under them. What applies in your case depends on the visa, your circumstances and the law in force when you apply and when the decision is made.
- Migration Act 1958 (Cth)
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth)
Initial consultation
Discuss your immigration matter
Book an initial consultation, or send an enquiry that sets out your circumstances.