Bridging Visa
The Bridging Visa allows individuals to lawfully remain in Australia while their substantive visa application is being processed, reviewed, or finalized. It ensures legal stay during transitions, providing continuity of work, study, or travel rights depending on the specific visa conditions. It acts as a temporary safeguard to prevent unlawful stay in Australia. The conditions and entitlements depend on the type of Bridging Visa granted.
Stay
Temporarily
Bridging visa A (BVA)
Stay in Australia while awaiting the outcome of a substantive visa application. It helps maintain lawful status without granting travel rights.
Requirements
- Be in Australia
- Be the holder of a substantive visa; or
- hold BVA or BVB and have held a substantive visa
- Have applied in Australia for a substantive visa that can be granted while applicant is in Australia.
- If you meet all eligibility requirements, be in Australia at the time of grant.
- Meet character requirement.
benefits of BVA
- Stay lawfully in Australia until your substantive visa application is finally determined, or where granted in association with judicial review, until those proceedings are completed.
- Work, if you meet the requirements of work.
Bridging visa B (BVB)
You can leave and return to Australia during a specified travel period while your application for a substantive visa is being processed.
Requirements
- Be in Australia when you apply
- have held a substantive visa
- Be the holder of a BVA or a BVB
- have applied in Australia for a Substantive visa that can be granted while applicant is in Australia
- If, applicant meet all the eligibility requirements, be in Australia at time of grant
- Meet character requirement.
benefits of BVB
- Stay lawfully in Australia until your substantive visa application is finally determined, or where granted in association with judicial review, until those proceedings are completed.
- get travel rights
- Work, if BVB permits.
Bridging visa C (BVC)
This temporary visa generally allows you to stay in Australia after your current substantive visa ceases and while your new substantive visa application is being processed.
Requirements
- Be in Australia when you apply
- must not hold a BVE and must not have held a BVE since applicant last held a substantive visa
- do not hold a substantive visa
- applied for a substantive visa that has not been finally determined or made application for judicial review of a decision relating to substantive visa application, within the specified time frame and proceeding have not been completed, and previously held BVC in relation to the substantive visa application
- If you meet all the eligibility requirements, be in Australia at time of grant.
- Meet character requirement.
Benefits of BVC
- Stay lawfully in Australia until your substantive visa application is finally determined, or where granted in association with judicial review, until those proceedings are completed.
- Work, if your BVC permits to work.
Bridging visa E (BVE)
This visa lets you stay lawfully in Australia while you make arrangements to leave, finalise your immigration matter or wait for an immigration decision.
- Bridging visa E (BVE) (subclass 050)
Requirements
- Be an unlawful non-citizen or hold a BVE (subclass 050) or hold a BVD (subclass 041)
- Be in Australia when the application is lodged and in order to be granted this visa, you must be in Australia when a decision is made.
- Meet character requirement.
- Previously refused or cancelled visa application may affect your eligibility.
benefits of BVE (050)
- Stay in Australia lawfully while you finalise your immigration matter or make arrangements to leave Australia.
- Bridging visa E (BVE) (subclass 051)
Requirements
- Must have been refused or bypassed immigration clearance and come to in immigration notice within 45 days
- Have applied for a protection visa.
- Be in immigration detention.
- Meet character requirement.
- Meet health requirement.
- Meet other specific requirements.
benefits of BVE (051)
- Stay in Australia lawfully while your Protection visa application is being processed..
Processing times
For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool.