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A Bridging Visa B (BVB), also known as Subclass 020, is primarily used by eligible Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B holders who need to leave Australia temporarily and return while their visa matter is still being processed.
The main difference between a BVB and other common Bridging Visas is travel. Home Affairs states that BVB is the Bridging Visa that allows an eligible holder to leave and re-enter Australia while waiting for a decision on a substantive visa, provided they return within the approved travel period.
This guide explains Bridging Visa B eligibility, how to apply, what counts as a substantial reason for travel, supporting documents, travel periods and BVB processing times.
If you want to compare BVB with BVA, BVC, BVD and BVE first, see our Bridging Visa Australia guide.
For Chinese-language information about Subclass 020, see our Bridging Visa B guide（澳洲过桥签证B）.
Bridging Visa B is Subclass 020.
Under the current Migration Regulations, an applicant for a BVB must hold either a Bridging Visa A or an existing Bridging Visa B at the time of application. In a common situation, the applicant has a substantive visa application that has not been finally determined and wants to leave and re-enter Australia while that application is being processed.
The Department must also be satisfied that there are substantial reasons for the proposed travel, and that the applicant’s return to Australia would not be contrary to the public interest.
So if you currently hold a Bridging Visa A（过桥签证A） and need to travel overseas temporarily, a BVB may be relevant before you leave Australia.
In a common BVB application, you will generally need to:
A BVB must generally be granted while the applicant is in Australia but not in immigration clearance.
The regulations also contain BVB pathways for certain judicial review situations and specific Partner visa circumstances, so eligibility is not limited to one simple scenario.
One of the most important parts of a Bridging Visa B application is explaining why you need to leave and return to Australia.
The legislation uses the term substantial reasons, but it does not provide a short fixed list of acceptable travel purposes. The assessment therefore depends on the circumstances of the application.
Your explanation should clearly show:
Depending on the circumstances, travel may relate to family matters, work commitments, medical reasons, important events or other genuine personal circumstances.
Form 1006 asks applicants to provide details including the destination, proposed departure date, proposed return date and purpose of travel.
There is therefore no single BVB travel reason template that suits every applicant. Your explanation and documents should reflect your actual circumstances.
A Bridging Visa B is not automatically issued simply because you hold a BVA and want to travel. You need to make an application.
If your substantive visa application was lodged through ImmiAccount and you have not applied for review, Home Affairs says you must submit the relevant Bridging Visa application through ImmiAccount.
If your substantive visa application was lodged using a paper form and you meet the requirements for the Department’s online Bridging Visa form, you need to complete:
Form 1006 – Application for a Bridging Visa B
and upload it together with the required supporting documents.
A Visa Application Charge also applies to a BVB application. Form 1006 states that the application is not valid until the applicable charge has been paid.
Most importantly, apply before leaving Australia. Do not travel first and assume you can arrange the BVB from overseas.
The exact supporting documents depend on why you are travelling, but your application will usually need to establish your current immigration position and the purpose of your proposed trip.
Relevant information may include:
Home Affairs makes clear that it will assess a BVB application based on the application form and supporting documents provided.
The aim is not to upload as many documents as possible. The documents should make the proposed travel easy to understand and support the reason you have given.
A Bridging Visa B is granted with a defined travel period.
This travel period is particularly important because it determines when the BVB allows you to leave and re-enter Australia.
Home Affairs states that when determining the BVB travel period, it considers why the applicant wants to travel and when a decision on the substantive visa application is likely to be made.
For example, if you plan to leave Australia on 1 December and return on 20 December, you should make sure that your proposed return date is covered by the travel period shown on your BVB grant letter.
The travel period should not be confused with simply asking whether the BVB itself still appears to be valid.
Always check the travel dates stated in the grant notice before travelling.
There is no standard rule saying every BVB holder can remain overseas for 30 days, three months or six months.
The approved travel period is determined on the circumstances of the individual application. Home Affairs considers both the reason for travel and the expected timing of the related substantive visa decision.
This is why the dates requested in the BVB application should be realistic.
If your travel plans change significantly after the BVB is granted, check whether the new return date remains within the approved travel period rather than assuming the original BVB will cover it.
There is no published processing time that guarantees every BVB application will be decided within a particular number of business days.
Processing can depend on the circumstances of the application, how soon the proposed travel date is, whether the information is complete and whether the Department needs additional evidence.
Home Affairs specifically advises applicants not to submit another BVB application simply because an existing application is still being processed, as duplicate applications can contribute to delays.
For genuinely urgent travel, Home Affairs currently provides an urgent BVB online submission pathway. Applicants using that pathway must complete Form 1006, pay the application charge and provide supporting documents. Urgent requests are considered case by case rather than being subject to a guaranteed turnaround time.
For that reason, avoid relying on claims such as “BVB is always approved within 1 to 3 working days” when booking travel.
Where possible, apply before your intended departure becomes urgent.
A BVB does not have identical work conditions for every holder.
The conditions attached to a BVB can depend on the circumstances under which it is granted and, in various cases, conditions applying to the Bridging Visa held at the time of application may continue to apply.
After your BVB is granted, check:
Do not assume that obtaining travel rights through a BVB automatically changes your existing work rights.
After receiving a BVB grant, check the grant notice carefully before travelling.
In particular, confirm that:
If your substantive visa application is decided, withdrawn or otherwise changes while you are overseas, that may affect your immigration position.
A visa refusal does not necessarily mean that every BVB pathway immediately disappears.
The current Subclass 020 rules cover certain circumstances where a substantive visa application remains relevant and also contain provisions for qualifying judicial review proceedings.
However, the correct position depends on what stage your matter has reached.
If your substantive visa has been refused, check separately:
If your case involves an ART Appeal（ART上诉） or judicial review, do not assume that the same rules that applied before the refusal continue unchanged.
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Jasmine Liu （MARN 2318100）
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