Australia Emigration Use-By-Date
January 3, 2010 6:50 AM Subscribe
If I apply for and get a Visa to move permanently to Australia (e.g. a Skilled – Independent (Migrant) Visa ), do I have to actually move to Australia soon afterwards, or can I keep the visa in reserve and make use of it some years later (say 2 to 5 years later?).
I'm a UK citizen and I'm just pondering my future options.
I'm a UK citizen and I'm just pondering my future options.
I'm applying for permanent residency, and you need to be in Australia for the time. You can get a Bridging Visa that lets you travel in and our for 3 months at a time. This is for visas applied onshore though; I don't know if the same necessarily applies offshore.
posted by divabat at 4:38 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by divabat at 4:38 PM on January 3, 2010
Best answer: How it works is, when you get the permanent residency visa you have condition for a "last entry date" that can vary from 3 months to 6 months. You have to make the first entry before that date to validate your visa.
After the first entry you can leave and come back before the visa expires (usually within 5 years time) - after the visa expires if you have to leave the country for whatever reason you need to get an re-entry visa, to get that you should be living there for at least one year as a permanent resident...
I don't know the exact rules now but you can always go to http://britishexpats.com/forum/ and ask your questions there, these people know how it works :) On that forum there are even immigration lawyers who answer simple questions like this.
Good luck,,,
posted by neworder7 at 4:51 PM on January 3, 2010
After the first entry you can leave and come back before the visa expires (usually within 5 years time) - after the visa expires if you have to leave the country for whatever reason you need to get an re-entry visa, to get that you should be living there for at least one year as a permanent resident...
I don't know the exact rules now but you can always go to http://britishexpats.com/forum/ and ask your questions there, these people know how it works :) On that forum there are even immigration lawyers who answer simple questions like this.
Good luck,,,
posted by neworder7 at 4:51 PM on January 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
"This visa also allows you to travel to and enter Australia for five (5) years from the date the visa is granted. The expiry of this visa does not affect your permanent resident status if you are in Australia. However, if you wish to continue to travel to and from Australia as a permanent resident after the initial visa has expired, you must obtain a Resident Return Visa (RRV). Your eligibility for an RRV will depend on the period that you have resided in Australia."
posted by Mil at 11:53 AM on January 3, 2010