Australian Permanent Residency (PR) is quite similar to a US Green Card in that both allow you to live and work in the country indefinitely and can later lead to citizenship. 

But there’s a key difference — Australia doesn’t have a “lottery” system like the US Diversity Visa Lottery. 

Instead, people usually get Australian PR through: 

• Skilled migration (points-based system for in-demand jobs) 

• Employer sponsorship 

• Partner or spouse visas 

• Family reunion visas 

• Humanitarian or refugee programs 

About Travel Rights for PR Holders, your PR status itself never expires once granted, it’s yours for life, as long as you remain in Australia. 

However, your travel facility (the right to leave and re-enter Australia as a PR) typically lasts 5 years from the date your PR is granted. 

If you’re inside Australia when your travel facility expires → you can stay indefinitely without issues. 

If you want to travel overseas, make sure your travel facility is still valid for your return. Otherwise, to return after it has expired → you’ll need to meet special criteria to be granted a Resident Return Visa (RRV) to come back as a PR holder. 

In short: 

• PR = can stay and remain in Australia forever 

• Travel facility = has an expiry date (usually 5 years) 

• RRV = extends your travel facility and this is your ticket back if the travel facility expires