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
Hello Sir, just a quick question.
I'm applying for visa 190, my partner (dependent) is on bridging visa E and was refused a carers visa before because he didn't meet the criteria, not because of character problems. I went to a migration lawyer and I was advised that my partner should leave Australia and apply the visa 190 while he's offshore. Is that the best thing to do? Is there anyway he can just stay here while waiting for the decision of my visa 190?
Hi
Me and my kid (4 years old) both have visa 485, expired in 2022. I applied partner visa including my daughter on Oct 2020. Can my daughter go back to home country during the time bridging visa for partner not actives? Can they granted visa 820 when my daughter is offshore? Can she come to Australia multiple time when we hold both 485 and bridging visa?
Many thanks
Your partner is very limited in making any fresh application in Australia after a visa refusal or being the holder of a bridging visa E class.
The advice if you have seems rational.
I assume that you have explored other pathways to stay lawfully in Australia. These include fully exhausting appeal rights if there are any and lodging further applications for bridging visas in limited circumstances.
I hope this helps. It is a difficult situation to be in and the idea of being separated is a problematic one. Good luck!
Hello sir, thank you for such an amazing post.
My wife's partner 309/100 is pending decision and she is currently on-shore on a visitor visa. We filed her 309/100 application via a MARA agent.
Since she is on-shore, her application has an option to apply for a bridging visa. I want to apply for her bridging visa from my immi account and not via the agent this time.
Is it possible to apply for a bridging visa on her 309/100 from a different immi account (mine), than the account from which the main application was lodged (agent's)?
Thank you!
Hi Nilesh
I am from Hong Kong, currently holding 485 bridging visa which will expire on Aug 13. Recently Australia Government announced that they will offer 5-year visa extension for people from Hong Kong effective July 9, 2020. But they have not announced how to apply. Should I apply for a bridging visa while awaiting for their announcement on how to apply the 5-year extension? What kind of bridging visa I should apply? Also, when Morrison announced the scheme, he said that this will be offered to Hong Kong citizen and residents, but in their official announcement, it said "HK passport holders". I was born and lived in Hong Kong before I came to Australia for study 5 years ago. I hold British passport. I am eligible for applying a HK passport, but I had not applied for it before before I did not see the needs. In such case, is it possible for me to appeal if they do not offer the extension to me?
Thank you very much.
Hi Nilesh.
Please kindly give me the suggestion for below inquiry.
I have applied for my 485 post study graduate visa and currently holding bridging visa A. Due to some circumstance I had to change my Australian address. However My home country address are same as my passport and there was no change.
So should i need to change my Australian address in immiaccount or need to submit 956 form ?
You are required to notify the Department of the change of your circumstances. The form you should use is form 929, or simply update your details in your ImmiAccount application.
Hi sir, i'm on student visa ,i completd my 2 semester as a master's student but last 2 semester i didn't apply for enrollment due to some reasons . Now my visa is going to expire in August. Is their any other way for further stay but not on student visa. Help me out sir
Rohit
You will need to make another visa application immediately and certainly before we book current student visa expires.
If you make a valid application then you'll be granted a bridging visa in association with that application in most instances.
If you're not eligible for skilled migration or sponsorship by an Australian partner or an Australian employer, then your only other realistic choice is a visitor visa.
If any visitor visa application you lodge is refused then you might Lodge an application for review to the administrative appeals tribunal.
You would normally obtain a bridging visa in association with that application for review.
Hope that helps clarify things. you should get specific advice about your circumstances if you have any concerns about what to do next.
hi there'
i was on 485 visa and my visa was expiring on april 5th 2020' due to covid-19 i couldn't travel so i applied for student visa straight away and got the bridging visa but now there is a new subclass for 408 and i fall under the eligible criteria as I am a registered nurse in aged care. i have already lodge another application for 408 covid visa so cann i withdraw my student visa application while being on bridging visaA?
Firstly I would confirm whether or not you do in fact me all of the criteria for the subclass 408 visa. The so-called covid-19 visa has been rushed through and in my opinion is extremely clumsy and terms of how it has been drafted in law.
Because it is possible for most people to meet the criteria for the grant of another temporary visa, including for example application for a student visa or a partner visa, then there is one line of legal reasoning that suggest that very very few people will actually in fact qualify for the covid-19 visa.
The second point that I would make is that you should never withdraw a visa application without first having a plan b. This means that you should ensure that you keep your student visa application pending and only withdraw the application after you have a better option in terms of your plan a mentioned above.
Please let me know how you go with the subclass 408 covid-19 visa.
I think there will be a lot of legal argument in relation to meeting the requirements for that visa and this will result in a lot of applications floor appeal to the AAT if the 408 visa is refused.
Thank you for your comments and do let me know how you progress.
Hi my tr visa expired on 5 april 2020 i applied student visa on 3 april 2020 my bringing visa A automate issued on 8 april 2020 its mean i lived 3 days unlawfully in Australia
This is a great question and I know it affects quite a few visa applicants at the present time. I would be grateful if you could ask this question about bridging visas in the correct post which I have written about bridging visas .
Hello
it's me Birendra Shrestha.Regarding my TR 485 visa,Last year March we apply TR 485 but at that time my wife was pregency so our visa until today briding visa,our baby already born and immigration required document all we submitted (our medical,my son's birth certificate)but still my son below 6month so bupa not accepted for him medical and we don't have passport my son's.more than one yaer we are in bridging visa so when we can get TR 485 visa,how long it will be stay,in my case visa will risk or not,we are so worried regarding briding visa.can you give me correct way.thank you
Hi,
I am currently at a bridging visa (subclass 500) and I applied for TR (485 visa). But I didn't get a bridging visa for my TR. Do I need to first cancel the student bridging visa as to get TR bridging visa.
Thank you
Hi
I applied for Visa 866. My current visa is expiring on the 08.05.2019. I have not received a bridging visa yet will I be saying legally after the 8th and what should I do if I do not receive the bridging visa on time?
Also I am working does that mean I should stop working on the 8th?
Hiya, we have applied for 866 visas on 13 march 2019. Our new BVE visas came on the 14th and we applied for work rights on the 15th March and are still waiting to hear back from the department, its over 6 weeks now we have not been able to work. Please tell me if we have a specific waiting period (45 days, etc) to get these work rights reinstated (we had them on our last BVE visas) as we are in a serious financial predicament and obviously need to carry on working as we have four young children to support, two of which were very premmature twins who were born in Australia. We have been here since 2013. Lost our original 457 visas due to a discrepancy with a previous employer. Ended up filing an Appeal with the Tribunal. That took over 15 months to get a court hearing date by which time our 457s had expired, hence why we had a BVE given to us as we were wanting to apply for a protection visa. While our new BVEs show that we are legal, they came with no work rights but my two eldest children are allowed to stay in school. Please advise if this is normal procedure or if we should be doing something further like applying for something else via another form to reinstate our work rights? We really have no idea how to get them back now and of course Google cannot answer the questions I am asking it. Thank you so much for your time, it is greatly appreciated!