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 were 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, 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
I would like to apply for 838 visa I am living with my son since 2019 in Melbourne I am single and depend on him for food clothing and shelter and medicines am I eligible for this visa and form is required to apply how much r your fees for this please help thank you
Hi,
I am currently on 485 PGWP stuck offshore i have also applied for 491 visa being offshore under stream 2 for NSW. I want to ask can i apply bridging visa A when i return to Australia???
Please help
Hi Nilesh
I wanted to enquire that I'm currently on Bridging visa A for 190 QLD state sponsorship visa from June 2021 .I am waiting for my visa grant since Jan 2021(application submitted). I plan to travel to India in October , so usually the bridging visa B is issued for how many months and can i pursue them to give me BVB for a year so that I don't have to worry about visitor visa when i have to travel back once the borders open?Also, is it a right decision to travel or should i wait as I'm very confused.
Also, are you aware how much time the department is taking nowdays to issue 190 visa grant?
Thanks in advance
Hi I applied for Contributory Aged Parent Visa and on BVA. Planning to travel overseas for holiday and business. How often can I apply BVB in one year and what is the normal length of time for BVB. Thanks.
Hey,
I applied for a student visa extension on 14 march 2021, got a bridging visa A in the mean time as my medical was due, because of the lockdown the medical kept on getting extended and I still did not get a new date for the medical.
My course got completed in august and I have all the documents required to apply for 485 temporary graduate visa. I want to know I am eligible to apply for 485 while being on bridging visa A and if I do apply what interim visa will I be granted after applying for the 485. Hoping it will still be Bridging visa A and not C as one of the migration agency I approached suggested that I might get a Bridging visa C
Hi Nilesh!
I am currently on a BVA, as I wait for my 2nd 417 WHM visa to be approved.
However, my 2nd WHV (once approved) will expire Jan 2022. So far I am waiting over 7 months for this visa to be approved (it's in further assessment, one of the unlucky ones!!). My issue here is; I am afraid that I will still be on a BVA, and I will not have time to put in an application for my 3rd WHV by Jan 2022.
Can you please offer some advice here on my situation.
Thank you!
Julie
Hi Nilesh,
I am an international student who applied for an extension of student visa before my current visa got expired. But after few days I got an email from IMMI saying that my application for visa is INVALID because it did not meet the criteria for form 1545 COVID-19 Impacted student eligibility. And the email also said that I will need to lodge a new student visa application through immiaccount.
But the problem is that my visa got expired on Aug 30 and I got the email from Immi on Sep 3rd. I have submitted a new application on Sep 8th. Now I haven’t got a bridging visa. I saw an option to apply for bridging visa separately in the application home of my Immi account, so I have applied for bridging visa A seeking permission to work. Is my approach correct?
If you could please get back to me on this, it would be really helpful to me.
Thank You.
Regards,
Surya.
Good morning sir
My partner got BVE. Is there any chance to get student visa again.
Hi , I have been on a bridging visa for now 15 monts waiting for my second WHV to be granted .
My current employer would be ready to sponsor me , is it possible to apply for a sponsorship visa in my situation ?
Hi,
I am currently the holder of a bridging visa a, and my bridging visa is soon going to expire. When do I apply for a bridging visa, right nor or after it expires?
Please tell me soon.