What Can You Do on Subclass 151 in 2026? Medicare, Work, Citizenship

What the Former Resident visa (subclass 151) allows in 2026: permanent stay, work and study, Medicare, sponsoring relatives and citizenship.

Published: 10 July 2026 Reading time 12 min

Subclass 151 is a permanent visa, so holding it puts you in the same broad position as other permanent residents: you can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor relatives, travel in and out of Australia for five years from the date of grant, and apply for Australian citizenship if you meet the eligibility rules. This summary reflects the Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Former Resident visa (subclass 151); individual circumstances differ, and the material below is general information rather than advice tailored to your situation, so anything that turns on your own dates of travel or residence should be checked against the current official guidance or with a qualified professional.

What does the visa actually let you do?

The Home Affairs visa listing sets out six entitlements for this visa:

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for up to five years from the date of grant, as long as the travel facility remains valid
apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

You become a permanent resident on the day you are granted the visa, and the visa itself allows you to remain indefinitely. There is no separate "activation" step for the residence right itself; the timing question that matters is the one for citizenship, covered below.

Can you work and study, and are there conditions attached?

Work and study are covered by the visa, but the Home Affairs "have this visa" page directs holders to Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) to see their specific conditions and work entitlements rather than assuming from the visa name alone. Rights at work are separate from visa conditions: visa holders and migrant workers have rights under Australian workplace law, and the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool covers pay rates, shift calculations, leave arrangements and notice and redundancy entitlements.

How does Medicare come in?

Medicare enrolment is listed as one of the entitlements of the visa, not something that flows automatically from arrival, so enrolling is the practical step that follows the grant. The official description is simply that you can enrol in Australia's public health care scheme; what that enrolment covers in practice is a matter for Services Australia's own Medicare material rather than the visa page.

Can you sponsor relatives once you hold subclass 151?

Yes. Sponsoring relatives is listed among the visa's entitlements, and as an Australian permanent resident you might be able to sponsor eligible family members. Family members who apply with you must meet health and character requirements, and if you apply from outside Australia, family members who are not coming to Australia may also have to meet those requirements. Members of the family unit can be included when you apply, or added at any time before a decision is made. If a child is born after you apply, Home Affairs treats that as a change in situation with its own process.

How long can you travel in and out of Australia?

You can travel as many times as you like for five years from the date the visa is granted. That five-year period is a travel facility, not the visa itself — the permanent residence continues, but the ability to re-enter as a permanent resident expires with the facility.

If you want to travel after the initial five years, you need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) so you can re-enter as a permanent resident. Two consequences are worth stating plainly:

If you leave Australia after the travel validity expires, or it expires while you are outside Australia, you cannot return as a permanent resident; you must be granted an RRV before you arrive.
For someone who does not meet the RRV residence requirement, the maximum travel period that can be granted is 12 months. That period is set by law and cannot be extended.

If you are already in Australia as a permanent resident and do not wish to travel, you do not need an RRV. VEVO shows when your travel period ends.

When does permanent residency start for citizenship purposes?

For citizenship, permanent residency starts on the day the visa is granted if you were in Australia, or on the day you enter Australia on this visa if you were outside Australia when it was granted. Those two dates can be months apart, and the start date is what later citizenship residence calculations run from, so it is worth recording both the grant date and your first entry date on the visa. Being granted citizenship removes the travel question entirely: Australian citizens do not require a visa to enter Australia, and would use an Australian passport to leave and re-enter.

What must you do while you hold the visa?

You and any family members included in the grant must obey all Australian laws. The other practical obligation is administrative: your visa is digitally linked to your passport and you receive no label in it, so you need to tell the department when you get a new passport. VEVO is the tool for proving you hold the visa and showing your conditions to someone else, and international movement records can be requested as proof of travel in and out of Australia.

Is there anything different for New Zealand passport holders?

Yes, at the border. If an immigration officer processes your clearance, Home Affairs recommends telling them that you hold a Former Resident visa (subclass 151) and that you do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). If you do not say so, you might be granted subclass 444, which is not a permanent visa, and being granted it might affect your eligibility for a Resident Return visa and for Australian citizenship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is subclass 151 a permanent visa?

Yes. It allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely, and you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. The permanent status and the five-year travel facility are separate things.

Do I get Medicare automatically with subclass 151?

The visa entitles you to enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare. Enrolment is the step that follows from the entitlement, and what Medicare covers is set out in Services Australia's own material.

Can I sponsor my relatives on this visa?

Sponsoring relatives is listed as one of the visa's entitlements, and permanent residents may be able to sponsor eligible family members. Family members who apply must meet health and character requirements, and those who are not coming to Australia may also need to if you applied from outside Australia.

What happens if my five-year travel facility expires while I am overseas?

You will not be able to return to Australia as a permanent resident, and you must apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa before you arrive. For applicants who do not meet the RRV residence requirement, the maximum travel period that can be granted is 12 months, set by law and not extendable.

When does my permanent residency start for citizenship purposes?

It starts on the grant day if you were in Australia when the visa was granted, or on the day you entered Australia on the visa if you were outside Australia at grant. Both dates are worth keeping in your records.

How do I prove my visa and check my work conditions?

Use VEVO, which shows your visa conditions and work entitlements and when your travel period ends. Your visa is digitally linked to your passport with no label, so tell the department if you get a new passport.

I hold a New Zealand passport — does anything change at the border?

Tell the immigration officer that you hold subclass 151 and do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). Subclass 444 is not a permanent visa, and being granted it might affect your eligibility for a Resident Return visa and for Australian citizenship.