If you've dreamed of being able to live and work in Australia indefinitely, you’ve probably already started researching how to become a permanent resident.
Australian permanent residency is a visa status that lets you live, work and study in the country indefinitely. As a permanent resident, you have most of the same rights as a citizen, including access to Medicare and domestic university fees, plus the ability to sponsor family members.
The challenge is that there’s no single way to get PR status and choosing the wrong pathway can cost you years.
This guide maps every major route (including partner, employer-sponsored, skilled and family) along with current costs, the application steps and what happens after your visa is granted.
Key takeaways:
- Permanent residency means holding a permanent visa. It’s a different legal status from citizenship.
- Australia's 2026–27 Migration Program offers 185,000 permanent places: 132,240 skilled and 52,460 family.
- Application charges currently range from AUD 4,910 (Skilled Independent) to AUD 9,365 (partner visas).
- Permanent residency is granted indefinitely, but your right to re-enter Australia expires after five years unless the travel facility of your permanent resident visa is renewed.
- After four years of residence, with at least one year as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship.
What is Australian Permanent Residency?
Australian permanent residency is the status you hold when you've been granted a permanent visa. You can stay in Australia indefinitely, but you're not yet a citizen. As a permanent resident, you can live, work and study in the country without restriction and can access various healthcare services, but you can't vote or hold an Australian passport.
Gaining PR in Australia is the gateway to citizenship. Once you've met the residence requirements, most permanent residents become eligible to apply for citizenship by conferral, which is the final step in the migration journey.
Until you are granted a permanent visa, your right to remain in Australia depends on the conditions and expiry date of whatever temporary visa you hold.
Matilda Tip: To be eligible for Australian citizenship, you need to have lived in Australia for a minimum of four years, with at least one of those as a permanent resident.
Benefits of Permanent Residency in Australia
Becoming a permanent resident of Australia gives you most of the entitlements of a citizen:
- Live in Australia indefinitely, with no renewals for the visa itself
- Take any job, in any occupation, with no employer restriction
- Access government-funded schooling and university places at domestic student rates
- Enrol in Medicare, with eligibility for payments such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Parental Leave Pay (some payments have waiting periods)
- Leave and re-enter Australia freely while your five-year travel facility is valid
- Sponsor eligible family members for their own permanent visas.
Here's how permanent residency and citizenship compare side by side:
| Right or entitlement |
Permanent resident |
Australian citizen |
| Live, work and study indefinitely |
Yes |
Yes |
| Medicare |
Yes |
Yes |
| Sponsor family members |
Yes |
Yes |
| Vote in elections |
No |
Yes |
| Australian passport |
No |
Yes |
| Automatic right of re-entry |
No — requires valid travel facility |
Yes |
The Main Pathways to Permanent Residency
There are four broad routes to becoming a permanent resident in Australia:
- Employer-sponsored visas
- The skilled independent pathway
- Regional skilled visas
- Family or partner visas.
Which one is right for you depends on your relationship, occupation, age and where you're living when you apply.
The numbers behind those pathways shifted in the May 2026 Federal Budget. The 2026–27 Migration Program holds steady at 185,000 permanent places — 132,240 in the skill stream and 52,460 in the family stream, but around 70% of places are now reserved for applicants already in Australia.
We've broken down what that means in our guide to the Federal Budget 2026 immigration changes, but the short version is that if you're onshore on a temporary visa, the settings now work in your favour.
1. Family-Stream Permanent Residence Visas
Family-stream visas suit partners, parents, children and dependent relatives of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The main subclasses are:
- Partner visas: For spouses, de facto partners and those in registered relationships. These come in two forms:
- Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300): For those planning to marry an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Child visas (subclass 101/802/102/445): For dependent children
- Parent visas (subclass 103/143/173): For parents joining their children in Australia
- Other family visas (subclass 114, 115, 116, 117, 836, 837, 838, 835): Covering aged dependent relatives, remaining relatives and carers.
Most family-stream applicants need to demonstrate a genuine and ongoing relationship (for partner visas), meet health and character requirements and satisfy the specific dependency or age criteria of their subclass.
Discover everything you need to know about applying for a partner visa in Australia with our ultimate guide.
2. Workstream Permanent Residence Visas
Workstream visas suit skilled workers, either sponsored by an Australian employer or qualified in an occupation Australia needs. The current permanent options are:
- Employer-sponsored: The Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186), for workers nominated by their employer, most commonly after two years on a 482 visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Skilled independent: The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), a points-tested permanent visa that needs no employer or state sponsorship
- Skilled nominated: The subclass 190, points-tested and nominated by a state or territory government
- Regional: The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), for those who have completed their time on a provisional 491 or 494 visa.
To get a points-tested skilled visa, you need to have an occupation that is on Australia's skilled occupation list, a valid skills assessment and a minimum of 65 points on the points test. However, in practice, invitations for the 189 visa typically go to applicants scoring well above the floor. Employer-sponsored visas don't use the points test at all (they require an employer nomination instead).
Matilda Tip: PR isn't usually a single application, but a sequence of decisions made years apart. The most expensive mistake we see is choosing a first temporary visa without checking which permanent pathway it actually leads to. If you're starting out on a 482 or a graduate visa, plan the destination before you book the departure.
How to Get Permanent Residency in Australia: Six Steps
Wondering how to get permanent residency in Australia in practice? Whatever stream you follow, the process runs through the same six steps:
- Find out which visa pathways you're eligible for. Assessing eligibility criteria is the fastest way to shortlist your options. Matilda's Find Your Visa tool lets you check your eligibility online in minutes. You may qualify for multiple pathways, one or none yet.
- Choose the best pathway for your circumstances. If you're eligible for more than one, compare the cost of each pathway, the average processing time and the risk profile. A couple in a long-term relationship may feel more secure on a partner visa than relying on continued employer sponsorship.
- Decide how to apply. Weigh up doing it yourself, using a traditional registered migration agent or working with a lawyer-led team like Matilda Migration. Our guide to how we compare with traditional agents explains what to look for.
- Check you meet the specific subclass criteria. Every subclass has its own eligibility rules, and this is where applications quietly go wrong (age limits at the time of invitation, occupation list changes, relationship evidence thresholds).
- Prepare and lodge your application. Gather evidence, collate supporting statements and complete the forms. The goal is a decision-ready application, which is complete enough that a case officer never needs to ask for more. Requests for further information add months to processing, and they're almost always avoidable.
- Wait for processing. Track your subclass's average processing time on the Home Affairs site so you know what a normal wait looks like, and when it's worth following up. A complete, well-evidenced application consistently moves faster than one that triggers requests for more information.
How Much Does Australian PR Cost?
The cost of becoming a permanent resident in Australia depends on your visa subclass. The government application charges for the main applicant currently sit at:
| Pathway |
Current application charge |
Notes |
| Partner visas (820/801, 309/100, 300) |
AUD 9,365 |
Single combined charge covering both temporary and permanent stages |
| Skilled Independent (189) and Skilled Nominated (190) |
From AUD 4,910 |
Additional charges for each family member |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (186) |
From AUD 4,910 |
Nomination costs are payable by your employer |
Be sure to budget beyond the visa charge itself. Skilled applicants typically also pay for a skills assessment, English language testing, health examinations and police checks. Partner visa applicants should allow for document certification and translation where needed.
If you use a migration agent or lawyer, professional fees come on top, so look for a flat fee and ask exactly what it covers.
Matilda Tip: Visa application charges are indexed every year on 1 July. If you're ready to lodge in the first half of the year, getting your application in before 1 July can save you several hundred dollars. But never rush an incomplete application just to beat the fee rise. A refusal costs far more than the indexation.
What's Next: The Pathway to Australian Citizenship
Citizenship is the natural next step once your permanent residency is established. To apply for citizenship by conferral, you'll generally need to have lived in Australia lawfully for at least four years, including at least the final year as a permanent resident, and meet character and knowledge requirements.
One more thing worth checking before you apply: Australia recognises dual citizenship, but many countries (including Japan, China, India, Indonesia and Singapore) don't. Confirm your home country's position before lodging a citizenship application.
Thinking about the next step? Discover everything you need to know about Australian citizenship requirements.
Keeping Your PR: Travel Facilities and Resident Return Visas
Your permanent visa lets you stay in Australia indefinitely but the right to re-enter Australia works differently. Every permanent visa comes with a five-year travel facility. While it's valid, you can leave and return freely. Once it expires, you remain a permanent resident while you're in Australia, but you'll need a Resident Return Visa (RRV) to come back from overseas as one.
To qualify for a five-year RRV, you need to have spent 730 days in Australia as a permanent resident within the past five years. The days don't need to be consecutive.
If you fall short but have substantial ties to Australia or compelling reasons for your absence, you may be granted a shorter RRV of up to 12 months.
This is the rule that catches out long-term residents who travel frequently or spend extended periods overseas for work or family. If your travel facility is approaching expiry, deal with it before you book flights, not after.
FAQs
What makes you a permanent resident in Australia?
You become a permanent resident of Australia by applying for and being granted a permanent visa (most commonly a partner, employer-sponsored or skilled visa).
Your status comes from the visa itself, so you hold permanent residency with the right to remain indefinitely, but you are not an Australian citizen.
What is the cost of an Australian PR visa?
The application charge depends on your pathway. Partner visas currently cost AUD 9,365 for the main applicant, while skilled and employer-sponsored permanent visas start from AUD 4,910, plus charges for family members.
Charges are indexed each year on 1 July, so always confirm the current figure with Home Affairs before lodging.
Does PR in Australia last forever?
The visa itself doesn't expire while you're in Australia. You can stay indefinitely. What does expire is your travel facility.
After five years, you'll need a Resident Return Visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, or you can apply for citizenship and remove the issue entirely.
What happens after five years of permanent residency in Australia?
After five years, you have two options: renew your ability to travel by applying for a Resident Return Visa (which requires 730 days of residence in the previous five years), or apply for Australian citizenship if you meet the residence requirements.
Most eligible permanent residents choose citizenship as it's the more permanent fix.
Can I get PR after two years in Australia?
In some cases, yes. The most common route is the Temporary Residence Transition stream: after two years working with your sponsoring employer on a 482 visa, your employer can nominate you for the permanent 186 visa.
Partner visa applicants also typically progress from the temporary to the permanent stage about two years after lodging.
How long does it take to become a permanent resident in Australia?
It depends on the pathway. A skilled worker with a high points score might move from Expression of Interest to grant within a year, while the 482-to-186 route typically takes around three years, including the two-year work requirement.
Partner visa applicants become eligible to receive the permanent stage visa about two years after lodging their application for the temporary stage visa. Check the current processing times for your subclass on the Home Affairs website before you plan around them.
Can permanent residents vote in Australia?
No. Voting in Australian government elections is reserved for citizens. Permanent residents also can't hold an Australian passport. These are the two main rights that separate citizenship from permanent residency.
Start your pathway to permanent residency
If you want to become a permanent resident, planning is essential. The pathway you pick, the timing of your application and the completeness of your evidence all shape how quickly (and whether) you get there.
The encouraging news from the 2026–27 Migration Program is that applicants already in Australia have never been better placed.
Matilda Migration is led by lawyers, not just agents. We have guided hundreds of applicants to permanent residency, with 4.9 stars from 80+ ratings on Google Reviews.
Use our Find Your Visa tool to check your PR eligibility in minutes.
If you've dreamed of being able to live and work in Australia indefinitely, you’ve probably already started researching how to become a permanent resident.
Australian permanent residency is a visa status that lets you live, work and study in the country indefinitely. As a permanent resident, you have most of the same rights as a citizen, including access to Medicare and domestic university fees, plus the ability to sponsor family members.
The challenge is that there’s no single way to get PR status and choosing the wrong pathway can cost you years.
This guide maps every major route (including partner, employer-sponsored, skilled and family) along with current costs, the application steps and what happens after your visa is granted.
Key takeaways:
- Permanent residency means holding a permanent visa. It’s a different legal status from citizenship.
- Australia's 2026–27 Migration Program offers 185,000 permanent places: 132,240 skilled and 52,460 family.
- Application charges currently range from AUD 4,910 (Skilled Independent) to AUD 9,365 (partner visas).
- Permanent residency is granted indefinitely, but your right to re-enter Australia expires after five years unless the travel facility of your permanent resident visa is renewed.
- After four years of residence, with at least one year as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship.
What is Australian Permanent Residency?
Australian permanent residency is the status you hold when you've been granted a permanent visa. You can stay in Australia indefinitely, but you're not yet a citizen. As a permanent resident, you can live, work and study in the country without restriction and can access various healthcare services, but you can't vote or hold an Australian passport.
Gaining PR in Australia is the gateway to citizenship. Once you've met the residence requirements, most permanent residents become eligible to apply for citizenship by conferral, which is the final step in the migration journey.
Until you are granted a permanent visa, your right to remain in Australia depends on the conditions and expiry date of whatever temporary visa you hold.
Matilda Tip: To be eligible for Australian citizenship, you need to have lived in Australia for a minimum of four years, with at least one of those as a permanent resident.
Benefits of Permanent Residency in Australia
Becoming a permanent resident of Australia gives you most of the entitlements of a citizen:
- Live in Australia indefinitely, with no renewals for the visa itself
- Take any job, in any occupation, with no employer restriction
- Access government-funded schooling and university places at domestic student rates
- Enrol in Medicare, with eligibility for payments such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Parental Leave Pay (some payments have waiting periods)
- Leave and re-enter Australia freely while your five-year travel facility is valid
- Sponsor eligible family members for their own permanent visas.
Here's how permanent residency and citizenship compare side by side:
| Right or entitlement |
Permanent resident |
Australian citizen |
| Live, work and study indefinitely |
Yes |
Yes |
| Medicare |
Yes |
Yes |
| Sponsor family members |
Yes |
Yes |
| Vote in elections |
No |
Yes |
| Australian passport |
No |
Yes |
| Automatic right of re-entry |
No — requires valid travel facility |
Yes |
The Main Pathways to Permanent Residency
There are four broad routes to becoming a permanent resident in Australia:
- Employer-sponsored visas
- The skilled independent pathway
- Regional skilled visas
- Family or partner visas.
Which one is right for you depends on your relationship, occupation, age and where you're living when you apply.
The numbers behind those pathways shifted in the May 2026 Federal Budget. The 2026–27 Migration Program holds steady at 185,000 permanent places — 132,240 in the skill stream and 52,460 in the family stream, but around 70% of places are now reserved for applicants already in Australia.
We've broken down what that means in our guide to the Federal Budget 2026 immigration changes, but the short version is that if you're onshore on a temporary visa, the settings now work in your favour.
1. Family-Stream Permanent Residence Visas
Family-stream visas suit partners, parents, children and dependent relatives of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The main subclasses are:
- Partner visas: For spouses, de facto partners and those in registered relationships. These come in two forms:
- Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300): For those planning to marry an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Child visas (subclass 101/802/102/445): For dependent children
- Parent visas (subclass 103/143/173): For parents joining their children in Australia
- Other family visas (subclass 114, 115, 116, 117, 836, 837, 838, 835): Covering aged dependent relatives, remaining relatives and carers.
Most family-stream applicants need to demonstrate a genuine and ongoing relationship (for partner visas), meet health and character requirements and satisfy the specific dependency or age criteria of their subclass.
Discover everything you need to know about applying for a partner visa in Australia with our ultimate guide.
2. Workstream Permanent Residence Visas
Workstream visas suit skilled workers, either sponsored by an Australian employer or qualified in an occupation Australia needs. The current permanent options are:
- Employer-sponsored: The Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186), for workers nominated by their employer, most commonly after two years on a 482 visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Skilled independent: The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), a points-tested permanent visa that needs no employer or state sponsorship
- Skilled nominated: The subclass 190, points-tested and nominated by a state or territory government
- Regional: The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), for those who have completed their time on a provisional 491 or 494 visa.
To get a points-tested skilled visa, you need to have an occupation that is on Australia's skilled occupation list, a valid skills assessment and a minimum of 65 points on the points test. However, in practice, invitations for the 189 visa typically go to applicants scoring well above the floor. Employer-sponsored visas don't use the points test at all (they require an employer nomination instead).
Matilda Tip: PR isn't usually a single application, but a sequence of decisions made years apart. The most expensive mistake we see is choosing a first temporary visa without checking which permanent pathway it actually leads to. If you're starting out on a 482 or a graduate visa, plan the destination before you book the departure.
How to Get Permanent Residency in Australia: Six Steps
Wondering how to get permanent residency in Australia in practice? Whatever stream you follow, the process runs through the same six steps:
- Find out which visa pathways you're eligible for. Assessing eligibility criteria is the fastest way to shortlist your options. Matilda's Find Your Visa tool lets you check your eligibility online in minutes. You may qualify for multiple pathways, one or none yet.
- Choose the best pathway for your circumstances. If you're eligible for more than one, compare the cost of each pathway, the average processing time and the risk profile. A couple in a long-term relationship may feel more secure on a partner visa than relying on continued employer sponsorship.
- Decide how to apply. Weigh up doing it yourself, using a traditional registered migration agent or working with a lawyer-led team like Matilda Migration. Our guide to how we compare with traditional agents explains what to look for.
- Check you meet the specific subclass criteria. Every subclass has its own eligibility rules, and this is where applications quietly go wrong (age limits at the time of invitation, occupation list changes, relationship evidence thresholds).
- Prepare and lodge your application. Gather evidence, collate supporting statements and complete the forms. The goal is a decision-ready application, which is complete enough that a case officer never needs to ask for more. Requests for further information add months to processing, and they're almost always avoidable.
- Wait for processing. Track your subclass's average processing time on the Home Affairs site so you know what a normal wait looks like, and when it's worth following up. A complete, well-evidenced application consistently moves faster than one that triggers requests for more information.
How Much Does Australian PR Cost?
The cost of becoming a permanent resident in Australia depends on your visa subclass. The government application charges for the main applicant currently sit at:
| Pathway |
Current application charge |
Notes |
| Partner visas (820/801, 309/100, 300) |
AUD 9,365 |
Single combined charge covering both temporary and permanent stages |
| Skilled Independent (189) and Skilled Nominated (190) |
From AUD 4,910 |
Additional charges for each family member |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (186) |
From AUD 4,910 |
Nomination costs are payable by your employer |
Be sure to budget beyond the visa charge itself. Skilled applicants typically also pay for a skills assessment, English language testing, health examinations and police checks. Partner visa applicants should allow for document certification and translation where needed.
If you use a migration agent or lawyer, professional fees come on top, so look for a flat fee and ask exactly what it covers.
Matilda Tip: Visa application charges are indexed every year on 1 July. If you're ready to lodge in the first half of the year, getting your application in before 1 July can save you several hundred dollars. But never rush an incomplete application just to beat the fee rise. A refusal costs far more than the indexation.
What's Next: The Pathway to Australian Citizenship
Citizenship is the natural next step once your permanent residency is established. To apply for citizenship by conferral, you'll generally need to have lived in Australia lawfully for at least four years, including at least the final year as a permanent resident, and meet character and knowledge requirements.
One more thing worth checking before you apply: Australia recognises dual citizenship, but many countries (including Japan, China, India, Indonesia and Singapore) don't. Confirm your home country's position before lodging a citizenship application.
Thinking about the next step? Discover everything you need to know about Australian citizenship requirements.
Keeping Your PR: Travel Facilities and Resident Return Visas
Your permanent visa lets you stay in Australia indefinitely but the right to re-enter Australia works differently. Every permanent visa comes with a five-year travel facility. While it's valid, you can leave and return freely. Once it expires, you remain a permanent resident while you're in Australia, but you'll need a Resident Return Visa (RRV) to come back from overseas as one.
To qualify for a five-year RRV, you need to have spent 730 days in Australia as a permanent resident within the past five years. The days don't need to be consecutive.
If you fall short but have substantial ties to Australia or compelling reasons for your absence, you may be granted a shorter RRV of up to 12 months.
This is the rule that catches out long-term residents who travel frequently or spend extended periods overseas for work or family. If your travel facility is approaching expiry, deal with it before you book flights, not after.
FAQs
What makes you a permanent resident in Australia?
You become a permanent resident of Australia by applying for and being granted a permanent visa (most commonly a partner, employer-sponsored or skilled visa).
Your status comes from the visa itself, so you hold permanent residency with the right to remain indefinitely, but you are not an Australian citizen.
What is the cost of an Australian PR visa?
The application charge depends on your pathway. Partner visas currently cost AUD 9,365 for the main applicant, while skilled and employer-sponsored permanent visas start from AUD 4,910, plus charges for family members.
Charges are indexed each year on 1 July, so always confirm the current figure with Home Affairs before lodging.
Does PR in Australia last forever?
The visa itself doesn't expire while you're in Australia. You can stay indefinitely. What does expire is your travel facility.
After five years, you'll need a Resident Return Visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, or you can apply for citizenship and remove the issue entirely.
What happens after five years of permanent residency in Australia?
After five years, you have two options: renew your ability to travel by applying for a Resident Return Visa (which requires 730 days of residence in the previous five years), or apply for Australian citizenship if you meet the residence requirements.
Most eligible permanent residents choose citizenship as it's the more permanent fix.
Can I get PR after two years in Australia?
In some cases, yes. The most common route is the Temporary Residence Transition stream: after two years working with your sponsoring employer on a 482 visa, your employer can nominate you for the permanent 186 visa.
Partner visa applicants also typically progress from the temporary to the permanent stage about two years after lodging.
How long does it take to become a permanent resident in Australia?
It depends on the pathway. A skilled worker with a high points score might move from Expression of Interest to grant within a year, while the 482-to-186 route typically takes around three years, including the two-year work requirement.
Partner visa applicants become eligible to receive the permanent stage visa about two years after lodging their application for the temporary stage visa. Check the current processing times for your subclass on the Home Affairs website before you plan around them.
Can permanent residents vote in Australia?
No. Voting in Australian government elections is reserved for citizens. Permanent residents also can't hold an Australian passport. These are the two main rights that separate citizenship from permanent residency.
Start your pathway to permanent residency
If you want to become a permanent resident, planning is essential. The pathway you pick, the timing of your application and the completeness of your evidence all shape how quickly (and whether) you get there.
The encouraging news from the 2026–27 Migration Program is that applicants already in Australia have never been better placed.
Matilda Migration is led by lawyers, not just agents. We have guided hundreds of applicants to permanent residency, with 4.9 stars from 80+ ratings on Google Reviews.
Use our Find Your Visa tool to check your PR eligibility in minutes.
Niamh Mooney, LPN 5515274
Niamh is a qualified lawyer and has spent the last four years running businesses. She’s a first generation migrant from Ireland and has experienced the benefits of Australia’s skilled migration program first hand.
Employer sponsored visas
Which visas do you process?
Our team is able to support clients with a variety of visa applications including:
Partner visa: Subclass 820 and 801 (onshore) or 309 and 100 (offshore)
Student visa: Subclass 500
Temporary graduate visa: Subclass 485
Employer sponsored visa: Subclass TSS482
Skilled independent visa: Subclass 189
Business innovation and investment visa: Subclass 188
We’re also able to assist with applications for Australian Citizenship.
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