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Overview
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Bridging visas are temporary visas which entitle the holders to remain in Australia for a specified time. Such Bridging Visas are not substantive.
There are seven classes of Bridging Visas and these appear below with the basic purpose of each listed.
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| Bridging Visa A |
Cover appeal period or application period for a substantive visa
whilst holding existing substantive visa BVA or BVB. |
| Bridging Visa B |
Permits holders to travel overseas. |
| Bridging Visa C |
Covers applicants for a visa who voluntarily lodge application or appeal. |
| Bridging Visa D |
Limited purposes and for short periods. |
| Bridging Visa E |
Is for unlawful non citizens who are making arrangements to leave or an application for substantive visa or an appeal or who have requested the Minister personally to grant a visa or for some categories of persons not immigration cleared. |
| Bridging Visa F |
Issued where police so request in relation to offences of people trafficking sexual servitude or deceptive recruiting. |
| Bridging Visa R |
For persons in Immigration Detention who have cooperated with efforts to remove them from Australia. |
| Methods of Application for Bridging Visas:- |
- An Application for a substantive visa is taken to be an application for a bridging visa.
- Accepting written invitations from the Minister to apply in relation to a BVF or BVR.
- Making application for Bridging Visa.
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A Bridging Visa A, C or E can be granted without application.
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Applications for a bridging visa can only be made in Australia (not in immigration clearance) and generally the applicant must be in Australia at the time of application.
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Applications for a substantive visa made using the forms referred to below are also an application for a BVA, BVC or BE. When an applicant lodges an application for the corresponding substantive visa they will automatically be considered against the criteria for BVA (and BVC and BE if applicable) and will be granted the most beneficial bridging visa that they satisfy the relevant criteria for. Generally they will be granted a BVA if they hold a substantive visa at the time of application or a BVC if they do not (unless they are in immigration detention or hold, or previously held, a BE in which case they will be granted, if at all, a BVE.
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The following application forms for substantive visas are also applications for a BVA, BVC or BE:
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- 47SP or 47SP (Internet) - spouse/interdependency visa;
- 47CH - child visa;
- 47PA or 47PT - parent or contributory parent visa;
- 47OF - aged dependent relative, remaining relative or carer visa;
- 47ES - employer sponsored migration;
- 47BT or 47BU - business skills visa;
- 47SK, 47SK (internet), 1276 or 1276 (Internet), - general skilled migration;
- 47SV - former resident or distinguished talent visa;
- 147 - investor retirement, retirement, exchange, foreign government agency, special program, educational, visiting academic, entertainment, sport, medical practitioner, media and film staff, domestic worker (diplomatic/consular), domestic worker (overseas executive), religious worker, occupational trainee
or New Zealand citizen family relationship visa;
- 157A or 157A (Internet) - student visa;
- 852 - confirmatory visa;
- 866 - protection visa;
- 918 - dependent child visa;
- 1001 - confirmatory (temporary) visa (this subclause has no been abolished);
- 1002 - spouse visa application by a dependent child;
- 1003 - emergency (temporary) visa;
- 1066, 1066 (Internet) or 1066S (Internet) - temporary business (long stay) visa;
- 1096 - resolution of status visa;
- 1182 - graduate skilled (temporary) visa;
- 1150 or 1150 (Internet) - working holiday visa; and
- 1208 - work and holiday visa.
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| Family members |
| For all bridging visas other than an RPBV, members of the same family unit (or members of the immediate family for a BVF) can combine their applications. However, other than for a BVF, each family member must meet the primary criteria for the bridging visa they are applying for. |
| Health and character |
| There are no health and character provisions applicable to bridging visas except for the RPBV which requires applicants to pass the character test and not be assessed by ASIO as a risk to security. |
Visa conditions
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Work
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| Whether or not a bridging visa holder will have permission to work depends on what class of bridging visa a person holds and how they were eligible for it. If a visa holder's bridging visa has a no work condition attached to it they should avoid participating in any activity that could be construed as 'work'. |
Some bridging visa holders will not be able to get permission to work at all. Examples of people in this situation are BE holders who are involved in judicial review proceedings.
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