Onshore and offshore lodgement: what changes

Where you are when a visa application is lodged can change the whole process. It can affect which visa subclass is available, whether a bridging visa is created, and what happens if you travel after lodgement. It can also affect where health checks, biometrics and interviews are arranged, and whether a grant can happen while you are in or outside Australia.

What “onshore” and “offshore” mean#

“Onshore” means the application is lodged while the applicant is physically in Australia. “Offshore” means it is lodged while the applicant is physically outside Australia.

This is about location on the day of lodgement, not citizenship or where somebody usually lives. A person can be an Australian citizen’s partner and still lodge offshore, or be a visitor in Australia and lodge onshore, if that visa subclass allows it.

The location at lodgement matters because some visas only exist in an onshore version or an offshore version. In family visas, a common example is that the subclass number changes depending on where the application is lodged and where the applicant is expected to be at grant. In other visa programs, the same subclass may be used but the rules about bridging visas and travel still change.

A visa application is only valid if it is lodged in the way the law requires. That includes the correct form or online process, the correct place of lodgement, the right supporting material for validity, and payment of the required charge. A valid application can then be assessed. An invalid application is not assessed on the merits.

How lodgement location can change the visa subclass#

Some visa pathways have separate onshore and offshore subclasses. The practical effect is that two applicants with very similar facts may need to use different subclasses simply because one is in Australia at lodgement and the other is not.

Partner visas are a common example of this split. The onshore and offshore streams are different subclasses with different mechanics around bridging visas and travel after lodgement. Parent and child categories also include subclasses that depend on where the applicant is when applying, or where they are when the visa is granted.

Other pathways work differently. In some skilled, student or employer-sponsored visas, the same subclass may be lodged from inside or outside Australia, but the practical consequences still differ because a person in Australia may be affected by visa conditions, expiry dates and bridging arrangements.

This is one reason quotes from registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners often start by confirming current location, current visa details and travel plans. Those facts help identify the process settings before any professional work is scoped. If you want to compare fixed-fee quotes for your situation, you can describe the case and get quotes.

Bridging visas usually arise only from onshore lodgement#

A bridging visa is generally relevant when a person is in Australia and lodges a further valid visa application. In many onshore applications, a Bridging Visa A, sometimes called a BVA, is granted automatically after lodgement if the person holds a substantive visa and the law provides for it.

The bridging visa usually does not start straight away. It commonly comes into effect when the current substantive visa ceases. Until then, the current visa conditions continue.

This is one of the biggest practical differences between onshore and offshore lodgement. Offshore applicants are outside Australia, so there is usually no bridging visa attached to the application. The application can continue to be processed, but it does not create permission to enter or remain in Australia.

The details of a bridging visa matter. Work rights, study rights and travel rights depend on the type of bridging visa and any conditions attached to it. A Bridging Visa A does not itself allow return to Australia after departure. Travel normally requires a Bridging Visa B to be applied for and granted before leaving Australia.

Not every onshore application creates the same bridging outcome. Some applicants do not hold a substantive visa at lodgement. Some hold visas with conditions that affect what can be lodged onshore. Some visa classes do not produce the same bridging sequence. This is why people often ask for help comparing the process and professional fees before they lodge. General fee ranges for professional help can also be compared using the 費用見積もりツール.

Travel after lodgement can change what happens next#

Travel is often where onshore and offshore rules become most important in practice. If an onshore applicant leaves Australia while holding only a Bridging Visa A, that bridging visa usually ceases on departure. Coming back to Australia is not covered by that visa.

A Bridging Visa B is the travel bridge in many onshore cases. It is applied for separately and, if granted, allows departure and return during the travel period on the grant notice. The dates and conditions on the grant matter.

Some visas also have rules about where the applicant must be when the decision is made. In some subclasses, the applicant must be in Australia at time of grant. In others, the applicant must be outside Australia at time of grant. This can create practical problems if somebody travels without checking the grant-location rule for that subclass.

Offshore applications can also be affected by travel, but differently. The issue is usually not a bridging visa. Instead, the issue is whether entry to Australia is possible on another visa while the offshore application is pending, and whether the applicant needs to be outside Australia if the offshore visa is ready to be granted.

Because these settings can change the sequence of events, many registered practitioners ask for travel plans very early. Under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2021, a registered migration agent must give the consumer guide before starting services, s38, and must set out the services and fees in a written agreement, s42 and s46.

Health, biometrics and interviews may be arranged differently#

The place of lodgement can affect where supporting steps are completed, even when the core legal criteria are the same. Health examinations are arranged through panel providers approved for the Department’s system, and appointments may be booked in Australia or overseas depending on where the applicant is located.

Biometrics, where required, are commonly tied to approved collection locations in specific countries or cities. If an applicant is onshore, there may be fewer or different collection arrangements than there would be offshore. The request letter usually states where and by when biometrics must be completed.

If an interview or additional identity check is requested, the location can also affect scheduling. An offshore applicant may deal with a post or service centre linked to their region. An onshore applicant may deal with a different processing network.

None of this changes the need for truthful and consistent documents. Giving false or misleading material, or bogus documents, can lead to serious consequences under the Migration Act, including s234 and s245AR, and Public Interest Criterion 4020 can also become relevant. General information about representation and operators can be checked before engaging anyone. A migration agent’s MARN should appear in advertising under Code s25, and you can check an operator.

Representation, forms and quotes#

Onshore and offshore applications can both be prepared by the applicant directly, or with a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner. In Australia, giving immigration assistance without being properly authorised is a criminal offence under Migration Act s280, and charging for it is also an offence under s281.

If a registered migration agent or lawyer is appointed to deal with the Department, Form 956 is commonly used. The legal basis for recording authorised recipients and migration agents is tied to the Act, including s312A. The form helps show who can receive correspondence and who is acting on the matter.

Professional fees vary with the amount of work, not just the visa label. An onshore matter with bridging, travel timing and expiring visas may involve more work than a straightforward offshore application, but offshore matters can also become document-heavy if identity, relationship or regional evidence needs careful assembly. Many agents quote a fixed professional fee for standard work, with separate charges for extra submissions, complex requests or urgent turnaround.

The Code of Conduct requires transparency around money. A registered migration agent must provide a written agreement, s42, explain the fee structure, s46, issue invoices and receipts, s49, and not take money before the agreement is in place, s51. If money is held on trust or in a client account, s50 is relevant. The Department’s own charges are separate from professional fees and are listed on the relevant visa pages, where they are updated when indexed.

If a person wants to compare practitioners rather than rely on advertisements alone, itemised quotes can make the scope clearer. That includes what documents are reviewed, whether lodgement is included, whether health and character follow-up is included, and what happens if travel or bridging questions arise later. VisaBid’s consumer guide also explains what to look for before engaging a practitioner.

よくある質問#

Can I lodge onshore and then leave Australia?#

Leaving Australia after an onshore lodgement can affect any bridging visa linked to the application. A Bridging Visa A usually ceases on departure, so return travel usually requires a Bridging Visa B granted before leaving. Some visa subclasses also have rules about where the applicant must be when the visa is granted.

Does an offshore visa application give me a bridging visa?#

Usually, no. Bridging visas are generally part of staying lawfully in Australia after an onshore valid application, not part of an offshore application lodged while outside Australia. An offshore application does not by itself give permission to enter or remain in Australia.

Is it cheaper to apply onshore or offshore?#

The total cost can differ, but not always for the reason people expect. Department charges depend on the visa subclass and are listed on the relevant visa page, while professional fees depend on the work involved, such as bridging, travel timing, evidence preparation and follow-up. Onshore matters sometimes involve extra work around status and travel, but offshore matters can also require substantial evidence and coordination.

Can I change from offshore to onshore after I lodge?#

A lodged application is generally assessed as the subclass that was validly lodged. In categories with separate onshore and offshore subclasses, changing location does not usually convert one subclass into the other. If circumstances change after lodgement, the practical effects often relate to travel, bridging arrangements and where the applicant needs to be at grant.

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About this guide. This is general information about how a process works in Australia. It is not immigration assistance and it is not advice about your situation. Under section 280 of the Migration Act 1958 only a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner can give you that. Government charges are indexed and most change on 1 July, so check any figure at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, and check any agent on the OMARA register.