aires.com

Five Year Residents Program Requires Two Years in Australia

February 21, 2012— To obtain a Resident Return Visa (RRV) valid for five years, applicants in Australia must spend at least two years in permanent resident status within the five years immediately preceding their application. Applicants may qualify for an RRV valid for one year if they have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties that benefit Australia. Previously, those who did not meet the presence requirement could still qualify for a five-year RRV based on their ties to the country.

In the wake of the new policy, which took effect February 15, the government is expected to increase its scrutiny of applicants’ ties to Australia, particularly for individuals who make this assertion in multiple RRV applications.

There is no change for RRV applicants who meet the physical presence requirement. Those who do not qualify for either the five-year or one-year RRV may still able to obtain an RRV valid for three months if they have spent at least one day in Australia in permanent status in the five years prior to applying and can show a compelling and compassionate reason for departure.

In general, Australian permanent residents require an RRV to maintain their status upon reentry after traveling abroad. In addition, former Australian citizens or permanent residents may apply for an RRV to obtain or reinstate permanent residence status, provided they meet additional qualifications.

About AIReS

AIReS, which was named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing independently owned businesses in the U.S., has over 30 years of experience providing best-in-class relocation management services. With six ISO registered U.S. offices and other strategically located employees around the globe, AIReS is a recognized industry leader in delivering high quality relocation and assignment management services to leading corporations. The company boasts some of the industry’s highest annual customer-satisfaction scores and a client-retention rate of over 98%. For more information, please visit the AIReS website at www.aires.com.