Do You Need a Resident Return Visa After Subclass 100 in 2026 or 2027?
Explains when subclass 100 permanent residents need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155/157) to re-enter Australia after five years.
Short answer: if your five-year travel facility ends in 2026 or 2027, you will need a Resident Return visa to come back to Australia as a permanent resident — but your permanent residency itself does not depend on the calendar year. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) page, as at October 2026, the Subclass 100 is a permanent visa and you became an Australian permanent resident on the day it was granted. What is time-limited is the travel facility: the right to travel to and from Australia runs for five years from the visa grant date.
Does your permanent residency run out after five years?
No. The Subclass 100 is described as a permanent visa, so your status as an Australian permanent resident does not expire just because five years have passed. The same official page states holders can live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, and lists access to Medicare and the ability to sponsor eligible family members among the entitlements that come with the visa. None of those core rights are described as expiring after five years.
There is one timing distinction worth noting for citizenship planning. The page explains that, for citizenship purposes, permanent residency starts on either the day the visa was granted if you were in Australia, or the day you first entered Australia on this visa after it was granted. That counts the residence period differently from the travel facility, which runs from the grant date regardless.
What actually expires, and when?
The expiry that affects travel is the five-year travel facility. A simple comparison:
| Element | What applies to Subclass 100 |
|---|---|
| Visa status | Permanent; you became a permanent resident on grant day. |
| Stay in Australia | You can live, work and study in Australia indefinitely. |
| Travel facility | Five years from the visa grant date. |
| After the facility ends | You must be granted a Resident Return visa to travel to Australia as a permanent resident. |
The Department's page also directs holders to VEVO to see when the travel facility actually ends, rather than relying on estimates. If you hold the visa jointly with family members who were included before grant, remember that no family members can be added after the permanent Partner visa is granted.
If you were outside Australia when the visa was granted
Your grant letter contains a separate first entry arrival date. You must enter Australia before that specified date if you were outside the country at the time of grant. If that date has already passed, you may still be able to travel if the visa itself is still valid, although the visa may still be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border. Use VEVO to check whether the visa record is still valid before finalising plans. Even here, the five-year travel facility still runs from the grant date, not from the date you first arrive.
When does the Resident Return visa actually become necessary?
The trigger is departure and return, not merely the passage of time. The five-year travel facility allows repeated travel to and from Australia while it remains valid. Once it ends, any further travel to Australia as a permanent resident requires a granted Resident Return visa listed under subclasses 155 and 157. Its role is to restore the travel right; it does not re-grant permanent residency, because that status was never lost.
So the practical rule is about movement. If you stay in Australia, no Resident Return visa is needed to remain lawful. If you leave and want to return after the facility has lapsed, the return itself is the event that requires the new visa.
You should also treat this as general information only, not personalised migration or legal advice: travel outcomes depend on your own movement record, so confirm your position against the official published material or seek professional input before booking non-refundable travel.
How to check your own dates before booking travel
- Locate your Subclass 100 visa grant letter.
- Find the visa number shown in that letter.
- Open VEVO and enter the visa number to view your record.
- Read the travel facility end date displayed there.
- Note any first entry arrival date if you were offshore at grant.
- Compare those dates with the return date you plan to book.
- Arrange a Resident Return visa before travelling back if your return falls after the facility end date.
Each person included in the grant should rely on their own record, because airlines and Australian government agencies use VEVO to check visa conditions and identity.
What if my travel facility has already ended while I am overseas?
Your permanent residency continues, but you cannot simply use the expired travel facility to fly back as a permanent resident. The official position is that travel after the initial five-year facility requires a granted Resident Return visa. Check VEVO first to confirm your current visa validity, then plan the return around obtaining the correct visa before you board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Resident Return visa if I stay in Australia?
No. The Subclass 100 remains a permanent visa, and the official page states you can live, work and study in Australia indefinitely. The Resident Return visa is only required to travel back to Australia once the five-year travel facility has ended.
When does my five-year travel period start?
It starts on the date the Department granted your Subclass 100 visa, not on the date you first entered Australia on it. The page directs holders to VEVO to see the exact end date of that travel facility. Keep your grant letter accessible for this reason.
I was outside Australia when my Subclass 100 was granted. Do I have another deadline?
Yes. Your grant letter lists a first entry arrival date, and you must enter Australia before that date if you were outside the country at grant. Even after that date passes, you may still be able to travel if the visa itself is still valid, although the visa can be cancelled before arrival or at the border.
How do I find the exact date my travel facility expires?
Use VEVO with the visa number shown in your grant letter; it displays your digital visa record and the travel facility end date. Airlines and Australian government agencies also rely on that record when checking visa conditions. Treat the VEVO date as the operative date for travel planning.
My travel facility ends in 2026, but I plan to return in 2027. What now?
You will need to be granted a Resident Return visa before you can return as a permanent resident. Apply well before your intended travel, because you must hold that grant at the time you return. Detailed requirements and processing times for subclasses 155 and 157 are published separately.
I hold a New Zealand passport. Does anything change when I return to Australia?
At the border, tell the immigration officer that you hold a permanent Australian visa and that you do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). If a subclass 444 visa is granted instead, it overrides your permanent visa and may affect your future citizenship eligibility. This reminder appears on the Home Affairs page for Subclass 100 holders.