When do I have PR for life?

[AnnetteV]

Hi

 

I just moved to Brisbane, got PR in November 2012 and am wondering when I will have PR for life, is it still 2 years I have to live here and then my PR are for life? Meaning I only have to apply for resident return visa if I were to move to another country at some point.

 

many thanks

[CiderDrinkingCoder]

Your PR status is permanent (i.e. for life), as long as you hold the visa. Your right to travel outside and return to Australia is dependent on having right to return status (in which case you would need an RRV at some point, unless you take citizenship - and for this, you may need to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to Australia if you've not been in the country for a while).

 

If you arrived in November 2012, then you may be eligible for citizenship in the near future. Once a citizen and holding your passport, your PR visa will be cancelled and you can enter and leave Australia freely.

[Ken]

Hi

 

I just moved to Brisbane, got PR in November 2012 and am wondering when I will have PR for life, is it still 2 years I have to live here and then my PR are for life? Meaning I only have to apply for resident return visa if I were to move to another country at some point.

 

many thanks

 

Your PR is already for life (that's what Permanent means) but only if you are in Australia - if you move to another country and are out of Australia for too long you may lose your PR. PR comes with a 5 year travel visa and you can enter Australia as much as you like in that period (or spent as much of that period as you want outside of Australia). After the 5 years are up (unless you obtained citizenship) if you want to enter Australia you will need a resident return visa. If you've spent 2 out of the previous 5 years in Australia you'll automatically be entitled to a 5 year RRV (that may be where you've got the notion of "PR for life after 2 years" from - but the RRV is only for 5 years). If you've spent less than 2 out of the previous 5 years in Australia you'll need to show some other evidence of your connection to Australia and will only get a 1 year RRV at most.

[Marisawright]

Hi

 

I just moved to Brisbane, got PR in November 2012 and am wondering when I will have PR for life, is it still 2 years I have to live here and then my PR are for life? Meaning I only have to apply for resident return visa if I were to move to another country at some point.

 

 

Your PR is already for life - if you stay in Australia all your life and never leave, you'll never have to think about it again.

 

What expires is your right to travel in and out of Australia (called a Right to Return). If you leave Australia without having a Right to Return Visa (RRV), then you won't be allowed in again - ever - so although you've still got a PR visa, you can't use it.

 

That will apply for your entire life, unless you get citizenship. That's why so many migrants do get citizenship as soon as they're entitled to - it's a pain having to apply for RRV's all the time, and once you're a citizenship you don't need them.

[Guest]

My mother inlaw has had pr for thirty plus years as has my husband. You need nothing more unless you want to travel outside Australia in which case you will need a resident return visa which i valid for five years. My mother in law has never left Australia since she first arrived so has had no need to do anything further. My husband has had several resident return visa's over the years. Neither have ever considered getting citizenship.

[Isabelj28]

My mother inlaw has had pr for thirty plus years as has my husband. You need nothing more unless you want to travel outside Australia in which case you will need a resident return visa which i valid for five years. My mother in law has never left Australia since she first arrived so has had no need to do anything further. My husband has had several resident return visa's over the years. Neither have ever considered getting citizenship.

 

this is all fine until to you commit a crime, which any of us could do... And end up having residency revoked under S.501 and being put into detention before being returned 'home.' Despite not having lived there for over 30 years. Get citizenship as soon as you are able.

[benj1980]

this is all fine until to you commit a crime, which any of us could do... And end up having residency revoked under S.501 and being put into detention before being returned 'home.' Despite not having lived there for over 30 years. Get citizenship as soon as you are able.

 

I suppose this could happen, but I'm not intending to start committing crime after being a honest fella in the UK! Bit extreme don't you think? You are talking about custodial crimes as well.

[blossom]

this is all fine until to you commit a crime, which any of us could do... And end up having residency revoked under S.501 and being put into detention before being returned 'home.' Despite not having lived there for over 30 years. Get citizenship as soon as you are able.

 

lol. I quite confidently say I will not be commiting any crimes.

[Sammy1]

this is all fine until to you commit a crime, which any of us could do... And end up having residency revoked under S.501 and being put into detention before being returned 'home.' Despite not having lived there for over 30 years. Get citizenship as soon as you are able.

 

Committing a crime is a choice, so rather an extreme statement don't you think?

[Bungo]

this is all fine until to you commit a crime, which any of us could do... And end up having residency revoked under S.501 and being put into detention before being returned 'home.' Despite not having lived there for over 30 years. Get citizenship as soon as you are able.

 

I was thinking to myself earlier when I read the thread that the correct answer was it is permanent unless crime is committed in which case it could be revoked. But I was thinking it more in a flippant way. Whereas you say "which any of us could do" as if committing a crime is an involuntary act!!

[Marisawright]

The idea of committing a crime didn't worry me, but I still think there's a good reason for getting citizenship IF you have siblings or aged parents still in the UK.

 

I got my citizenship because I always worried that one day I would need to go back to the UK to care for a sister or parent, and I might not get much notice. I had a friend who had to make a mercy dash when her mother was taken seriously ill, and then she couldn't come back to Oz because her mother needed ongoing care. In the end, she stayed in the UK for six years, never giving a thought to visas (I'm not sure she even knew what a RRV was, as far as she was concerned she had PR so she was fine). In the end she did manage to get back into the country but it was a rigmarole and unnecessarily stressful - so I always felt I didn't want to risk the same thing happening to me!

[Pommie]

Hey guys... this is a great thread and I wonder if any of you could offer some insights as to my question below:

 

A little background:

 

I spent just over 5 years in Australia (Dec 2009 to January 2015) on a 457. At that time if I had gone for PR I could have obtained Citizenship after 1 year (from the point of getting PR). We left and headed back to the UK (which in my case, was good from a career point of view and a mistake from a lifestyle point of view).

 

So, We obtained a PR visa in Sept 2015, did our visa activation trip in December 2015 and plan on returning to Oz in Jan 2017. I have couple of questions based upon the possibility of

 

1. My family and I all move together to Oz in 2017 an olive happily ever after....

 

2. I move my family to Oz (wife, 4 kids, buy a house, kids in school, etc) but I work overseas for a couple of years and travel back to oz intermittently for holidays etc. After say 2/3 years I move back when hopefully the Perth market has somewhat recovered.

 

What I am wondering is:-

 

1. Will my citizenship requirement have to start from scratch (i.e. 4 years from say 2017) or will any of my previous time be counted ?

 

2. Do you think if I was working overseas, but my family was in Oz (and my money was all transferred to Oz, i.e. I had cut ties with the UK) that I would be deemed resident or would I have to be careful not to pass the 5 year mark before returning to Oz for good ?

 

I've been scratching my head on this for a while.... any help appreciated

[Isabelj28]

lol. I quite confidently say I will not be commiting any crimes.

 

So. To all those who say. I'll never commit a crime. Have you ever; tuned into a radio station while driving? Answered a call while driving? Sent a text while driving? Driven over the speed limit? All of those are crimes. And just say you happened to knock down someone while doing that, then that could easily be death by dangerous driving. Which can land you with a custodial sentence. Even suspended sentences are enough to cancel your visa.

 

It it may sound like an extreme example, but I've seen it. So if you can honestly say, you've never done those things, great. But if you have, it's there but for the grace of God, which is why I make that statement.

[AnnetteV]

Thanks for the taking the time guys to answer. I travel a lot so just wanted to know what to be aware of. My PR visa ends in November next year so from that time I have to stay here until I got two years on my visa.

 

my partner is Australian but since I already have the PR we want to avoid having to apply for de-facto partner visa. I aim to buy a property within the next year here if all goes well. That should help in the RRV if I end up needing it. If Im here long enough I will get citizenship.

 

 

thanks again

[Bungo]

So. To all those who say. I'll never commit a crime. Have you ever; tuned into a radio station while driving? Answered a call while driving? Sent a text while driving? Driven over the speed limit? All of those are crimes. And just say you happened to knock down someone while doing that, then that could easily be death by dangerous driving. Which can land you with a custodial sentence. Even suspended sentences are enough to cancel your visa.

 

It it may sound like an extreme example, but I've seen it. So if you can honestly say, you've never done those things, great. But if you have, it's there but for the grace of God, which is why I make that statement.

 

It is a crime to change radio station when driving? Well I never.

 

Anyway no. I haven't done any of those things. Send a text when driving? Are you kidding me, you seem to think this is normal. It is so far off normal it's not funny. If this is something that you regularly do then really you need to stop it before you kill someone.

[Bungo]

Hey guys... this is a great thread and I wonder if any of you could offer some insights as to my question below:

 

A little background:

 

I spent just over 5 years in Australia (Dec 2009 to January 2015) on a 457. At that time if I had gone for PR I could have obtained Citizenship after 1 year (from the point of getting PR). We left and headed back to the UK (which in my case, was good from a career point of view and a mistake from a lifestyle point of view).

 

So, We obtained a PR visa in Sept 2015, did our visa activation trip in December 2015 and plan on returning to Oz in Jan 2017. I have couple of questions based upon the possibility of

 

1. My family and I all move together to Oz in 2017 an olive happily ever after....

 

2. I move my family to Oz (wife, 4 kids, buy a house, kids in school, etc) but I work overseas for a couple of years and travel back to oz intermittently for holidays etc. After say 2/3 years I move back when hopefully the Perth market has somewhat recovered.

 

What I am wondering is:-

 

1. Will my citizenship requirement have to start from scratch (i.e. 4 years from say 2017) or will any of my previous time be counted ?

 

2. Do you think if I was working overseas, but my family was in Oz (and my money was all transferred to Oz, i.e. I had cut ties with the UK) that I would be deemed resident or would I have to be careful not to pass the 5 year mark before returning to Oz for good ?

 

I've been scratching my head on this for a while.... any help appreciated

 

Probably best to start your own thread as you have quite a few questions there and people might be reluctant to comment on somebody else's thread.

[Isabelj28]

It is a crime to change radio station when driving? Well I never.

 

Anyway no. I haven't done any of those things. Send a text when driving? Are you kidding me, you seem to think this is normal. It is so far off normal it's not funny. If this is something that you regularly do then really you need to stop it before you kill someone.

 

 

It can be a crime. In Victoria it can be 'careless driving' in Qld and NSW even eating at the wheel can cop you a fine, if police believe you do not have proper control of your vehicle.

 

I dont text at the wheel, but research suggests that 32% of people read a text and 18% send a text while driving... And that's only those who admit it... So you see, more common than you think

[Nemesis]

It can be a crime. In Victoria it can be 'careless driving' in Qld and NSW even eating at the wheel can cop you a fine, if police believe you do not have proper control of your vehicle.

 

I dont text at the wheel, but research suggests that 32% of people read a text and 18% send a text while driving... And that's only those who admit it... So you see, more common than you think

 

 

If you spend long enough browsing news sites you come across a lot of people who end up caught up in situatins out of their control, and therefore end up committing a crime of some kind.

Motoring -as its already been touched on........driving at 30km down a street, child runs out in front, hit ny car, hits head on ground, dies. You're the one facing the charge even though you were driving slowly. You have a teenage kid who has a party, other kids bring drugs, leave them on the premises when you kick them out for gatecrashing, police turn up cos someone calls them over the gatecrashing, you're up for having drugs in the house. Or similar to one thats cureently in the media -person breaks into your house, threatens your partner or child, you defend them, push offender backwards, hits head on floor and dies. Murder??

 

There but for the grace of god, as has been said earlier. Life is a strange thing and you never know whats round the corner.

[Isabelj28]

If you spend long enough browsing news sites you come across a lot of people who end up caught up in situatins out of their control, and therefore end up committing a crime of some kind.

Motoring -as its already been touched on........driving at 30km down a street, child runs out in front, hit ny car, hits head on ground, dies. You're the one facing the charge even though you were driving slowly. You have a teenage kid who has a party, other kids bring drugs, leave them on the premises when you kick them out for gatecrashing, police turn up cos someone calls them over the gatecrashing, you're up for having drugs in the house. Or similar to one thats cureently in the media -person breaks into your house, threatens your partner or child, you defend them, push offender backwards, hits head on floor and dies. Murder??

 

There but for the grace of god, as has been said earlier. Life is a strange thing and you never know whats round the corner.

 

 

Well said. And this is part of the reason why people should apply for citizenship as soon as they are able, which was my first point.

[blossom]

If you spend long enough browsing news sites you come across a lot of people who end up caught up in situatins out of their control, and therefore end up committing a crime of some kind.

Motoring -as its already been touched on........driving at 30km down a street, child runs out in front, hit ny car, hits head on ground, dies. You're the one facing the charge even though you were driving slowly. You have a teenage kid who has a party, other kids bring drugs, leave them on the premises when you kick them out for gatecrashing, police turn up cos someone calls them over the gatecrashing, you're up for having drugs in the house. Or similar to one thats cureently in the media -person breaks into your house, threatens your partner or child, you defend them, push offender backwards, hits head on floor and dies. Murder??

 

There but for the grace of god, as has been said earlier. Life is a strange thing and you never know whats round the corner.

 

Murder is premeditated. That would be manslaughter.

[Guest]

this is all fine until to you commit a crime, which any of us could do... And end up having residency revoked under S.501 and being put into detention before being returned 'home.' Despite not having lived there for over 30 years. Get citizenship as soon as you are able.

I hardly think my mother in law at age 82 is going to commit a crime. As for my husband well unlikely he will either.

[Marisawright]

I hardly think my mother in law at age 82 is going to commit a crime. As for my husband well unlikely he will either.

 

Well, if they're still driving at that age, they are perhaps more likely to knock down some stupid drunk who walks out in front of them?

[Guest]

I understand what you are saying about my husband and mother in law getting citizenship but if they don't want to i can't force them to. I would ldeally at least like my husband to but it's unlikely to happen.

[silencio]

What about false accusations?

 

Even very unlikely that it will hit anybody here you just have to read all these stories about released persons -for example in the US - being released as innocent after serving a life sentence!

 

My ex-partner 25 years ago was falsely being accused of malicious injury of property while being with me and he hadn't done anything because a mentally instable (or should I say insane) person accused him.

Eventually, nothing had happened regarding criminal charges but this was just because I was the witness telling the opposite and more important that woman was already very prominent at the local police station with all sorts of whopping lies.

 

What about doctors, specialists + nurses - as many migrants came here as such - unintentionally administering wrong medication? What about aged care workers or support workers accused of battery while showering an elderly person who then has a fall?

Edited May 9, 2016 by silencio

[Fisher1]

It can be a crime. In Victoria it can be 'careless driving' in Qld and NSW even eating at the wheel can cop you a fine, if police believe you do not have proper control of your vehicle.

 

I dont text at the wheel, but research suggests that 32% of people read a text and 18% send a text while driving... And that's only those who admit it... So you see, more common than you think

 

EVEN eating at the wheel? Why would you do that? In my view that's right up there with sending a text while driving!