Bridging Visas

The purpose of the Bridging Visa program is to allow a person & their family members to lawfully remain in Australia if –

  • You have submitted a visa application in Australia that has not yet been decided, or
  • A visa application you had made has been refused & you now wish to apply for a merits review of the decision to refuse the visa, or
  • You have applied for a judicial review of a decision to refuse your visa application, or
  • You do not currently hold any visa but would like to travel outside Australia while a visa application you have made is being processed, or
  • Your current visa is about to expire very shortly & you would like a very short grace period to submit a new visa application, or
  • Your current immigration status is unlawful & you do not wish to, or are unable to, apply for a substantive visa, or
  • You are in immigration detention &are awaiting removal from Australia, or
  • You are not the holder of a substantive visa & are making arrangements to leave Australia

You could also apply for another Bridging visa if your current bridging visa does not allow you to work in Australia (subject to meeting certain conditions). There are various other instances in which you could apply for a Bridging visa, depending on the circumstances of a particular case.

There are 7 Bridging visa classes. These are

  • Bridging Visa A (BVA)
  • Bridging Visa B (BVB)
  • Bridging Visa C (BVC)
  • Bridging Visa D (BVD)
  • Bridging Visa E (BVE)
  • Bridging Visa F (BVF)
  • Bridging Visa R (BVR)

There are 3 ways in which one can apply for a Bridging visa

  • Applying along with an application for a substantive visa
  • Applying separately using an appropriate bridging visa application form
  • By satisfying certain prescribed circumstances

There is no ‘Visa Application Charge (VAC) applicable to any of the Bridging visas, except Bridging Visa B (BVB).

The circumstances under which you can apply for a Bridging visa, and the manner in which that application is to be made, along with the appropriate Form to be used, is an assessment that can only be made upon having a thorough knowledge of the bridging visa program. Contact us to know if & when you would be eligible to apply for a ‘Bridging’ visa.