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
Hi,
My current BVB expires on 30th Nov 2022. And my current working annual leave starts from 19th Nov and ends on 9th Dec.
I would like to return to my home country during the whole duration of my annual leave dates.
How should I go about my current BVB that expires in the middle of my annual leave date (30th Nov)? Can I “cancel” my current BVB and apply for a new one (so i can return on 9th Dec)?
What options do I have? Im very desperate now to look for an answer..
Hi,
I am planning to lodge 189 soon , currently I am on bridging visa A and waiting for my 408 visa, so after applying for 189 visa I will get bridging visa C. If I am not wrong will that be active or inactive?
I am planning for short trip to my country will I be able to travel if I lodge 189 visa as I am already holding bridging visa A for 408 or I should lodge 189 after travel.
Can some body please explain this to me.
I will really appreciate everyone’s response
Thanks in advance.
Hi
I applied for my mothers 870 (on shore) she is currently on 600 which is expriring in 8 days. When i submitted 870 application it didnot generate the bridging visa. I applied for the bridging visa A as there was an option with in 870 application homepage. It has been 48 hours since I made the 870 application as well as bridging visa application but haven't received any response. I have called the immig dep multiple times but they say it will come in 48 hours , some say 72 hours some say it will automatically be in effect when the current 600 ceases (how can it be in effect when the application status for bridging visa says submitted). What do you recommend i should do?
Hi,
I have applied for PR onshore and got a bridging visa BVA. I am currently visiting AU on a visitor visa. My BVA states that it will be effective once i have overstayed on the current visitor visa i.e, if i stay in AU for more than 3 months. The visitor visa is still valid for another 2.5 years with max 3 month stay at a time.
How can I kick in the BVA while still in AU on visitor visa? Do i just wait for 3 months to complete and it will automatically kick in, or can I request department to cancel my tourist visa to move to Bridging? Is there any way to move to Bridging visa without spending another few months on visitor.
I am keen to move to bridging to start working as I will have full work rights. Thanks
Hi there,
My situation is my mum has applied for 804 Aged Parent Visa and obtained BV A.
She travelled overseas on BV B which expires in December 2022.
She may not be able to return for another 6 months due to family circumstances which result in her BV B expiring whilst she is overseas.
Can she then apply for a tourist visa (600) and return to Australia and then request the BV A to be reinstated. This way she can remain in Australia until the 804 visa granted.
Thank you.
Hi,
I would need your help if you can clarify the below situation please?
Applied 190 visa(May 2022) and got bridging visa same time while on TR 485 which was expiring on 21st Sept 2022.
Got invited for 189 in August 2022 and applied the 189 visa in Sept 2022 and got bridging visa again for 189 application too same time.
Now I had two applications at the same time for 190 and 189 and both with bridging visa but I withdrew the 190 one before the TR expiry.
After the TR expiry my 190 withdraw application was finalised and I was given 35 days bridging visa.
The VEVO tool also shows the 35 days bridging visa and not the 189 bridging visa - 189 visa application still in process.
Am I in trouble? will the bridging visa of 189 will kick in automatically the next day after the expiry of 35 days bridging visa of 190? Will I need to exit the country before the 35 days time? and re-enter again if 189 bridging visa kicks in?
Hi,
I will be applying for my second work and holiday visa (462) in mid January 2023. My visa expires February 8, 2023. Will a bridging visa be automatically applied or do I have to make a separate application?
Hi, I currently hold Bridging Visa A for 3 long years now (pending for Protection Visa 866). What are the likelihood of my Bridging Visa B application be approved if I were to visit my home country for medical emergency or attend weddings to reconnect with family? I heard stories that protection visa applicants wont be granted due to not meeting substantial reasons.
Hi there!
I’m on a BV WE (050) whilst waiting for a decision of my partner visa application.
I have a 15 months old baby and would like to go visit my parents as they are getting old and need to see my son.
What would be my best options to travel and come back?
Hi Yacine
Thank you very much for your question. Here are the first three (3) things that come to my mind in relation to your post. There may also be other important issues which arise from your particular circumstances and you should seek specific immigration law advice before taking any further steps. It could be that I misunderstood you.
*In the interest of speed, my communications are transcribed and transmitted using voice-to-text software – please ignore any unintended typographical or interpretation errors. Please also see the standard Notes and Disclosures which apply to my communications. These are located at the footer of my work emails.
1. Of course you cannot exit Australia and re-enter as a hold of Bridging Visa “E” Class (Subclass 050) . Such a Visa extinguishes upon departure.
2. If you are confident that your partner Visa will indeed be approved then I would simply exit and stay with my parents with my child abroad until such time as the partner Visa is granted. Of course you should not do this if you think that your partner Visa might in fact be refused.
3. If you are overseas at the time of any partner Visa refusal then you will need to remain overseas until such time as the partner Visa is granted possibly after an appeal has been successfully made at the administrative appeals Tribunal. This could mean that you are Required to stay abroad for a very extended period of time. To access the current processing times for a given visa type visit this site https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times . Remember it keeps changing.
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Regards Nilesh Nandan BBus(Accy) LLB(QUT) MBA(IntBus) Immigration Lawyer | Special Counsel MyVisa® Immigration Law Advisory myvisa.com.au/about/ 1300558472
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Thank you for your answer!
So there’s no really any way to have a short travel right granted under compassionate grounds?
Negative. Absolutely not.
Last week I successfully applied for a BVB. The BVB was approved with a "Must not arrive after" date The problem is there was a major mix-up with the dates. The question is: can I complete a form 1005 to change the dates on this BVB, or do I need to apply for a new BVB?
Dear Nilesh
I would like to ask you about Bridging VISA B.
I applied for a graduate visa (subclass 485) in March and currently holding bridging visa B as I came back to Japan in May. My BVB is expiring in November but I am not able to return to Australia before it expires due to family reasons. I’ve read that the graduate visa will only be processed if I have BVA or BVB and have to apply for another visa such as a visitor visa in order to return to Australia after BVB expired. So I was wondering after entering Australia with a visitor visa and when it expires, will I be able to apply for a bridging VISA, and can a Graduate visa still be granted?
Thanks and regards
Hi Shirish
Thank you very much for your question. Here are the first three (3) things that come to my mind in relation to your post. There may also be other important issues which arise from your particular circumstances and you should seek specific immigration law advice before taking any further steps. It could be that I misunderstood you.
*In the interest of speed, my communications are transcribed and transmitted using voice-to-text software – please ignore any unintended typographical or interpretation errors. Please also see the standard Notes and Disclosures which apply to my communications. These are located at the footer of my work emails.
1. Be careful that you’re not providing any false or misleading information in relation to the already approved application.
2. Lodging a fresh Bridging Visa “B” Class (Subclass 020) application is the cleanest way to proceed based on information I have been provided with.
3. Given the COVID-19 pandemic which visas are quite frequently granted for 12 months. Perhaps if your original application had Requested a longer period of absence from Australia,
then a further Bridging Visa “B” Class (Subclass 020) application might not have been necessary.
Did you benefit from this response? Feel free to buy me a coffee if this was useful. It helps me answer more questions like yours! https://Buymeacoffee.Com/NileshNandan
Regards Nilesh Nandan BBus(Accy) LLB(QUT) MBA(IntBus) Immigration Lawyer | Special Counsel MyVisa® Immigration Law Advisory myvisa.com.au/about/ 1300558472
Book a quick 10 minute chat with me here: https://myvisa.com.au/10-Minute