What Happens When the 5-Year Travel Facility on Partner Visa 100 Ends in 2026?

Updated 2026-10-11 · General information, not migration advice · Run by the Arrivau team

If the travel facility on your Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) is running out in 2026, your permanent residency does not end with it — what ends is your automatic right to travel back to Australia as a permanent resident. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Partner (Migrant) visa (Subclass 100) page, as of the October 2026 version of that page, the visa lets you travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date of grant, and once that initial 5-year travel facility ends you must apply for and be granted a Resident Return visa (RRV, subclasses 155 and 157) to travel to Australia as a permanent resident. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice for your situation, so check the current official pages or get professional advice before you act.

Does my permanent residency expire when the travel facility expires?

No. Subclass 100 is a permanent visa, and you became a permanent resident on the day the visa was granted. The 5-year travel facility is a separate feature of that visa, not the visa's validity itself.

That distinction is the whole answer to the question. Permanent status and the right to re-enter Australia are two different things, and only the second one has an expiry date attached.

When exactly does the 5-year travel facility end?

It runs for 5 years from the date the Department granted your subclass 100 visa. It is not counted from the day you first arrived, and it is not reset by trips you take during those 5 years.

Because the clock starts on the grant date, the end date can fall in a year that has nothing to do with your travel plans — which is why checking the actual recorded date matters more than counting years in your head.

How do I check my travel facility end date in VEVO?

VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) is the system the Department points to for seeing when your travel facility ends. Australian visas are digital, so there is no visa label in your passport to read.

  1. Find your visa grant letter.
  2. Take the visa number from that letter.
  3. Open VEVO and enter your details with that visa number.
  4. Read the travel facility end date shown in your record.
  5. Check the visa's validity status at the same time.
  6. Repeat the check before you book any overseas trip.

Your digital visa record is also what airlines check before you board, what Australian government agencies check for identity and conditions, and what employers, banks or other registered organisations check for work rights.

What happens if I am outside Australia when the travel facility ends?

To travel to Australia as a permanent resident after the initial 5-year travel facility, you must apply for and be granted an RRV. Without a travel facility or an RRV, your permanent status does not get you back through the border as a returning resident.

This is the practical risk in 2026 planning: the problem is rarely noticed while you are inside Australia, and usually appears only when you try to board a flight home.

Is the first entry arrival date the same as the travel facility end date?

No, they are different dates with different consequences. If you were outside Australia when the visa was granted, your grant letter specifies a first entry arrival date ("first entry, arrive by") and you must enter Australia before it.

The Department's page also states you can travel to Australia with an expired first entry arrival date if your visa is still valid, while noting that the visa may still be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border. Use VEVO to confirm whether the visa is still valid before you rely on that.

What stays the same after the travel facility ends?

Everything that flows from being a permanent resident stays the same. On this visa you can live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, enrol in Medicare, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible, sponsor eligible family members, and apply for Australian citizenship if eligible.

One limit is worth remembering: you cannot add family members after the Department grants the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100).

Does the end of the travel facility affect a citizenship application?

The travel facility itself is not part of the residence calculation. For citizenship purposes, the Department treats your permanent residency as starting on the day the visa was granted if you were in Australia, or on the day you first entered Australia on this visa after it was granted.

If you hold a New Zealand passport, there is one extra trap at the border. Tell the immigration officer that you have a permanent Australian visa and that you do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444); if you do not, you might be granted a 444 visa, which overrides your permanent visa and might affect your eligibility for Australian citizenship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Partner visa 100 permanent residency expire after 5 years?

No, subclass 100 is a permanent visa and you became a permanent resident on the day it was granted. Only the travel facility — the right to travel to and from Australia — runs for 5 years from the grant date.

How can I see the exact date my travel facility ends?

Use VEVO with the visa number from your grant letter. Your digital visa record shows the travel facility end date and whether the visa is still valid.

Do I need a Resident Return visa if I never leave Australia?

The RRV is what lets you travel to Australia as a permanent resident after the initial 5-year travel facility ends. If you have no plans to travel outside Australia, the expiring travel facility does not change your right to live, work and study there.

Can I still work, study and use Medicare after my travel facility expires?

Yes, those entitlements come from your permanent status, not from the travel facility. This visa gives full work rights and study access, and permanent residents can access Australia's public healthcare scheme, Medicare.

Can I add my partner or child to my subclass 100 visa now?

No, you cannot add family members after the permanent Partner visa (subclass 100) is granted. As a permanent resident you may still be able to sponsor eligible family members for their own visa.

What should I do if I changed my passport?

Tell the Department about your new passport, because your visa record is digitally linked to the passport you travelled on. Your visa number stays the same and is still the key to viewing your record in VEVO.

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