Do I Need a Resident Return Visa After My 117 Travel Facility Expires? (2026 Guide)
Yes — once the five-year travel facility on your Orphan Relative visa (Subclass 117) ends, you need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) to come back to Australia as a permanent resident, unless you have become an Australian citizen and travel on an Australian passport. That is what the Australian Department of Home Affairs says on its Orphan Relative visa (Subclass 117) official page, checked as of August 2026. This is general information only and not personalised advice for your situation, so the official pages listed at the end remain the authority to check before you act.
What actually expires after five years — the visa or the travel?
The visa itself is permanent. The Department's page describes Subclass 117 as a permanent visa that lets the holder stay in Australia indefinitely, and it keeps that character after the travel window closes.
What runs out is the travel facility: the entitlement to leave Australia and come back in as a permanent resident. It lasts five years from the date the visa was granted, and during that window the holder can travel to and from Australia as many times as they want, as long as the travel facility remains valid. After that, the permanent status can still be intact while the ability to travel on it is not — which is exactly why a return visa becomes necessary.
If the travel facility has ended, what are my two ways back?
There are two routes named on the Department's page, and they work differently:
| Route | What it does | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) | Restores the ability to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident | You must apply for and be granted an RRV to re-enter as a permanent resident after the initial 5-year travel facility |
| Australian citizenship | Removes the need for any visa to enter Australia | If the holder becomes an Australian citizen, they do not need a visa to re-enter; they need an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter |
The Department's page notes that citizenship also has eligibility requirements and current processing times, which are set out on its Australian citizenship pages. For the RRV, eligibility and application details are set out on the Department's Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157) page.
Which route fits depends on timing rather than preference. An RRV is the option when you need to travel soon and have not yet qualified for or completed citizenship. Citizenship is the option that ends the cycle of return visas altogether, but it has its own residence requirements and processing time, so it is not something to rely on for a trip that is only weeks away.
How do I find the exact date my travel facility ends?
Use VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online), which is the system the Department points to for seeing when the travel facility ends. Your grant notification letter also carries the visa grant number, the date the visa starts, the visa conditions, and the date by which the holder must have entered Australia — the grant number is what gives you access to the digital visa record, since the visa is linked to the passport digitally and no label is placed in the passport.
Checking VEVO before booking travel matters because the five-year period runs from the grant date, not from the date of first arrival. A holder who entered Australia late in the travel window can have far less than five years of travel left.
Does my permanent residence start on the same date as the travel facility?
No, and the difference affects the citizenship route. For citizenship purposes, the Department's page states that the holder becomes a permanent resident on the day they enter Australia on the visa. The five-year travel facility, by contrast, starts on the date the visa is granted.
So two separate clocks run at the same time: the travel clock from grant, and the residence clock for citizenship from first entry. A holder who delays their first arrival shortens their usable travel time and pushes back the point at which citizenship residence begins to accrue.
What if I never leave Australia at all?
An RRV is only about returning. Nothing on the Department's page requires a holder who stays in Australia to hold one; the visa lets the holder remain indefinitely, and the RRV requirement is framed around travelling after the initial five-year travel facility. The practical moment to deal with it is before an overseas trip, not on a fixed calendar date.
One caveat from the Department's page is worth keeping in mind for the earlier stage: the holder must enter Australia before the date specified in their grant letter, with the first entry date generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant. Travelling after that date is possible while the visa is still valid, but the visa may still be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border, and VEVO is the tool for confirming whether the visa is still valid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 5-year travel period start from the grant date or from my first entry?
It starts from the date the visa was granted. The Department's page says the holder can travel to and from Australia as many times as they want for five years from the date the visa is granted.
Do I need a Resident Return visa if I stay in Australia and never travel?
No. The RRV requirement on the Department's page is tied to travelling after the initial five-year travel facility, so a holder who remains in Australia does not need one for the purpose of staying.
Can I still enter Australia on my 117 visa after the travel facility expires?
Not on the expired travel facility. To re-enter as a permanent resident you need to be granted a Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157), or you need to have become an Australian citizen and travel on an Australian passport.
How do I check whether my travel facility is still valid?
Use VEVO, which the Department identifies as the way to see when the travel facility ends and whether the visa is still valid. The visa grant number in the grant notification letter gives access to the digital visa record.
If I become an Australian citizen, do I still need an RRV?
No. The Department's page states that Australian citizens do not need a visa to enter Australia; instead they need to apply for an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter.
When does permanent residence start for citizenship purposes?
On the day the holder enters Australia on the visa. This differs from the travel facility, which runs for five years from the date of grant, so the two dates are usually not the same.