The Price of Coming Home – the controversial application charge for the Resident Return visa — the visa that lets Australia’s own permanent residents come back into the country — tripled overnight, from approximately $490 to $1,475 on 1st July.  

The regulations were registered on 30 June and commenced the next day. There was no consultation, no transition period, and no published costing. There has been passionate commentary, and petitions raised . The more important question may be – Why the increase ? — and Who is left with no way to respond to it?

Read the full story to understand why PR need a Visa? The Case for ; and against ? ..and what Phoenix Law & Associates suggest for you. Call +61731800908 or email – info@phoenix-law.com.au | Level 8, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane.

Why “PERMANENT” RESIDENTS need a Visa

  • A grant of permanent resident carries a five-year travel facility
  • Remain in Australia and your PR will never expire
  • The moment you leave Australia your ability to re-enter as a PR ends
  • It is “the price of the door “

The Case Against

  1. No consultation, no choice ( people mid-way through travel or already overseas had no opportunity to lodge under the old fee)
  2. No cost justification
  3. It targets those with no alternative – settled families, carers with senior parents must pay to return home
  4. Per person pricing means households pay multiple

The Case For

  1. Citizenship is deliberately cheaper – $595 is a fraction of the cost of RRV
  2. Discourage permanent absentees – PR who mostly live overseas may have least need of being subsidised
  3. User pays – a fiscal lever with charge revenue

When Citizenship is not an Option

  • Some Australian PRs come from countries that do not permit dual citizenship – see our article for the full list @  –  But Japan, China, most of Asia, and many countries in Africa and Europe,  will not allow you to be recognised as a citizen of two countries simultaneously.
  • Taking Citizenship means renouncing nationality, where family, property and Inheritance and identity sit, a huge decision. And for Japanese, they must make their choice at age 22. A Japanese PR who settled at age 30, and remans until 80 years old, will pay in today’s value $15,000 per person to keep the door open,
  • Newer PR are not yet eligible for citizenship ( under 4 years)

What we suggest –

  1. Know your date – Check your travel facility expiry now. It appears on your visa grant notice and in VEVO. Most people discover the RRV exists at the airport, or when booking travel — which is now a $1,475 discovery.
  2. If you are onshore, your PR itself is safe. The travel facility ending does not end your permanent residence while you remain in Australia. The charge only becomes relevant when you intend to travel.
  3. Apply before you leave, not after. An RRV can be applied for from overseas, but the safer and simpler course is to have it granted before departure. Being offshore with an expired facility narrows your options considerably.

Choose Your Strategy Deliberately

  1. If you are citizenship-eligible and dual citizenship is open to you, the economics have shifted decisively. One citizenship application now costs less than half an RRV, ends the renewal cycle permanently, and removes travel-facility risk from your life. If you have been deferring the decision, the fee restructure is a reason to revisit it.
  2. If your home country prohibits dual citizenship, do not let the fee pressure you into a nationality decision you are not ready to make. Instead, manage the variable you can control: your residence pattern. Protecting your 2-in-5 position keeps you on the five-year facility and the lowest possible renewal frequency.
  3. If you are below the 2-in-5 line, take the substantial-ties assessment seriously. At $1,475 per application, a refused or short-facility outcome is expensive. Evidence of business, employment, family, and community ties should be assembled properly before lodgement — not improvised at the counter of a deadline.
  4. If your family renews together, budget per person and consider whether each member’s circumstances support the same facility length. Mixed outcomes within one family are common and can complicate travel planning.

If a trip is foreseeable in the next twelve months, weigh lodging sooner rather than later. This year’s change demonstrated that charges can move dramatically with one day’s effective notice. There is no announced further increase — but there was no announcement of this one, either

Phoenix Law & Associates advises permanent residents across every stage of the residence-to-citizenship spectrum. In light of the 1 July changes, we are assisting clients with travel-facility audits and RRV strategy — including timing of lodgement, 2-in-5 residence planning, and preparation of substantial-ties evidence for one-year facility applications; with citizenship eligibility assessments, including honest advice for clients from countries that restrict dual nationality on what naturalisation would and would not mean for them; and with urgent matters where a family member is offshore with an expired or expiring travel facility.

For our Japanese-speaking clients in particular: we understand that the choice between Japanese nationality and Australian citizenship is not a financial calculation, and we will never treat it as one. Our role is to make sure that whichever path you choose — including the entirely legitimate choice to remain a permanent resident indefinitely — is managed at the lowest possible cost and the lowest possible risk under the new fee settings. Consultations are available in Japanese.

The Resident Return visa used to be an afterthought. From 1 July 2026, it is a financial planning item. Treat it like one — and if your travel facility expires within the next two years, we encourage you to contact our office now, while every option is still open.

PHOENIX LAW & ASSOCIATES — IMMIGRATION & VISA LAW Disclaimer: This article is intended as general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration laws, Departmental policies, and visa application charges are subject to change. Individual circumstances vary significantly and can affect eligibility and outcomes. You should seek independent legal advice from a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner before making any decisions about your visa application. © 2026 Phoenix Law & Associates. All rights reserved. Article prepared in response to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, commencing 1 July 2026.

A Complete List of Countries That Do Not Allow Dual Citizenship

Nov 27 2025 – Premier Consultancy

Planning to acquire a second passport? You’ll need to know which countries won’t let you keep both. This list of countries that do not allow dual citizenship spans 40+ nations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Understanding these restrictions is crucial before you invest in your global mobility strategy.

What Is Dual Citizenship, and Why Does It Matter?

Dual citizenship allows you to be recognised as a citizen of two countries simultaneously. This status grants remarkable advantages: unrestricted global mobility, expanded business opportunities, enhanced asset protection, and strategic tax optimisation. For high-net-worth individuals and international entrepreneurs, holding multiple passports isn’t just convenient. It’s a powerful tool for wealth preservation and family security.

The trend is clear. More professionals are seeking second citizenships to diversify their options and protect against geopolitical uncertainty. Whether you’re looking to expand your business footprint, access better education for your children, or simply secure a Plan B, a second passport opens doors that a single citizenship cannot.

However, not all countries allow their citizens to hold dual citizenship. If you’re from one of these nations, acquiring a second passport could mean automatically losing your original citizenship or facing legal complications down the line.

Countries That Don’t Allow Dual Citizenship

Below is the list of countries that do not allow dual citizenship, organised by region. Some impose complete bans, whilst others permit dual citizenship only until a certain age or under very specific circumstances.

Asia (The Strictest Region)

Asia has the largest concentration of countries prohibiting dual citizenship:

Middle East:

  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates (with exceptions)
  • Kuwait
  • Qatar
  • Oman
  • Iran

East and Southeast Asia:

  • China
  • Japan
  • Singapore
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar
  • Laos
  • Brunei
  • North Korea

South and Central Asia:

  • India (offers OCI status instead)
  • Nepal
  • Bhutan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Azerbaijan

China maintains one of the strictest policies, requiring complete renunciation of any foreign citizenship. Japan similarly prohibits dual citizenship, requiring citizens to choose one nationality by age 22. Meanwhile, Singapore enforces a single-citizenship policy, demanding proof of relinquishment before granting naturalisation.

India doesn’t permit dual citizenship but offers Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status. This is a compromise that provides certain rights without full citizenship privileges.

Africa

Several African nations restrict dual citizenship, though the landscape is gradually changing:

  • Ethiopia
  • Cameroon
  • Tanzania
  • Libya
  • Botswana
  • Eritrea
  • Senegal
  • Mauritania
  • Guinea
  • Togo
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Eswatini

Europe (Limited but Notable Restrictions)

Europe is generally more accepting of dual citizenship, but several countries maintain restrictions:

Complete restrictions:

  • Andorra
  • Monaco
  • San Marino
  • Estonia

Partial restrictions (exceptions apply):

  • Austria (except in birth or national interest cases)
  • Spain (except for citizens from Latin American countries, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and the Philippines)
  • Netherlands (exceptions for marriage, financial hardship, or when renunciation isn’t possible)
  • Lithuania (exceptions for those acquiring at birth or exiled before 1990)
  • Slovakia (allowed by descent, birth, or marriage)

Americas

Only two countries in the Americas prohibit dual citizenship:

  • Cuba
  • Suriname

The vast majority of North and South American nations embrace dual citizenship, making this region highly favourable for investment migration.

Call +61731800908 or email – info@phoenix-law.com.au | Level 8, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. #ResidentReturnVisa #Visa #phoenixlaw #JapaneseLawyers #brisbanelawyers #MultilingualLawyers #MigrationLaw #AustralianVisa