A permanent resident (PR) status generally allows indefinite stay in a country like Australia or the US, but the initial travel facility is often for 5 years, meaning you must apply for a new one (like an RRV in Australia or naturalize in the US) to re-enter after that period if you've been abroad. While your residency doesn't end, your right to travel freely expires, requiring a new visa or proving substantial time spent in the country (e.g., 2 years in Australia, 30 months in the US) to get re-entry permission or citizenship.
Satisfy the residence requirement: You must have been living in Australia for four years, and the most recent 12 months of which were as a permanent resident. You cannot have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months during the past 4 years.
Show you have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the five years immediately before the date you file Form N-400; Show you have lived for at least three months in a state or USCIS district having jurisdiction over your place of residence.
You should wait to apply until you meet all of the requirements. You must be physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for 1,095 days within the five (5) years immediately before applying for citizenship. Only the five (5) years preceding the date of your application are taken into account.
With this visa, you can
apply for permanent residence after 3 years from the time your visa is granted.
While holding PR in Australia means that you can live and work indefinitely in Australia, it does not necessarily mean you can travel in and out indefinitely. PR approvals come with a travel facility that must be renewed every 5 years to enable travel in and out of Australia as a permanent resident.
First, as a permanent resident, you must reside physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) before applying for citizenship. Your residency period will be calculated from your last five years of living in Canada before the date on your application.
Eligibility Requirements for U.S. Citizenship
You must have been a legal permanent resident (LPR or green card holder) for 5 years, or 3 years if you are married to a U.S. citizen. If you served in the U.S. Armed Forces, you may be eligible even if you are not a legal permanent resident.
A “four-year rule” is required for citizenship. First, you must've lived in Australia lawfully for at least four years before applying, and second, during those four years, you must've held a valid visa and permanent Residency for at least 12 months immediately before your application.
New Skills in Demand 482 Visa to PR in 2 years
If you hold a Skills in Demand 482 visa under the Core Skills, Specialist Skills, or Labour Agreement stream for at least two years, you may be able to apply for permanent residency through the 186 visa, as long as you meet all other requirements.
Some refer to this type of green card as a temporary green card. A two-year green card is issued when you have residency through a marriage that is less than two years old. From the date of issue, you will have two years to remove the condition on your green card and apply for a ten-year permanent resident green card.
Compared to EB-2 and EB-3, the EB-1 green card features the shortest waiting time.
To qualify for naturalization under the marriage-based three-year rule, you must also: Be at least 18 years old. Maintain continuous residence in the United States for three years. Meet the physical presence requirement by spending at least 18 months in the U.S. during those three years.
The easiest way to get a PR in Australia is mainly through four visa streams:
You will lose your permanent resident status if an immigration judge issues a final removal order against you. INA sections 212 and 237 describe the grounds on which you may be ordered removed from the United States.
After 5 years of Australian Permanent Residency (PR), your status to live in Australia indefinitely remains, but your right to travel internationally and re-enter Australia expires, requiring you to apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) (Subclass 155/157) to maintain travel rights. To get a 5-year RRV, you must show you lived in Australia for at least 2 of the last 5 years; otherwise, you might get a shorter RRV (1 year or less) if you have strong ties (e.g., business, cultural, employment) or compelling reasons for absence, or you can pursue Australian citizenship for unrestricted travel.
To be eligible for Canadian citizenship, you must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the five years immediately before the date of your application.
Unlike Australian citizens, a permanent resident generally cannot: have an Australian passport.
These are: by birth, by descent, by naturalization, and by marriage. These core categories form the foundation for how most individuals acquire their legal status within a nation.
Allow immigrants to apply for permanent residency if they have lived in the U.S. continuously for at least seven years and meet other legal requirements, including passing background checks. Establish a rolling eligibility date, so the law remains responsive over time and does not require further congressional updates.
In most instances, green card holders must wait at least five years before submitting Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. This means five years from the date you received your green card.
Any adult who became a permanent resident on or after 1 July 2007 must have been lawfully residing in Australia for four years immediately before applying for Australian citizenship. This includes: 12 months as a permanent resident. absences from Australia of no more than 12 months.
As of April 1, 2024, the naturalization application fee is $710 for applicants who file online through the USCIS website or $760 for applicants who submit a paper application by mail. There is not a separate fee for biometrics.
You may become a dual (or multiple) national of the United States and other countries if you: Were born in the United States and you have a parent that is a citizen of another country. Your second nationality would be based on the laws of the other country.