Bridging Visa

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Project Introduction

Bridging visa is a temporary visa. After the visa expires, and before obtaining the next substantive visa, the applicant will automatically obtain or must apply for the bridging visa, allowing the applicants to legally stay in Australia and wait for the next substantive visa. Generally, bridging visas have 5 streams: A, B, C, D, E. Different bridging visas have different uses. Applicants will be automatically granted a bridging visa under some specific circumstances, or must apply for a bridging visa, so as to let applicants stay in Australia lawfully while their immigration status is resolved.

Suitable For People

Must be in Australia when applying for the next substantive visa

When the applicant's last substantive visa expired and the next substantive visa has not been approved

Applicants whose visas have expired, been refused or cancelled and need to leave the country

Applicants whose visa has been refused and appealed in Australia (AAT/FCC)

Bridging Visa A (BVA) Application Requirements

You must hold or have held a substantive visa.

You will need to be in Australia when you apply.

You must have made a valid application for a substantive visa that has not been finally determined or you have made an application for judicial review of a decision relating to your substantive visa application, within the prescribed timeframe, and the judicial review proceedings have not been completed.

You must apply within the prescribed timeframe.

You can be any age to apply for this visa.

You will need to meet the character requirement.

Bridging Visa B (BVB) Application Requirement

You must have held a Substantive visa.

You must already hold a BVA or a BVB.

You must have made a valid application for a substantive visa and either: that application has not been finally determined, or that application was refused and you have made an application for judicial review (within the prescribed timeframe), and the judicial review proceedings have not been completed.

You must apply for review within the prescribed timeframes.

You must provide a reason and attach any supporting documents to explain why you need to depart and return to Australia while your substantive visa is being considered or while you are waiting for the outcome of a judicial review.

You can be any age to apply for this visa.

You must meet the character requirement.

Bridging Visa C (BVC) Application Requirement

You must not hold a Bridging visa E (BVE) and you must not have held a BVE since you last held a substantive visa.

When you lodged your application for a substantive visa, you must not have held a substantive visa.

You will need to be in Australia when you apply.

You can be any age to apply for this visa.

Bridging Visa D (BVD) Application Requirement

You are an unlawful non-citizen (or will become so within 3 days) and has attempted to, but is unable to, make a valid application in Australia for a substantive visa of a kind that can be granted in Australia and will make a valid application for a substantive visa within the next 5 days

You must be present in Australia. You should not already be holding a visa while you apply for a bridging visa D.

BVD does not allow you to work in Australia.

BVD permits the holder to remain lawfully in Australia for five working days after grant, or until the grant of a BVE, whichever is the earlier

Bridging Visa E (BVE) Application Requirement

You must be an unlawful non-citizen, the holder of a BVE (subclass 050) or the holder of a Bridging visa D (BVD) (subclass 041), when you apply for this visa, and 1 of the following must apply to you:

Be making arrangements to leave Australia

You must be making arrangements to depart Australia.

Be applying for a substantive visa

You must be applying for a substantive visa.

Be applying for merits or a judicial review

You must be seeking merits or judicial review of a visa decision or citizenship decision, or be seeking ministerial intervention.

You can be any age to apply for this visa. If you are under 18 years of age please apply on an application with your parent/guardian.

You must meet the character requirement.

You might not be eligible to apply if your visa application was refused, or your visa was cancelled