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!
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Hi there, my SC 580 expires on the 5th July, 2023 and I just submitted my SC 590 on the 1st July, 2023 but haven't received any bridging visa A at all. So I decided to apply the BVA separately on the same day. Now, come to a very risky timing since I only have until Wednesday 5th when my current visa expires. What should I do with this situation? Is it because my current SC 580 visa has 8534 condition in it? I once called immigration and the officer told me that I can only apply for SC 590 or 485 or refugee type, which I am here to support my daughter who is a student and will finish her high school in next 5 months. Your kindly reply will be highly appreciated.
Hi sir,
I’ve read your very useful article about bridging Visas. And I just have one concern that: If I’ve lodged for a TR visa (example 491) and the bridging visa A is granted (but not active until end of Sep - when my current Visitor visa expired). Can I travel or leave and return Australia before Sep while my BV A does not active yet? Will I travel with my curent visitor visa (with multiple entries) or have to lodge the bridging visa B? Some lawyers said that once I leave Australia, my current visitor visa will be invalidated and I won’t be back to Aus, although I be back in Aug. Is it true?
Hi,can I know did you receive any answers for your questions?because that is my question too?
We applied for 188 Visa Offshore in September 2022, we are still waiting for the result, we visited Australia in october2022 on Business Visitor Visa.
I wanted to ask you that if we travel to Australia on visitor visa and apply for bridging visa A, will we get bridging visa A or it will be rejected
Hi Nilesh, Can I apply for BVB when my BVA is inactive. Reason for asking: I am planning to travel before my Current Visa Expires . So, If I can apply BVB now and it's get granted . Can I travel back when its activated ?Will it be active when you are overseas??
Hi
My bridging visa A comes into effect on the 9th of July 2023. When can I apply for a bridging B visa as I need to travel overseas next month ie July.
I was holding a visitor 600 and my visa has expired today, I want to apply for a partner visa 820/801 to stay with my partner which is an australian citizen as i am almost done with the paperwork for it. should i be applying for BVE 50 or BVD 41? or am i able to immediatly apply for the 820?
Hi Sir,
I would like to know if it's possible to get a bridging visa A before my tourist visa expires? Im very confused because our agent lodged the prospective marriage visa 300 last june 2022 offshore because I was at the UA that time, then when my tourist visa was granted last October 2022. I flew to Australia and get married last April 13, 2023. And our agent changed our on-processed visa (Prospective Marriage) to Partner visa 309 and being lodged to immi April 13, 2023. My tourist visa will expire this October 2023. Can we apply bridging visa A that can work?
Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Cheers,
Jocelyn
I am in Australia but my student visa has already expired, so I applied for a visitor visa to be able to spend more weeks to finish my studies and travel. They rejected my visitor visa and I have the bridge visa that lasts 35 days and my plane tickets are in 47 days. If I apply to the administrative appeals tribunal (ATT), in the event that my application is rejected again, how many days do I have to leave the country? 35 or not?
Hi
I’m currently on ETA601 linked to my old passport which is granted on 21/5/22, and it will expire on 28/6/23.
I then applied 838 visa and was granted bridging visa A on 29/11/2022. (Currently still inactive)
I renewed my passport back in Malaysia and therefore had to reapply for ETA601 to return to Australia. Apparently you can’t link /change ETA601 with new passport number.
My new ETA 601 is now linked to new passport is granted 13/3/2023, expire 14/11/24. But on VEVO check, it is still shown as old ETA601 grant number as well as old passport number.
The trouble is I’m due to returning to Malaysia on 21/6/23. I wonder if I’m allowed to return to Australia on my new ETA 601. Or will the bridging visa A get cancelled? Or do I have to apply for bridging visa B.
Grant date
21/5/22 ETA 601 ( old passport), must not enter after 21/5/23
29/11 /22 Bridging visa A ( not activated yet)
13/3/23 ETA 601 (new passport), must not enter after 13/3/24
My mother is on subclass 600 with 8558 condition. Her visa expires on 23 November 2024. She is overseas and is arriving in end of June 2023. Does this mean she can stay for maximum 12 months in 18 months starting when she arrives and can only apply for renewal of her visa after 18 months period as per 8558 visa condition. Or can she stay in for say 7 months, go back (in February) and return back after 3 months (in may) and can stay for another 5 months (until September) to make it 12 months and can apply a bridging visa in sep before it clocks 12 months, before the visa expires in November.