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. Hope you are doing well.
My husband is currently holding a tourist visa which we applied before we applied his offshore partner visa. He is now in Melbourne with me While waiting for his partner visa grant. His tourist visa will be until 4th of march 2021 . And we are hoping that he doesn't have to travel to because of the pandemic. When we checked his immiaccount, We notice a bridging visa included in the menu in his partner visa application. Does it mean we can apply for his bridging visa and he can wait his grant onshore?
Thank you
Hi Sir,
I completed my study in Aug 21 and applied for TR 485 in Dec 21. My student visa will expire on 28 feb 22 and bridging A will start on 1st March. Can I travel to my home country for my marriage in Jan for 15 days on my student visa or I need to apply for bridging visa B because I thing BVB can be applied only if you are on BVA. Pls advice
Hello, sir. I got confirmation that my bridging visa had been approved, however my visa grant document states that my visa is inactive..Can you tell me why my bridging visa isn't working?? If you could respond, it would be extremely helpful.. Thank you very much...🙂❤️
Hello, sir. I got confirmation that my bridging visa had been approved, however my visa grant document states that my visa is inactive..Can you tell me why my bridging visa isn't working?? If you could respond, it would be extremely helpful.. Thank you very much...🙂
Hi Nilesh!
I have a question, I have currently a bridging visa C as there was some complications with my new visa. I have applied for working rights showing no financial hardship but I sent a long compelling reason. How long does it usually take for me to receive an outcome for the bridging visa? Can I re apply for working rights if they deny the request? What documents or reasons do I need to use to support the working rights request for my bridging visa C?
Thank you!
Hi Nilesh
I applied my 485 application and got BVA then I applied BVB to travel but that is expired now, I recently applied for 491 and got visa type C but that is not active. They mentioned that BVC is not active your BVB is active and I also checked that on VEVO my visa in effect status is BVB, I want to travel next month, can I apply BVB to travel with this case. Thanks
Hi Nilesh,
I applied for my mother 864. She was granted BVA, then one year layer had to travel back home and got the BVB in 2019.
Her health is deteriorating and I have to return her to a nursing home in her home country.
It's unclear to me if she can just leave the country while on BVB, given she will never return to Aus.
Or do I have to withdraw the 864 application or get another BVB (which I don't want as I don't have reasons for it).
Many thanks,
Corina
Hi Nilesh,
I’ve applied 485 visa onshore and i am leaving for India next month, i will complete my medical examination in India. Will they grant me 485visa offshore if applied onshore?
Thankyou
Hi Nilesh,
I have applied 485 Visa and holding BVA.
Planning to apply BVB to leave Australia By January in case if I could not return back with in the defined BVB period, will the 485 visa application be refused and the department will not process further?
Hi Nilesh,
I am planning to apply graduate visa 485 with my partner as dependent. We are thinking about going back to our home country for a while with bridging visa B. From previous comments, I noted that the graduate visa will continue to be processed even we fail to return to Australia before the expiry date of bvb, my question is: if we fail to return, can we wait for the graduate visa to be granted offshore?
Thanks a lot for your help!
Jennis