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Australia · Residence-based status

Australia Former Resident visa (Subclass 151)

16 facts quoted from the official source

This permanent visa allows former permanent residents and certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force to live in Australia.

Route type
Residence-based status
Can bring
Not stated in the official source
Requirements
8
each quoted below
Who qualifies

Who this route is for

Every item below is the government’s own wording, quoted from the official source. Whether you personally qualify depends on your full profile.

8 requirements quoted from the official source.

The conditions that decide it
  • Age RequirementTo meet the long residence requirement, you must be younger than 45 at the time of application. There is no age requirement for the defence services requirement.
  • Assurance Of SupportYou might be asked to provide an Assurance of support
  • Australian Government Debt ClearedIf you or any family members owe the Australian Government money you must have paid it back or have a formal arrangement to pay it back
  • Be Able To Meet The Defence Services Requirement If ApplicableYou must be able to show us that before 1981 you met one of these conditions: completed at least 3 months of continuous Australian defence service discharged from the Australian Defence Force before 3 months of service because you were medically unfit because of your Australian defence service.
  • Be Able To Meet The Long Residence Requirement If ApplicableYou must be able to show us that you meet all these criteria: if you are 18 years or older, spent at least 9 years in Australia as a Permanent resident before you turned 18 or if you are younger than 18, spent at least half of your life in Australia as a permanent resident younger than 45 years of age at the time you apply have never been an Australian citizen kept close business, cultural or pers
  • Character and securityYou and any family members aged 16 years or over must meet our character requirement . If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our character requirement.
  • Health RequirementYou and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement . If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet our health requirement.
  • Not Have Had A Visa Cancelled Or A Previous Application RefusedWe will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused. In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused, see Limitations on applications in Australia . If applying for a visa from outside Australia,
Also stated by the source
  • Eligibility summaryYou must be able to show us that you meet all these criteria: if you are 18 years or older, spent at least 9 years in Australia as a Permanent resident before you turned 18 or if you are younger than 18, spent at least half of your life in Australia as a permanent resident younger than 45 years of age at the time you apply have never been an Australian citizen kept close business, cultural or pers
  • Official Rights Textstay in Australia permanently work and study in Australia enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare .
  • Official source basisYou must be able to show us that you meet all these criteria: if you are 18 years or older, spent at least 9 years in Australia as a Permanent resident before you turned 18 or if you are younger than 18, spent at least half of your life in Australia as a permanent resident younger than 45 years of age at the time you apply have never been an Australian citizen kept close business, cultural or pers
  • Report summaryYou must be able to show us that you meet all these criteria: if you are 18 years or older, spent at least 9 years in Australia as a Permanent resident before you turned 18 or if you are younger than 18, spent at least half of your life in Australia as a permanent resident younger than 45 years of age at the time you apply have never been an Australian citizen kept close business, cultural or pers
  • Visa SubclassThe official page identifies this route as subclass 151.
Family

Who you can bring

Not stated in the official source. The official page for this route does not address dependent-family rights, so we do not publish a claim either way.
Costs & timelines

What the source prices

Fees
1 proven from the official source.
  • Official Cost TextFrom Cost concession for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Former Resident Visa applicants From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. See About this visa . To work out what your visa will cost, use the Visa Pricing Estimator . Note - the estimator does not take into account other costs relating to your vchecked 2026-07-26
Validity
1 proven from the official source.
  • Official Stay TextPermanently
Processing time
1 proven from the official source.
  • Processing timeFor an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool . This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
How it works

From here to a yes

See if you qualify — freeThe 3-minute check scores your profile against every Australia route at once, this one included. No signup, no card.
Get your full report — €10One personalised report ranks every route you can actually get, with the full requirement set for your profile — so you apply for the right one.
Apply with the official sourceThe application itself always happens with the government — the enacting authority linked below. The report points you straight at it.
FAQ

Straight answers

01Who qualifies for the Subclass 151 to Australia?
The official source states: This permanent visa allows former permanent residents and certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force to live in Australia.

Every answer is quoted from the official immi.homeaffairs.gov.au page for this route, last read 2026-07-26.

We checked 16 points against the official source; 16 are quoted on this page. The other 0 are either not addressed by the source or not yet backed by a quote — we would rather show you the edge of the record than fill it with a plausible guess.

See the 0 open points

Not stated in the official source — the official source names no exclusion for this route.

The source

Where every quote comes from

Official government source immi.homeaffairs.gov.auLast read 2026-07-26 Every quote on this page is from this Australia government page.
Compiled from official sources · pending independent re-check · Last checked 2026-07-26 · Our methodology
· Compiled by António Mira · How we verify · Not legal advice — rules change; confirm with the official source before deciding.
Same category, same country

Other residence-based status routes to Australia

1 other residence-based status route to Australia.

Same category, elsewhere

Residence-based status routes in other countries

186 other countries publish at least one residence-based status route. Nearest first.

Does the Subclass 151 fit your numbers?

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