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!
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Hi! I submitted an application for a BVB but I did not receive an acknowledgement that my application was received. Should I be receiving an acknowledgement like when my substantive visa was submitted? Or this is not the case for bridging visas
As I applied for subclass 500 visa extension on December 2021 and its now December 2022 and I am still waiting for my visa as now I am on Bridging Visa A and I now I am planning to visit home country as I am having term break from mid December to mid January and planning to visit in these days Is it safe to travel this time on BVB or should I not .
I have same scenario I haven’t been given bridging visa yet and my 500 is already expired. I called them twice already they told me to wait as the processing team is aware of the situation. No idea what’s going on.
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.
1. This can be frustrating but in all cases, this issue seems to resolve itself. Has the issue been resolved?
2. At the time of applying for citizenship, the fact that you appear not to have held any visa (even if for a very short period of time because of this issue), may cause a problem in terms of meeting the residency requirement. There is a solution to this and you should contact me if this poses an issue for you in any future citizenship application.
3. I where is two whether there are any health issues in respect of any family member. Every member of the family unit will need to meet health criteria.
*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.
Regards
Nilesh Nandan
Immigration Lawyer & Special Counsel
MyVisa® Immigration Law Advisory
http://myvisa.com.au/
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.
1. 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.
2. If your student Visa is refused whilst you are overseas, then you can re-enter provided you have a current Bridging Visa “B” Class (Subclass 020) .
3. I think it is safe to travel on Bridging Visa “B” Class (Subclass 020). Tried to secure a bridging Visa for as long as possible. In case it does take a little bit longer than expected. I’m hopeful for you that the student Visa will be granted imminently.
Regards Nilesh Nandan Immigration Lawyer & Special Counsel MyVisa® Immigration Law Advisory http://myvisa.com.au/
*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.
hi, we are currently on 494 visa /bva as well and still on "in effect" status and its been a year now still no other update. my question is, what does "in effect" mean and am just gonna say that i think we still got 2 more yrs before we can apply PR and must stay on the same employer. The other question is, since we are on the same employer does the year when on BVA counts on staying on a regional area for 3 to 5 yrs before apply to PR? coz am 42yrs old now and might affect when we apply for PR.
Hello, thank you very much for the very informative post. May I please ask a question in regards to bridging visa. We have travel booked for 22nd Decenber and weren’t aware the RRV visa took so long to process. I have suggested the BVB but he is worried if they make a decision not to grant him the RRV while we are out of the country he will
Not be able to come back in. Is it worth applying for the BVB or is there another one we can get where he will be able to get back in.
Thank uou
Hi Nilesh,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I am on a bridging visa A, and waiting for my student visa (subclass 500). I have been waiting for over 17 months, now! Is it possible to apply for a visitor visa for my mum, while I am on my bridging visa?
Kind regards,
Sombol
Hi there, my partner is on a Visitor visa multiple entry 3 months and has lodged a Partner Visa 820. Is there a way to have his bridging visa come into effect before the Visitor Visa expires? or can I get a waiver of the no work condition on the visitor visa?
Can I also confirm that the expiry of the substantive visa (visitor visa) will be at the 3 months? Thanks
Hi Nilesh
Me and my wife are holding now bridging visa A, however, when we applied for our visa which is currently in progress my wife was pregnant and we mentioned in our Application. After my baby born in Australia and we mentioned our baby details in the application by filling “change of circumstances form’ only. No fee required to add family members while my visa is under processing.
Now we want to Apply bridging Visa B as we need to go overseas how I can apply bridging Visa B for my baby as she doesn’t have bridging visa A?
Hey bro my visa is expired long time ago can I apply a partner visa onshore or I have to go back ?any advice for people like me ?
Hi Nilesh,
while I'm on a bridging visa A and applying for the bridging visa B, if I leave Australia and fail to return within the time specified on the visa, would that jeopardize my main visa application? or will it only result that I can't get back onshore till my main visa is approved?
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, this is really helpful.
Regards,
Joe
I just applied for partner visa and got BVA granted with no conditions under working field.
I'm currently on subclass 482 but I resigned from my job.
Does that mean that the only way to get employed without being sponsored again (bad experience being sponsored) is to wait for the 60 days for TSS to get cancelled? I get automatically transferred to my bridging A after the 60 days right?