Does Australian Permanent Residency Expire?

The permanent residency visa is offered to people who apply for a visa to live and work in the country. The Permanent Resident Visa allows the person to stay in country indefinitely, but not as a citizen, so the person does not have the rights and privileges of a citizen. The person with a PR Visa is granted a 5-year travel facility, which allows them to travel to and from Australia to any country and yet retain their PR Visa. The Visa holder may exit and re-enter the country whenever they wish to do so, but only until the PR Visa expires. After the expiry of PR Visa, the permanent resident may re-apply for a renewal of their PR Visa. However, there are many benefits in acquiring the PR visa and they are:

• Acquiring a permanent residency is the proper way to proceed to becoming a citizen of Australia as the applicant for citizenship must first have got the PR Visa.
• Except for a few governmental job opportunities, most jobs are open to people holding a Permanent Resident Visa.
• Children born to a person holding permanent resident visa becomes a citizen by birth, if the birth has taken place inside the country.
• Though some benefits demand a two year wait, access to benefits that include medical and social security is immediate; as soon as the person is granted the PR Visa.
• Those with a PR Visa have the right to sponsor their relatives, family members, spouse and de-facto relatives. However, this right is granted only if supported by the satisfying the criteria of residence and other requirements.
• Those with a PR Visa in Australia have the right granted by the New Zealand Government to travel without a visa to New Zealand. They also are granted the right to live and work in New Zealand.
• Permanent Residents Visa allows the person holding it to adjourn the payment of the contribution by students under the HECS-HELP scheme. This is only for those who are enrolled in a place that is supported by the Commonwealth under the humanitarian program.
• The PR visa holder may vote in local government elections, though they do not have the right to vote in the Federal / State / Territory Elections.

When is the Permanent Residency Visa Revoked?

The PR Visa may be revoked before its expiry due to a number of reasons, which include:

• In case of a criminal activity or behavior.
• In the case of display of character that goes against public interest.
• Immigration fraud like false information, submission of false document. In this situation, all the visas are likely to be cancelled, not just the PR Visa.
• Failure to comply with the rules and regulations.
• If the resident is involved in a business, and business is conducted by violating the law,
• Violations of the Visa Requirements.
• The visa of family members of the Permanent Resident is canceled in the situation when the primary visa holder’s visa is revoked.

Once the PR Visa holder has been granted the status of a permanent resident, the PR visa never expires. The PR Visa holder become a resident of Australia forever. The permanent Resident Visa holder has the opportunity to become a citizen of Australia. They need to submit their application, write the Australian Citizenship test and attend the Australian Citizenship Ceremony before becoming a full –fledged citizen of Australia.

Though the PR Visa does not expire, there is an expiry date to the travel facility to and from Australia. To return to the country, the PR Visa holder will need to have a Return Resident Visa which is charged $365 per head. The travel visa for a permanent resident is valid for 5 years and it has to be renewed every 5 years.