Bridging visas explained: A, B, C and E

A bridging visa fills a gap. It can keep a person lawful while another visa application is being processed, while travel happens, or while arrangements are made to leave Australia.

The part many people miss is this: a bridging visa has its own conditions. Those conditions are often not the same as the conditions on the visa that expired, so work rights, travel rights and study rights need to be checked on the bridging visa itself.

What a bridging visa does, and what it does not do#

A bridging visa is a temporary visa. It is usually granted to keep a person lawful in Australia for a particular purpose, such as waiting for a decision on a valid visa application, travelling and returning while on a bridging visa, or making arrangements to depart.

A bridging visa does not replace the main visa application. It also does not automatically copy the rights from an earlier substantive visa. The grant notice for the bridging visa sets out the visa conditions, the date it starts, and any limits on work or travel.

In migration law, a substantive visa is a visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa. This matters because many bridging visas are tied to whether a person currently holds, or last held, a substantive visa.

The most misunderstood point: the bridging visa has its own conditions#

This is the issue that causes the most trouble in practice. A person may have had full work rights on a student visa, visitor visa or temporary work visa, then move onto a bridging visa with different conditions.

For example, a bridging visa may say no work, limited work, or work only after a separate application for work rights. A bridging visa may also have no travel facility at all, even if the previous substantive visa allowed travel in and out of Australia.

The only safe place to check is the bridging visa grant notice and the VEVO record. The condition numbers matter. If a person works when the bridging visa says no work, or leaves Australia on a bridging visa that has no travel permission, the consequences can be serious.

Registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners must not guarantee an outcome, including work rights or visa grant, under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2021 s26. If a person wants paid immigration help in Australia, the provider must be properly registered or entitled to practise, because giving immigration assistance unlawfully can breach the Migration Act 1958 s280, and charging for it can breach s281. A MARN can be checked at our operator checker.

Bridging Visa A, the common one after an onshore application#

A Bridging Visa A, often called a BVA, is commonly granted when a valid application for another substantive visa is lodged in Australia while the applicant still holds a substantive visa. In many cases it is granted automatically as part of the application process.

A BVA usually does not start straight away. It commonly sits in the background and comes into effect only when the current substantive visa ceases. Until then, the substantive visa conditions continue to apply.

This delayed start is important. If a person is still on the earlier visa, the bridging visa conditions are not active yet. Once the earlier visa ends, the BVA takes over and its own conditions apply.

A BVA generally allows the holder to remain in Australia lawfully while the new visa application is decided. It does not, by itself, provide a right to leave and return to Australia. If the holder leaves Australia while only holding a BVA, that bridging visa usually ceases.

That is why travel plans need special attention. The usual mechanism for travel is a Bridging Visa B, covered below.

Bridging Visa B, the travel bridging visa#

A Bridging Visa B, or BVB, is the bridging visa used where a person on a bridging visa needs to leave Australia and return while the main visa application is still undecided. It is not the same as a BVA with travel attached. It is a separate bridging visa.

A BVB includes a travel facility for a limited period. The grant notice states the travel window, and travel outside that period can create problems with re-entry.

Like other bridging visas, a BVB has its own conditions. Work rights on a BVB are not assumed from the expired substantive visa. They must be checked on the BVB grant.

A BVB is often applied for before travel. Timing matters because the travel period can be short, and the visa needs to be in effect at the right time. The Department’s visa pages set out the current application process and charges.

Bridging Visa C, where there is no current substantive visa#

A Bridging Visa C, or BVC, is generally associated with a valid application for a substantive visa made in Australia by a person who does not hold a substantive visa at the time of application. In simple terms, it often appears where an onshore application is lodged after a person has already become unlawful, or while the person holds a non-substantive visa.

A BVC is different from a BVA in a few practical ways. One major difference is travel. A BVC does not provide a travel facility, and there is no Bridging Visa B linked to a BVC in the same way people often expect.

Another practical point is work conditions. Some BVC holders have no work rights unless a further application is made and specific criteria are met. The conditions on the grant notice matter more than assumptions based on the visa that existed earlier, if there was one.

Because a BVC is often connected with periods of unlawful status or non-substantive status, records and dates become important. A valid application date, the date the previous visa ceased, and the date the bridging visa came into effect can all affect what status existed on a particular day.

Bridging Visa E, short-term lawful status in specific situations#

A Bridging Visa E, or BVE, is usually used in more specific situations. It can apply where a person is unlawful and needs to become lawful for a short period, where a person is making arrangements to depart, where certain review or ministerial intervention processes are on foot, or where other enforcement-related circumstances exist.

A BVE is not a general replacement for other bridging visas. It is usually linked to a very particular purpose and can come with strict conditions, including reporting conditions, residence conditions or no work conditions.

This is another area where assumptions cause problems. Some people think any bridging visa means broad permission to stay, work and sort things out later. That is not how the system works. A BVE can be narrow in purpose and strict in its conditions.

Where identity documents, past visa history or application records are involved, accuracy matters. False documents or false claims can lead to serious consequences under the Migration Act 1958 ss234 and 245AR, and can also trigger Public Interest Criterion 4020 in some visa processes.

When a bridging visa starts, ends and stops being useful#

Different bridging visas start at different times. A BVA granted after an onshore application often starts when the current substantive visa ends. A BVE may start immediately when granted, depending on the circumstances.

A bridging visa usually ends when one of several things happens. The most common examples are that the substantive visa application is finally decided, the holder leaves Australia in circumstances that end the bridging visa, or another visa is granted.

This is why dates matter. A grant notice can show the date the bridging visa was granted, but the operative date may be later. Many people see a bridging visa in VEVO and assume it is already active when it is still only waiting in the background.

It is also why travel needs care. A BVA usually ceases on departure. A BVB is designed for temporary travel and return, but only within the authorised travel period. A BVC or BVE may not solve travel at all.

For general information about finding a registered professional to explain the process, a case can be posted at our case form. Before paying anyone, it is worth reading the consumer checklist at the consumer guide. Under the Code, a registered migration agent must give a consumer guide before starting services, s38, and must have a written agreement, s42, with clear fees, s46.

자주 묻는 질문#

Can I work on a bridging visa in Australia?#

It depends on the conditions on that particular bridging visa. Some bridging visas allow work, some do not, and some require a separate application to change work conditions. The grant notice and VEVO record are the key documents to check.

Does a bridging visa give me the same rights as my old visa?#

No, not necessarily. A bridging visa has its own conditions, and those conditions can be very different from the expired substantive visa. Work, study and travel rights need to be checked on the bridging visa itself.

Can I leave Australia on a bridging visa and come back?#

Not on every bridging visa. A Bridging Visa A usually does not allow return travel, and it commonly ceases when the holder leaves Australia. A Bridging Visa B is the bridging visa generally used for temporary travel and return during processing.

When does a bridging visa actually start?#

Some bridging visas start immediately, but many do not. A common example is a Bridging Visa A granted after an onshore application, which often only comes into effect when the current substantive visa ends. The start date and conditions are set out in the grant notice.

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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.