A Guide to Visa Applications for Bridging Visa Holders [Update 2025]

Introduction: Why Bridging Visas Matter in 2025

In 2025, the term bridging visa still causes confusion for applicants across Australia. Many believe a bridging visa is a “spare” visa, or a safety net that grants work rights and travel on demand. In reality, a bridging visa is a status-keeping instrument that attaches to another application or process. It is about staying lawful in the gap between one decision and the next. As an Australian Immigration Lawyer, I routinely advise students, partners, skilled workers, and protection applicants about how to stay lawful, how to request work rights, when to apply for a Bridging Visa B for travel, and how to structure a new application if Schedule 3 is in play. This guide is deliberately formal and practical. My aim is to make complex rules readable without losing precision.

Key idea: A bridging visa keeps you lawful while something else is being processed — it is not a substitute for the underlying visa you really want.

Bridging Visa Overview: A, B, C, D and E — What They Really Do

Most readers will encounter one of five bridging visa types. The differences are subtle but important for work, travel, and future eligibility:

Bridging Visa A (BVA)

Granted when you apply for a substantive visa onshore while holding another substantive visa. It usually activates when your old visa expires and remains in force until the new application is finally decided. BVA does not include travel by default; if you need to leave and return, you must seek a BVB.

Bridging Visa B (BVB)

Allows temporary travel and return to Australia while your underlying application is undecided. You must apply, justify travel, and receive a defined travel period. If you depart on a BVA (without a BVB) you may not be able to return. Timing the BVB around processing and personal commitments is essential.

Bridging Visa C (BVC)

Typically granted to non-citizens who apply for a visa onshore while not holding a substantive visa. BVC may have no work rights unless you successfully request them. A BVC does not usually allow travel; a BVB is not available to most BVC holders.

Bridging Visa D (BVD)

A short-term bridging option that can apply in limited circumstances where a person cannot immediately apply for another visa or where a decision is pending on a bridging visa E application. It is time-limited and should be treated as a prompt to regularise status urgently.

Bridging Visa E (BVE)

Usually granted to people who are unlawful or at the end of other processes (including some compliance settings). Conditions may be strict; reporting and work limitations are common. BVE is often paired with complex strategy, such as seeking permission to travel or preparing a tightly controlled further application if permitted.

Risk alert: Do not assume a bridging visa can be “extended” at will. It exists because something else is alive (a review, a court proceeding, a substantive application). If the underlying process ends, so can your bridging visa.

Work Rights, Travel and Medicare: What You Can and Cannot Do

Work rights on a bridging visa depend on your current conditions and the underlying application type. Some bridging visas mirror the restrictions of your previous visa; others require a formal request for work rights, typically demonstrating financial hardship or a legitimate need. A common mistake I see is assuming employment is permitted because a friend “had work rights last year.” Conditions are individual and must be checked.

Travel is different again. Only a BVB creates a lawful pathway to depart and return while the onshore process continues. The application should include a clear itinerary and reasons for travel (family, work, study, or urgent matters). If you leave on a BVA or BVC without a BVB, you risk being unable to re-enter to continue your onshore process — a costly error that can derail your strategy.

Medicare access for bridging visa holders is nuanced. Some holders (for example, on the path to a permanent partner visa) may access Medicare based on eligibility settings; others cannot. Always verify entitlement using current policy and your application type; never rely on anecdote. When I prepare submissions for clients seeking work rights or clarifying their Medicare situation, I tie the request to documented facts (income, employment offers, medical needs) rather than general statements.

Practice tip: Keep a one-page “status brief” summarising your bridging visa grant number, conditions, work rights, and any travel permissions. It helps employers, schools, and health providers understand your position quickly.

Applying for a New Visa While on a Bridging Visa (Schedule 3 Essentials)

Bridging visa holders frequently ask whether they can apply for another visa while waiting. The answer is highly context-dependent. If you are holding a BVA attached to a decision-ready partner visa, a new application may introduce risk unless there is a sound reason. If you are on a BVC or BVE and became unlawful at some point, Schedule 3 might apply to your new application, requiring you to satisfy additional criteria or justify a waiver.

When scoping a new application, I examine three issues: jurisdiction (are you permitted to apply onshore?), bars (do any legislative bars apply that must be waived or satisfied?), and outcome timing (will the new filing jeopardise your current bridging status or create a gap?). In 2025, applicants are well served by a decision tree that prioritises lawful status first, then the quickest credible pathway to the desired outcome. Crucially, if you are planning international travel, time the BVB around your filings so you can lawfully return to continue processing.

Checklist pointer: If you were unlawful at any point in the last 28 days before applying onshore, expect Schedule 3 to be considered. Build evidence early for any waiver request.

Schedule 3 in Detail: Criteria, Waivers, and Practical Strategy

Schedule 3 criteria may apply where an applicant seeks to lodge a new onshore visa while not holding a substantive visa, or after periods of unlawfulness. In practice, Schedule 3 asks: are there compelling reasons to allow an onshore application that would otherwise be barred or discouraged? This is where careful documentation matters. The threshold is not met by inconvenience alone; it requires fact-specific reasons (health needs, dependent children’s best interests, safety concerns, exceptional hardship, or other significant public interest considerations).

My approach to Schedule 3 waiver submissions is evidence-led. I structure the brief with clear headings that mirror the regulation, supply contemporaneous documents (medical reports, school letters, financial records, police or safety reports where relevant), and explain why an offshore application is unreasonable or harmful in the circumstances. If a client simply “waited too long,” I will say so; we do not waste time on hopeless arguments. Where there is a genuine case, a disciplined file gives the decision maker the confidence to exercise discretion lawfully.

Timing remains everything. If your bridging visa is close to expiry, file protective steps to remain lawful while compiling a high-quality Schedule 3 brief. If a BVE is involved, check reporting conditions and ensure all compliance obligations are current. A late or incomplete response is a frequent reason for refusal that could have been avoided by an early, organised approach.

Processing Timelines & Status Management (BVB Travel, Expiry, and Conditions)

Bridging visa timelines vary widely because they depend on the underlying process. A BVA activates only when the previous substantive visa expires; a BVB has a defined travel window; a BVC may hold no work rights until granted; a BVE may require regular reporting. The common thread is that paperwork should drive your calendar. Diarise expiry points, review dates, and anticipated milestones. If you must travel, apply for a BVB early with a complete itinerary and solid reasons. If you work, confirm that your bridging visa permits it; if not, prepare a focused work-rights request with evidence of hardship or business necessity.

In complex matters, I produce a one-page “Bridging Status Plan” for clients and employers, summarising the path forward. This becomes essential if employers need comfort about continuity of work rights, or if schools and universities require confirmation of lawful status during long processing periods. The plan reduces anxiety and prevents last-minute scrambling when letters or evidence are requested by the Department or a Tribunal.

Comparison Table: BVA vs BVB vs BVC vs BVD vs BVE

Real-World Case Examples (Anonymised)

Case 1: BVA + BVB for Family Care

A nurse awaiting partner visa decision needed to attend an urgent family matter overseas. We applied for a BVB with a clear medical itinerary, employer support letter, and evidence of continuing residence in Australia. The BVB was granted with a defined return period. She travelled, returned on time, and continued lawful work without disruption.

Case 2: BVC with No Work Rights → Granted on Evidence

A student transitioned to a BVC after lodging a new onshore application. No work rights were attached. We filed a targeted request showing financial hardship, an employment offer aligned to studies, and evidence of self-support without recourse to social services. Work rights were granted, allowing lawful employment pending the substantive decision.

Case 3: Schedule 3 Waiver for Onshore Partner Application

After a brief unlawful period caused by a missed expiry date, a couple sought to lodge a partner visa onshore. We compiled contemporaneous evidence: medical notes for the Australian sponsor, rental history, commitment letters, and a chronology explaining the error. The Schedule 3 waiver was accepted and the onshore pathway preserved.

Case 4: BVE Compliance Path Back to Lawful Pathway

A client presented unlawful and distressed after a refused application and lapsed review period. We secured a BVE, established consistent reporting, and prepared a contained plan to transition to a viable subclass. With disciplined compliance and new decision-ready evidence, the client regained a credible onshore pathway.

Checklists: Decision-Ready Filing & If Your Bridging Visa Expires

Decision-Ready Filing (for any bridging-visa-related application)

• Confirm your current visa status, grant number, and all conditions.
• If applying for BVB: final itinerary, compelling reason, proof of return ties.
• If requesting work rights: evidence of hardship, job offer, skills relevance, payslips/bank statements.
• If raising Schedule 3: chronology, genuine reasons, contemporaneous documents, best-interests factors for any children, evidence that offshore application is unreasonable.
• Index and label documents clearly; mirror headings to legal tests.
• Diary every time limit (responses, returns, expiries); keep proof of lodgement.

If Your Bridging Visa Expires

• Do not ignore it — unlawful status escalates quickly.
• Check whether a further bridging visa can be sought urgently (context-specific).
• Bring identification, all previous grant notices, and timelines to your lawyer.
• If the Department imposed reporting conditions under a Bridging Visa E, you must maintain your contact points because missed reports compound issues.
• Avoid travelling until you understand your status and secure the necessary permissions.

Related Guides & Internal Links

• Federal Court Appeals – Judicial Review
• Sponsored Skilled Visa – Employer Guide
• Home Affairs – Bridging Visa A (010)
• Home Affairs – Travel on a Bridging Visa

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does a bridging visa let me work in Australia?

Sometimes. The answer depends on your bridging visa type, grant notice, and underlying application. If no work rights were granted, you may request them with evidence. Always check your individual conditions rather than relying on others’ experiences.

How do I travel while on a bridging visa?

Apply for a Bridging Visa B before you depart. Provide reasons for travel and a clear return plan. If you leave without a Bridging Visa B, the Department may prevent you from re-entering Australia while it is still deciding your onshore application.

Can a bridging visa be extended?

Not in the way people imagine. A bridging visa exists because another process is active. If the underlying process ends, your bridging visa may also end. Manage status by keeping your primary process alive and lawful.

What is Schedule 3 and why does it matter?

Schedule 3 is a set of extra criteria that can apply to onshore applicants who were unlawful or without a substantive visa. To succeed, you must satisfy those criteria or obtain a waiver by showing compelling, well-evidenced reasons.

Does a bridging visa give me Medicare access?

Some bridging visa holders may be eligible, depending on the underlying application and policy settings. Confirm your entitlement for your particular pathway; do not assume coverage.

I am on a BVE — can I work or travel?

BVE conditions are often strict. The Department may limit work and generally does not allow travel without explicit permission. Compliance (including reporting) is critical to maintain any lawful options going forward.

Should I lodge another visa while on a bridging visa?

Only with a clear plan. A fresh application can help in some situations; in others it may complicate status or trigger Schedule 3. Get tailored advice before you file your application.

Book a Consultation

Bridging visas are supposed to be simple, yet they are where many well-intentioned applicants make their most expensive mistakes. I will map your current status, confirm conditions, identify Schedule 3 risk, and design a decision-ready pathway that keeps you lawful while moving you toward your goal.

Book a consultation and let’s turn uncertainty into a structured plan with clear steps, realistic timelines, and disciplined evidence.

Legal Disclaimer

By Nilesh Nandan — Australian Immigration Lawyer, MyVisa®️ Immigration Lawyers

This blog is intended for discussion purposes only and does not constitute advice. You should seek independent legal advice before relying on any information provided on this site. Immigration policies, systems, and processes can change without notice. I’d like to know your own experience with the immigration challenges noted above — feel free to contact me.

MyVisa: Nilesh Nandan, Attorney at Law
BBus(Accy) LLB(QUT) GDLP MBA(IntBus)
Head of Practice