Bridging Visa A (BVA)

This temporary visa generally allows you to stay in Australia after your current substantive visa ceases and while your new substantiative visa application is being processed.

With this visa, you can:

  • 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 for work

You must:

  • be in Australia when you apply
  • if you meet all the eligibility requirements, be in Australia at time of grant

In effect

A BVA comes ‘in to effect’ when:

  • it is granted (if your substantive visa has ceased since applying for the BVA or the BVA is more beneficial than your current bridging visa)
  • your current substantive visa ceases
  • another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current bridging visa ceases

Visa holders must adhere to the conditions imposed on their visa. Where you are granted a BVA , you will be notified about the conditions that apply.

If you hold a substantive visa when your BVA is granted, you must continue to comply with the conditions of the substantive visa. When your substantive visa ceases, the conditions of your BVA will apply.

The BVA does not support return travel to Australia.

Bridging Visa C (BVC)

This is a temporary visa. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa. The department may grant you a BVC if you have made a valid application in Australia for a substantive visa but you do not already hold a substantive visa.

A separate application for a BVC might be necessary where:

  • you are seeking a further BVC without work restrictions
  • you have applied for judicial review

You can’t use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided.

Criteria:

  • 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.

In effect:

A BVC comes ‘into effect’ when:

  • it is granted; or
  • your current substantive visa ceases; or
  • another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current bridging visa ceases

Visa holders must adhere to the conditions imposed on their visa. Where you are granted a BVC, you will be notified about the conditions that apply. 

If you hold a substantive visa when your BVC is granted, you must continue to comply with the conditions of the substantive visa. When your substantive visa ceases, the conditions of your BVC will apply.

The BVC does not support return travel to Australia. 

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.

Types of bridging visas

You can stay in Australia lawfully while you finalise your immigration matter or make arrangements to leave Australia.

There are two types of BVEs:

  • Bridging (General) visa (subclass 050) – generally if you are currently unlawful, the holder of a BVE 050 or the holder of a BVD 041
  • Bridging (Protection Visa Applicant) visa (subclass 051) – used in limited situations to allow certain eligible non-citizens (as specified by the Regulations) to remain lawfully in Australia while their protection visa application is being finalised

With this visa you can

You can stay in Australia if: 

  • you are making arrangements to leave Australia
  • you are applying for a substantive visa
  • you are seeking merits or judicial review of a visa decision or citizenship decision
  • you are seeking ministerial intervention

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