Resident return visas (RRV) are three separate but related systems for allowing ordinarily resident and former resident foreign nationals in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to travel to another country and return to the issuing country.
Australia
In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, a Resident Return Visa (RRV) (subclasses 155 and 157) is a re-entry
visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
allowing the holder of that visa to travel to another country and return to the
Australian migration zone. RRVs allow
Australian permanent resident
Australian permanent residents are residents of Australia who hold a permanent visa but are not citizens of Australia. A holder of a permanent visa may remain in Australia indefinitely. A 5-year initial travel facility, which corresponds to th ...
s to re-enter Australia as often as they wish during the validity of the visa. RRVs may be valid for 5 years or 3 months.
New Zealand
The similar visa in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
was called Returning Resident's Visa (RRV). It gave New Zealand permanent residents the right to resume their residence status when they returned to New Zealand. The first Returning Resident's Visa was valid for 2 years. An Indefinite Returning Resident's Visa (IRRV) was issued once the resident had shown commitment to New Zealand over the previous two years. 12 month or 14-day RRVs were also issued under different circumstances.
Under the ''Immigration Act 2009'', the Returning Resident's Visas were replaced by the resident visas and/or permanent resident visas. A resident visa holder may also be subject to other ‘conditions’ depending on the residence category they applied under. A permanent resident visa allows the holder to re-enter New Zealand as a permanent resident anytime. A permanent resident visa is not subject to any conditions.
United States
In accordance with
United States immigration law
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
,
lawful permanent residents
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with suc ...
who have been outside of the United States for more than one year without a reentry permit, or those who have remained outside the United States beyond the validity of their reentry permit, are required to process a new immigrant visa before they will be permitted to return to the United States as a lawful permanent resident.
Lawful permanent resident who have remained outside the United States for extended periods of time may apply at their nearest
United States embassy or consulate to process the SB-1 Returning Resident Visa.
Applicants will be required to pay new visa processing fees and medical fees, but the person is not required to file a new immigrant petition.
Qualifying for Returning Resident Status
An applicant for a returning resident visa must prove that he or she:
* had the status of a lawful permanent resident at the time of departure from the United States,
* departed from the U.S. with the intention of returning and have not abandoned this intention, and
* is returning to the United States from a temporary visit abroad and, if the stay abroad was protracted, it was caused by reasons beyond the applicant's control and for which the applicant was not responsible.
Required documentation includes:
* A completed Application to Determine Returning Resident Status (Form DS-117);
* The applicant's Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551);
* The applicant's reentry permit;
* Evidence of dates of travel outside of the United States, such as airline tickets or passport stamps;
* Evidence of the applicant's ties to the United States and the applicant's intention to returns, such as tax returns and evidence of economic, family, and social ties to the United States;
* Evidence that the applicant's protracted stay outside of the United States was for reasons beyond the applicant's control, such as being medically incapacitated;
* Payment of the required fees.
[Returning Resident Visas]
. ''Bureau of Consular Affairs''. United States Department of State.
Spouse or Child of a Member of the U.S. Armed Forces or Civilian Employee of the U.S. Government Stationed Abroad
The spouse or child of a member of the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
or of a civilian employee of the United States government stationed abroad on official orders may use a
United States Permanent Resident Card
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
to enter the United States, even if the Permanent Resident Card has expired.
A Returning Resident (SB-1) immigrant visa would not be required as long as the person has not abandoned Lawful Permanent Resident status and the spouse or parent is also returning to the United States.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Documents Needed to Enter Australia Immigration New Zealand Operational ManualTravel Visa Australia Visas