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 dear ,
I applied student visa onshore and got rejected in 2019 , after that I went to AAT but it didn’t work out as well. After that, I were in Australia for 1 year while holding BVE . Due to the pandemic, the airline keep cancelling my tickets so i had to extend his BVE multiple times. I were back to my country in 19/11/2021.
From the period my student visa was rejected to the date i attended AAT, I were on the BVA . So after i got the result from AAT , my status auto transfer to BVE .
That’s why I left Aus on BVE. In this case will I get 3 years re enter ban?
Thank you for considering my case. I hope for a favorable reply soon.
Sincerely,
Hi Nilesh,
I am on BVB 020 and currently offshore. I am at a situation where I have to withdraw my 186 application immediately and reapply.
If I do withdraw my application, will I still have 35 day Bridging Visa expiry period, during which I can come back into Australia and reapply? or should I apply for visitor visa? Is this something that you can help with?
hi nilesh, i am a bva holder and i did not apply for bvb while returning to my country. can i enter australia?
Hi
On 23rd March 2021 my 485 finished I applied student visa and they grant me bva and on 16th June I applied for 491 and they grant me bvc in family emergency I traveled from Australia to my home country my question is:
1. Will I get my grant offshore as I applied onshore?
2. Will my application of 491 still be in process?
3. Will this travel effect my 491 application?
Please let me know
Will wait for your reply...
I am so stresses help me please.
Hi!
I hope you are doing well. I am on 489 visa that will expire in 2024. We have applied for 186 direct entry which has resulted in an automatic grant of Bridging visa A which is currently inactive. We have some family situation to go back to India urgently. i have no time to apply and wait for bridging visa b. Considering my current visa expires in 2024, Is it safe for me to travel. Will traveling out of country impact on our 186 visa et al?
Hai Nilesh, my 485 visa expires on 12th feb 2022 and I applied for 408 critical sector visa with include my wife. My wife received bridging visa but I didn’t received my bridging visa. I emailed to the immigration but still am not getting any response, please help me out this
Hiii Nilesh
I have bridging visa a . Can I travel overseas on bridging visa B
I am waiting for my student visa’s result. So, if I travel to overseas and my student visa got refuse am I able to come to Australia
Hi Nilesh,
I have loaded my student visa subclass 500 onshore yet haven’t been granted any bridging visa. My current one will expire by mid of March and this actually stresses me out as what might be the reason causing this. Just wondering if this happens quite frequently and if there is any other way I can probably do to escalate this. Been trying to call home affair but have no luck.
Hi my partner applied for bridging visa b but did not received it after 5 days so he had to go but its been two weeks and he did not received any mail regarding approval or refusal of bridging visa b. Is there any way we could ask immigration department about his bridging visa as last time it went to one of his agents who applied for previous visa.
Hello,
I would be grateful if you could please advise me on this question below:
My parents have the intention to be here on a 3 month tourist visa in August due to an event they wish to attend and then lodge the aged parent visa towards the end of their stay before expiry of the tourist visa.
I understand that they will be granted a bridging visa while applying onshore, however as it's a paper base application, what if their tourist visa then expires while the bridging visa is still processing - would this constitute an unlawful stay?
Thank you