A Bridging Visa is a temporary visa that allows you to stay in Australia after your “current” substantive visa ceases and while your “new substantive” visa application is processed.
It “bridges” your stay in Australia from the cease date of your current visa usually until 35 days after a final decision is made on your application.
Most of the time you don’t need to make a formal application for a bridging visa. This is because it is granted to you by operation of law.
A formal bridging visa application is usually not needed if you apply for a further visa while you are in Australia and you already hold a substantive visa at the time of making your further visa application.
The reason why a formal visa application for a bridging visa might not be required is that by operation of law, the valid application for a further visa in Australia is typically (but not always) deemed to be an application for a bridging visa as well. The Department usually always grants that application, either manually or automatically.
The purpose of a bridging visa is to bridge the gap, if any, between the time at which your current substantive visa expires and the point in time when the Department grants your new substantive visa.
The bridging visa is a mechanism for keeping you lawfully present in Australia.
If a bridging visa was not to be granted, then it would mean that you would be an unlawful non-citizen, present in Australia for that period between when your substantive visa expires and your further visa is decided.
The three most common types of bridging visas are a, b, and e.
The most important thing to check is that you always have a visa whilst you are in Australia (if you’re not the holder of an Australian passport).
You can check the visa that you hold at any time by completing a VEVO check. It’s online and free.
Be careful with a bridging visa b (BVB). Its purpose is to allow you to leave and return to Australia whilst you wait for the grant of a further substantive; you may exit Australia for a very finite travel period and must re-enter Australia by a specified date.
The biggest risk with a BVB is that you forget the period of your BVB grant, and you then fail to re-enter Australia before the date specified. Take very careful note to start returning to Australia several days before your BVB expires, so that you have ample time to re-enter Australia when you return.
When you re-enter Australia your bridging visa b does not change back to a BVA but will show as a BVB, allowing you to continue to stay in Australia but importantly does not then have any exit and return facility.
You will need to take care to lodge a further BVB if you wish to again exit Australia during the period in which you are waiting for the grant of your further substantive visa.
If you hold a BVA or a BVB you can apply for a further BVB.
Unfortunately, if you hold a BVC or a BVD or a BVE then you can’t apply for a BVB. It’s like losing your virginity.
Think of it this way – if you hold a BVC or BVD or BVE, you can never go back to get a BVB. At least until after your further substantive visa application has been granted.
As explained above, bridging visas “bridge” you from the time an existing visa ceases to be “in effect” until the time a decision is made on any new visa you may have applied for.
Usually, the bridging visa will run for a period of up to 28 days (and possibly 35 days, depending on when you lodge your application and when your bridging visa is granted) after the decision of the Department to refuse your visa application, allowing you or your migration agent or immigration lawyer enough time to file an appeal.
The Department of Home Affairs can issue you with a bridging visa if you intend to exit Australia. This is known as a “bridging visa on departure grounds”. These visas are for a fixed period.
There may be some scope to have these extended if, for some reason, you can’t depart. This is subject to negotiation between you and the compliance officer at the Department of Home Affairs.
For example, you might be without a visa and need a week or so to get things in order before you can exit Australia.
Immigration will often grant you this type of visa for a fixed term which will allow you time to exit the country or lodge another application.
There are serious consequences that follow after you exit Australia on a BVE. This is known as “special return criteria” where you may suffer a period of exclusion from Australia or a ban from a further visa grant for Australia.
The duration of this ban will depend on the sort of visa you are applying for and your circumstances. This is something that I advise on regularly and you should get independent immigration legal advice if you wish to make an application for Australia after exiting on a BVE.
Although your bridging visa may be granted (and you may have received a letter from Immigration saying that you have been granted this visa) take care. This visa usually only comes “into effect” when your existing visa expires and remains in place while the Department considers your new visa application. For example, suppose you are a holder of a subclass 600 Visitor visa. And you apply for a subclass 482 Temporary Skills Shortage visa while onshore.
Check your precise visa status regularly on the Department’s site.
You will not automatically become the holder of a bridging visa as soon as you make that 482 visa application. You will still be on your subclass 600 until it expires. Your bridging visa will usually kick in, if at all, immediately upon the expiry of your subclass 600 Visitor visa.
The Department may grant your 482 visa application while your subclass 600 visa is still in effect. This means your bridging visa in association with your subclass 482 visa application will be extinguished and never come into effect.
Don’t stress. Be vigilant with your follow-up as to why it could be that the Department didn’t consider your application valid.
Consider making a separate application for a bridging visa if your recent substantive visa application was valid but the Department hasn’t yet granted your bridging visa – this usually wakes up case officers!
Stay onshore (inside Australia) if your bridging visa is not yet in effect.
Exiting Australia will usually extinguish this visa and you may well find yourself stuck offshore. This can be tricky and I would recommend you get advice if you plan to exit from Australia. Book a call with me!
Please share your comments with me.
I’d love to know more about your experience with applying for this visa subclass!
View Comments
Hi,
I submitted my 485 visa on 16/9/2021. I have just discovered that I submitted the wrong police check. Could you please advise me what I should do now? Thank you so much.
Best regards
Hiep Vu
Hi Nilesh,
I am a little confused about when the BVA starts. Say I am granted a BVA. My current visa is a subclass 600 visitor visa that allows me to stay in Aus 3 months at a time and expires in 1 year. Am I allowed to keep staying beyond the 3 months? Does the BVA start after the 3 months or does it start after the visa expires in a year?
Hi Nilesh,
Thank you so much for this help and the comment section is super helpful as well!
I lodged an onshore partner visa application at the end of October 2021 and I am currently on a BVA. I have deferred my university course for 2 years and really need to get back to the USA to finish my degree, as well as see my family. I am really hoping to get a BVB for 12 months for these reasons.
We used a migration agent for our partner visa and she quoted us a lot of money to help us with a BVB due to COVID. I am really hoping to just complete the application by myself but I don’t want too much risk of refusal! Can you please let me know if the application is something I can do on my own, or should I seek outside help? Also if you have any tips on what evidence to include on the application? I believe I am a very low risk applicant.
hello sir,
I'm Viqar, i recently applied for student visa extension( subclass 500) it is a 2nd time extension because I'm left with 2 subjects to complete my masters degree. Now I'm on bridging visa A And i want to travel india i understand i have to take BVB VISA for travel,
my question is,
>will immigration gives decision on my subsequent visa application ( i,e. 500 extension ) while I'm offshore ??? if YES , what if i get a refusal for that??
>suppose if i get a refusal, can i apply for TR 485 visa from offshore after completing master online????
>what if i overstayed in india on BVB duration because of border closure???
please help me sir,
thank you
Hey Nilesh,
Can the time I spend on a bridging visa A, which was 10 months ,count towards my work and holiday visa (417) ? They granted my visa but instead of 12 months I just got 2 because the counted the time on bridging A towards it. Is that legit ?
Thanks Ani
I used to have a protection visa, and it has already had a bridging visa A （in 2019）I forgot to apply for bridging visa B , But it’s too late, I have already left Australia... Is there any other way I can re-enter Australia? help me...I am currently trapped overseas for a long time Thank you
Hi,
I am current on Bridging Visa B which expires is January and have applied for My graduate Visa 485 (TR). I am planning to go back to my country. Due to border restrictions it is a possibility i would not be able to return in January. Would i still be granted TR if i am offshore if i applied my 485 Visa in Australia?
Hello . My permanent visa had been cancelleded by section 501 .can I apply for BVE visa while I am waiting the revocation decision ?. Thank you for help .
Hi Nilesh ,
I had 457 which was due for expiry last year Sep , so I filed for new visa 482 as 457 is no longer in effect and due to covid conditions I was granted bridging visa A .
Due to critical covid conditions , I had to travel back to offshore while 483 visa was in processing state without applying for bridging visa b .
Can you please let me know if I can ever receive my visa.
Hi Nilesh,
Currently, I am on a bridging visa to a student visa (marking visa, 500) with a family. The previous visa expiry date was 24 March 2021. We haven't do our medical check-up as it has been cancelled due to lockdown but now the clinic is re-open and they requested us to book for medical check-up. Meanwhile, I just graduated this Oct and now planning to return to my home country in December, but also thinking to apply for 485.
My Questions: Can I lodge an application for a visa 485 onshore (in Australia) and then go back to my home country while waiting for the visa application of 485 is being processed and granted? Do I need to apply for BVB, but I don't have any intention to re-enter Australia? Or can I just leave? Is there any possibility that my 485 visa application will be refused because I was being offshore? Thank you for your response