The invention relates to a steel pipe expansion recovery type external casing packer, comprising components such as a base pipe, an expansion pipe, a rubber sleeve, fixing joints, rubber sleeve partitioning rings, an upper joint and a lower joint, wherein the expansion pipe is a multi-sectional expandable steel pipe, and is compressed into a similar double-layer steel plate in advance; two sides of the expansion pipe are machined into arc-shaped folding elbows; each of the folding elbows is internally provided with a folding through hole; the expansion pipe is axially and uniformly distributed on the base pipe; two ends of the expansion pipe are connected with the base pipe through the fixing joints, and are fixed by pin bolts. A sealing rubber sleeve is machined at the outside of the expansion pipe; the rubber sleeve is partitioned into a plurality of sections through rubber sleeve portioning rings, so that a plurality of sections of expansion chambers are formed. According to the steel pipe expansion recovery type external casing packer, the compressed expansion steel pipe is subjected to expansion recovery by means of hydraulic pressure, and a supporting effect is applied on the expanded rubber sleeve; the steel pipe expansion recovery type external casing packer has the advantages of large packing outer diameter, high packing strength, long packing effective time, and can be widely applied to well completion fields, such as sectional well completion and interlayer packing.