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A Bridging Visa allows you to remain lawfully in Australia while your immigration status or another visa matter is being resolved.
You may receive a Bridging Visa while waiting for another substantive visa application to be decided, during an eligible review process, when preparing to leave Australia, or in other circumstances where you need temporary lawful status.
There are several types of Bridging Visas in Australia, including Bridging Visa A, B, C, D and E. They do not all provide the same work rights, travel rights or period of stay. Australian migration law also includes other bridging visa subclasses, so BVA to BVE are not the only Bridging Visas available.
Which Bridging Visa applies to you depends on your current visa status, visa history, whether you have lodged a substantive visa application, whether a review process is underway, and whether you need to travel outside Australia.
Australia Visa Link can assist with Bridging Visa applications, work conditions, overseas travel, visa refusal, ART review and immigration status issues.
For a Chinese-language overview, see our Bridging Visa guide（澳洲过桥签证指南）.
You may need or already hold a Bridging Visa if you have applied for another visa in Australia and your current visa may expire before a decision is made. This can include certain onshore skilled or employer-sponsored applications, such as subclass 482（482签证）, provided the application is valid and you meet the relevant Bridging Visa requirements.
The type of Bridging Visa available to you depends on your visa history, your current immigration status and what visa application, review or judicial process is underway.
If you already have a Bridging Visa grant letter, checking the subclass, commencement details and conditions in your grant letter and VEVO is the best place to start.
The former Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) was replaced by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) on 14 October 2024.
The Bridging Visa you need is determined by your current immigration situation rather than personal preference. The five types most applicants are likely to encounter are BVA, BVB, BVC, BVD and BVE.
A Bridging Visa A (BVA) is commonly associated with an eligible substantive visa application lodged in Australia. It can allow an eligible applicant to remain lawfully in Australia if their existing substantive visa ends before the new application is finalised.
This can include some onshore applications such as a Partner Visa（澳洲配偶签证）, depending on the applicant’s circumstances.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for a BVA where you have an outstanding substantive visa application or, in some circumstances, where you are awaiting the outcome of judicial review. Your eligibility depends on the visa application and the Bridging Visa you currently or previously held.
You must also meet the relevant application requirements and be in Australia where required.
How to apply
You do not always need to make a separate BVA application. In many eligible onshore cases, a BVA may be granted in connection with the substantive visa application.
Where a separate BVA application is required and your substantive visa was lodged through ImmiAccount, the Bridging Visa application should generally also be submitted through ImmiAccount if you have not applied for review.
If the related substantive visa was lodged using a paper form, eligible applicants can use Form 1005 and the Department’s Bridging Visa online process.
Important
A BVA can be granted before it becomes active. If your current substantive visa is still valid, that visa will normally remain in effect first. You should check the commencement details in your BVA grant letter and VEVO rather than assuming the BVA became active on the date it was granted.
A BVA does not provide travel rights allowing you to leave Australia and re-enter on that visa. If you leave Australia while a BVA is in effect, it will cease.
For more information about Subclass 010, BVA work rights, when the visa becomes active, processing considerations and what happens after a refusal or review, see our Bridging Visa A Guide.
A Bridging Visa B (BVB) is designed for eligible Bridging Visa holders who need to leave Australia temporarily and return while their substantive visa application or certain review proceedings are still underway.
Eligibility
To be granted a BVB, you generally need to:
Your eligibility will also depend on the substantive visa application or relevant proceedings connected with your Bridging Visa.
How to apply
If your substantive visa application was lodged through ImmiAccount and you have not applied for review, the BVB application should generally also be submitted through ImmiAccount.
Where the associated substantive visa was lodged by paper, eligible applicants use Form 1006 – Application for a Bridging Visa B through the Department’s relevant online process.
The Visa Application Charge must be paid before the BVB application is submitted. Supporting documents explaining your reasons for travel should also be included.
Important
A BVB only provides travel rights during the travel period granted by Home Affairs. You should obtain the appropriate travel permission before leaving Australia and check the approved travel period carefully.
Home Affairs considers why you need to travel and when it is likely to make a decision on your substantive visa application when determining the BVB travel period.
For more information about BVB eligibility, application requirements, supporting documents, travel reasons, travel periods and processing considerations, see our Bridging Visa B Guide.
A Bridging Visa C (BVC) may be relevant where you have made an eligible substantive visa application in Australia but did not hold a substantive visa at the relevant time.
Eligibility
You must not hold a Bridging Visa E (BVE), and eligibility can also be affected by whether you have held a BVE since you last held a substantive visa.
Eligibility depends on the substantive visa application you have lodged and your immigration status at the relevant time.
A BVC may also be available in some circumstances where a previous Bridging Visa C has ceased or where you are involved in eligible judicial review proceedings.
How to apply
Where a separate application is required, a BVC can generally be applied for through ImmiAccount if the associated substantive visa application was lodged there and you have not applied for review.
Otherwise, eligible applicants can complete Form 1005 and submit it through the Home Affairs Bridging Visa online process.
Important
A BVC does not provide a travel facility allowing you to leave Australia and return.
Work rights also vary depending on the conditions attached to the individual visa, so you should check your grant letter and VEVO before working.
In some eligible circumstances, a BVC holder may be able to apply for another BVC with different work conditions.
A Bridging Visa D (BVD) is a very short-term Bridging Visa used in specific situations where a person is already unlawful or is close to becoming unlawful and needs a brief period to take the next step in resolving their immigration status.
Eligibility
The two BVD subclasses apply in different situations:
A Subclass 040 applicant does not necessarily need to be unlawful already. The regulations also provide for certain applicants whose existing visa will cease within the next 3 working days.
How to apply
A BVD application is made using Form 1007 – Application for a Bridging Visa D.
The application requires information including your identity, passport details, current Australian residential address and the reason you are applying for the BVD.
Important
A BVD is intended as a very short-term solution while you take the next immigration step.
Both Subclass 040 and Subclass 041 carry condition 8101, which means you cannot work. Subclass 041 can also include condition 8401 requiring the holder to attend an interview.
A Bridging Visa E (BVE) allows certain people to remain lawfully in Australia while they resolve their immigration status, finalise an immigration matter or make arrangements to leave Australia.
Eligibility
For a Subclass 050 BVE, you generally need to be:
and be taking a relevant step such as arranging departure, applying for a substantive visa, pursuing an eligible merits or judicial review, or seeking Ministerial Intervention.
A BVE may also be used in status-resolution situations involving a substantive visa application, merits or judicial review, departure arrangements or Ministerial Intervention.
Subclass 051 is much more limited and generally relates to certain Protection Visa applicants who meet specific requirements.
How to apply
Eligible applicants can apply for a BVE through ImmiAccount.
If you cannot apply online, Form 1008 – Application for Bridging Visa E Subclass 050 may be available in applicable circumstances.
Home Affairs currently states that a person whose visa has expired and who needs a BVE while making arrangements to leave Australia can apply through ImmiAccount for free.
Important
You must meet the relevant location and eligibility requirements when applying for and being granted a BVE.
A BVE does not provide return travel rights. If a BVE holder leaves Australia while the visa is in effect, the BVE will cease and cannot be used to return to Australia.
Work rights depend on the conditions attached to the individual BVE. Some holders may be able to apply for another BVE with different conditions if they satisfy the relevant requirements, which can include demonstrating a compelling need to work because of financial hardship.
The Bridging Visa application process depends on the type of Bridging Visa and the immigration matter connected with it.
You do not always need to submit a separate Bridging Visa application. In some cases, a Bridging Visa may be granted in connection with an eligible substantive visa application.
Where a separate Bridging Visa application is required:
Home Affairs advises applicants not to submit duplicate Bridging Visa applications simply because an earlier application is still being processed, as duplicate applications can contribute to processing delays.
If you are unsure whether you need to make a separate Bridging Visa application, first check your existing visa grant notices, current visa status, the related substantive visa application and any review proceedings.
There is no single processing time that applies to every Bridging Visa application.
Processing depends on the Bridging Visa type, your circumstances, the application you have made and whether the Department needs additional information or supporting documents.
For example, an urgent BVB travel application involves a different set of circumstances from an application to change work conditions or a BVE application made after a person’s substantive visa has expired.
If you have an important deadline, such as upcoming overseas travel or an urgent immigration status issue, avoid relying on an old Bridging Visa processing time estimate found online.
For BVB applications in particular, make sure you allow time for the application to be considered before your intended departure. Home Affairs provides a specific urgent BVB submission process but does not guarantee that all applications will be decided within one fixed timeframe.
Being granted a Bridging Visa does not always mean that it becomes active immediately.
For example, where a BVA has been granted while your current substantive visa is still valid, the substantive visa may remain in effect first. The BVA can then come into effect when the relevant circumstances specified in the visa grant are met.
The commencement rules are not identical for every Bridging Visa type.
If you already have a Bridging Visa, check the grant letter and VEVO to confirm which visa is currently in effect and when the Bridging Visa starts.
There is no single validity period that applies to every Bridging Visa.
How long a Bridging Visa lasts depends on the subclass, the immigration matter connected with it, the related substantive visa application or review proceedings, and the circumstances set out in the visa grant.
A Bridging Visa may remain in effect until a specified date, for a particular period or until a particular immigration event occurs.
For this reason, do not assume that every BVA, BVB, BVC, BVD or BVE lasts for the same number of weeks or months. Check your individual grant letter and VEVO to confirm the current visa status and conditions.
Whether you can work on a Bridging Visa depends on the visa subclass and the conditions attached to your individual grant.
Some Bridging Visa holders have work rights, while others may have restrictions or a No Work condition. The safest way to confirm your current position is to check your VEVO record and grant letter.
If your Bridging Visa does not allow you to work, there may be circumstances where you can apply for another Bridging Visa with different conditions.
For relevant BVA and BVC holders, this may involve demonstrating a compelling need to work. If you currently hold a BVB and need different work conditions, the applicable process may instead involve applying for a BVA. Form 1005 explains the available options for a new Bridging Visa with different conditions.
BVE work rights are subject to separate requirements, and some applicants may need to demonstrate a compelling need to work because of financial hardship.
Travel rules are particularly important for Bridging Visa holders.
A Bridging Visa B is the Bridging Visa that allows an eligible holder to leave and re-enter Australia during an approved travel period while waiting for a substantive visa decision.
If another type of Bridging Visa is in effect when you depart Australia, that Bridging Visa will cease. Home Affairs also states that BVBs are granted with a defined travel period.
Before travelling, check:
If you already have an upcoming travel date, provide it when contacting our migration team so the timing can be considered from the beginning.
Receiving a visa refusal does not necessarily mean that your Bridging Visa ends on the same day.
What happens next depends on:
The former Administrative Appeals Tribunal was replaced by the Administrative Review Tribunal on 14 October 2024.
If your refusal or cancellation decision is eligible for administrative review, see ART Appeal（ART上诉） for more information about the review process.
If you receive a refusal decision, check the review deadline immediately and confirm what happens to your current Bridging Visa rather than assuming it will continue indefinitely.
Australia Visa Link can assist with visa refusal, ART review options and the Bridging Visa issues connected with your case. If you are unsure which Bridging Visa applies to you, whether you can work or travel, or whether you need to make a separate application, you are welcome to contact our team to discuss your circumstances.
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