Key points
- What it is: you become a permanent resident when you are granted a permanent visa. It lets you live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, enrol in Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives and, when eligible, become a citizen.
- Main routes: skilled visas (subclasses 189, 190 and 491, and the employer-sponsored 186) and family visas (partner, child and parent), plus smaller programs such as the Pacific Engagement visa and refugee and humanitarian visas.
- Cost: from $6,135 to $6,140 for the main applicant on the skilled visas and from $11,710 on a partner visa, as Home Affairs showed on 23 October 2026, plus charges for each family member.
- How long: half of recently decided applications took from 61 days (subclass 189) to 21 or 22 months (employer-sponsored 186 and the partner visas' first stage).
- Travel: there is no automatic right to return. Your visa's travel facility usually lasts 5 years; after that you need a Resident Return visa ($1,475) to come back as a permanent resident.
- Citizenship: generally after 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including 12 months as a permanent resident.
- Refused? Many refusals can go to the Administrative Review Tribunal, within the time limit in your decision letter; the fee is $3,727.
- For advice on a permanent visa application, a refusal or a travel problem, call 1800 577 015 at any hour: free general legal information, and a 60-minute consultation with a lawyer for a fixed $295.
You become an Australian permanent resident when you are granted a permanent visa, most commonly a skilled or family visa. It lets you stay indefinitely, work, study and enrol in Medicare, but you can re-enter Australia only while the visa's travel facility (usually 5 years) is valid, and you can generally apply for citizenship after 4 years living in Australia, including 12 months as a permanent resident.
Checked on 23 October 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs, Services Australia and the Administrative Review Tribunal.
What permanent residency means
You become a permanent resident when you are granted a permanent visa, which lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. Home Affairs says the most common permanent visas are some skilled work visas and family visas. A permanent visa such as the Skilled Independent visa lets you:
- stay in Australia permanently, and work and study here;
- enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme;
- attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible;
- sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia;
- travel to and from Australia for 5 years (the travel facility);
- become an Australian citizen, if you are eligible.
Some limits apply. Newly arrived residents may have to wait before they can get some Centrelink payments and concession cards, such as JobSeeker Payment, Family Tax Benefit and Carer Payment; Services Australia explains the wait for each payment. And unlike a citizen, a permanent resident has no automatic right to re-enter Australia after travelling overseas.
Ways to become a permanent resident
Each visa has its own requirements; Home Affairs lists them under Eligibility on each visa's page. The main routes, with the charge for the main applicant and recent processing times:
| Visa | Who it is for | Charge from (main applicant) | Half of recent applications decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (subclass 189), points-tested | Invited skilled workers, with no sponsor | $6,135 | 61 days | 8 months |
| Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) | Invited skilled workers nominated by a state or territory government | $6,140 | 4 months | 16 months |
| Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) | Invited skilled workers nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible relative, for regional Australia. A 5-year visa; you can apply for permanent residence after 3 years | $6,140 | 5 months (state nominated); 4 months (family sponsored) | 18 months; 7 months |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) | Workers nominated by an employer: Direct Entry, Temporary Residence Transition (after 2 years in sponsored work) or labour agreement | $6,140 | 21 months (Direct Entry and Transition); 50 days (labour agreement) | 25 months; 12 months |
| Partner, applying in Australia (subclasses 820 then 801) | The married or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen | $11,710 for most applicants | 22 months (820, the first stage) | 30 months |
| Partner, applying outside Australia (subclasses 309 then 100) | As above, applying from outside Australia | $11,710 | 21 months (309, the first stage) | 32 months |
- Charges are as shown on Home Affairs' visa pages on 23 October 2026. Each family member applying with you pays more: on the skilled visas $3,070 for each person 18 or over and $1,535 for each child under 18 ($1,540 on the subclass 189); on the partner visas $5,860 and $2,935. A Prospective Marriage visa holder pays $1,955 for the partner visa. On the 189 and 491 visas there is also a second instalment ($4,885 and $4,890) for each family member 18 or over with less than functional English, payable only if the visa is going to be granted.
- Processing times come from Home Affairs' processing time guide, updated 29 September 2026 for applications decided up to 31 August 2026. They show how long recently decided applications took; they are a guide, not a promise, and your application can take longer.
- Partner visas have two stages: the temporary visa (820 or 309) lasts until the permanent visa (801 or 100) is decided. Home Affairs' guide shows the permanent stage taking 8 months (801) or 9 months (100) for half of recent decisions.
- Points-tested skilled visas start with an expression of interest in SkillSelect. For the subclass 189 you must be invited, be under 45 when invited, score at least 65 points, have a suitable skills assessment and competent English, and meet the health and character requirements. Once invited, you have 60 days to apply.
- Other routes: child, parent and carer visas; the Retirement visa pathway; the Former Resident visa; the invitation-only National Innovation visa (subclass 858); refugee and humanitarian visas; and the Pacific Engagement visa.
- "No further stay" condition: if your current visa has one, you cannot stay in Australia beyond its period in order to apply for permanent residence.
Travelling overseas as a permanent resident
- The travel facility: your first permanent visa usually lets you travel in and out of Australia as often as you like for 5 years from the date it was granted. Check the expiry date in your grant letter or in VEVO, Home Affairs' online visa check.
- When it expires: you can stay in Australia as a permanent resident. But if you leave after it expires, your permanent visa ceases, and if it expires while you are overseas, your visa ceases at the same time. To come back as a permanent resident you then need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).
- Resident Return visa: $1,475 to apply online. If you have been in Australia for at least 2 of the last 5 years (730 days in total) as a permanent resident or citizen, you get a new 5-year travel facility. Otherwise you may get up to 12 months in some cases, such as substantial ties that benefit Australia, or 3 months (subclass 157) in limited cases with compelling and compassionate reasons for your absence.
- Do not come back on a visitor visa: Home Affairs warns that a permanent resident who returns on an ETA, eVisitor or visitor visa may face serious consequences for their permanent resident status, their path to citizenship and their access to Medicare and full work rights.
- Reminders: Home Affairs emails a reminder 60 days before the travel facility expires, if it has your personal email address and you have no Resident Return visa application pending.
From permanent resident to citizen
Under Home Affairs' general residence requirement, when you apply for citizenship you must have:
- been living in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years leading up to the day you apply;
- held a permanent visa for the last 12 months of that time; and
- been absent from Australia for no more than 12 months in total in those 4 years, including no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.
Children under 16 do not need to meet the general residence requirement but must be permanent residents. See becoming an Australian citizen for the test, fees and timing.
If your application is refused
- Review: many decisions refusing or cancelling a visa can be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal; the Migration Act and Regulations set out which ones. Check your Home Affairs decision letter for the time limit.
- Strict deadline: the Tribunal says its time limits are very strict, depend on the type of decision and whether you are in immigration detention, and that it has no power to extend them.
- Fee: $3,727 for most migration decisions since 1 July 2026; a 50% reduction may be granted for financial hardship.
- Your history counts: Home Affairs considers your immigration history, so a past refusal or cancellation can affect whether you are eligible for a later visa.
Free help
| Service | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Home Affairs, Global Service Centre | 131 881 (from overseas +61 2 6196 0196) | 9am to 5pm your local time, Monday to Friday; closed on national public holidays |
How Go To Court Lawyers can help
Our free line, 1800 577 015, answers at any hour. Jen, our AI legal information assistant, gives general legal information and takes your details; Jen is not a lawyer and does not give advice about your case. A 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in your state is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person where the lawyer offers it. The lawyer can check which visa fits your situation and whether you meet its requirements before you pay the charge, advise on a character or health issue or a past refusal, and help you seek review if your application is refused. Requests are taken at any hour; how soon a lawyer can see you depends on who is available. Request a $295 consultation.
General information only, not legal advice. Updated 23 October 2026. Checked against the Department of Home Affairs' pages on permanent residents (updated 24 September 2026), visa options for permanent residents (7 October 2026), the Skilled Independent (189), Skilled Nominated (190), Skilled Work Regional (491), Employer Nomination Scheme (186) and Partner (820/801 and 309/100) visas (updated 16 July to 12 October 2026, with the charges those pages showed on 23 October 2026), its processing time guide (updated 29 September 2026), overseas travel as a permanent resident (8 October 2026), the Resident Return visa (9 October 2026) and the citizenship residence requirement (12 October 2026); Services Australia's page on the newly arrived resident's waiting period; and the Administrative Review Tribunal's immigration and citizenship page and its July 2026 fee notice, on 23 October 2026.