Visa Summary
This temporary visa allows you to stay in Australia after your current substantive visa ceases and while your substantive visa application is being processed.
All bridging visas are temporary visas. Nearly all bridging visas are being applied automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa. A separate application for a Bridging Visa A(BVA) may be necessary where:
- your substantive visa application did not also constitute an application for a BVA
- you are seeking a further BVA with permission to work
- you have applied for judicial review
You can’t use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided.
When Your Visa is in Effect
You can hold a bridging visa while you have a substantive visa, but bridging visa will be dormant. While you are holding a substantive visa you must comply with the conditions of that visa.
A Nridging Visa Comes ‘in to Effect’ When:
- your current substantive visa expires
- another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current bridging visa
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. The BVA does not support return travel to Australia
Working Rights
You might be allowed to work if the visa you had or the visa you applied for, let you work. Your grant letter will tell you about the conditions that apply to your bridging visa.
If the visa you had, and the visa you applied for have work restrictions you will not be able to work with a bridging visa. See if you have work restrictions in VEVO.
If you get a BVA that does not permit work, you can apply for a further Bridging Visa with no conditions if you can demonstrate financial hardship.
Protection visa applicants who are applying for a bridging visa on the basis of judicial review and who currently hold the condition 8101 are not able to apply for work rights.
Remaining Lawful During Judicial Review
If a merits review tribunal upholds the decision of Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to refuse your substantive visa application and you apply for judicial review, you will need to apply for a bridging visa to maintain your lawful status during the judicial review proceedings.
What Can You Do With This Visa ?
- stay lawfully in Australia until your Substantive visa application is finally determined, or if granted in association with judicial proceedings, until those proceeding are complete
- add family members to the application until Department of Home Affairs (DHA) makes a decision on your application, if they are added to the substantive visa application
How Long Can You Stay ?
Your BVA will be affected when one of the following outcomes occurs:
- your visa application is decided
- your merit or judicial review is decided
- you withdraw your application for a visa or review
- a merit review tribunal tells you that it has no jurisdiction to consider your application for review
Following a cessation outcome, the validity of your BVA will be determined by the grant date.
Once you have been notified of an outcome you can see exactly how long you can stay in VEVO
BVA Granted on or After 19 November 2016
Your BVA Will End 35 Calendar Days After:
- DHA decision or a decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) in relation to your associated substantive visa application
- a determination that your substantive visa application or an application for review by the AAT is invalid
- you withdraw your substantive visa application or application for review by the AAT
You BVA Will End 28 Calendar Days After:
- a judicial review body upholds the decision to refuse your substantive visa application
- you withdraw a related judicial review application
BVA Granted Before 19 November 2016
Your BVA will end 28 days after the date that 1 of the following happens:
- DHA notify you that your substantive visa application is not valid
- DHA notify you that your substantive visa application has been refused
- DHA receive your written request to withdraw your substantive visa application
- a merits review tribunal notifies you that it has upheld the department’s decision to refuse your substantive visa application
- a merit review tribunal notifies you that it has no jurisdiction to consider your application for review
- a merits review tribunal or a judicial review body receives your written request to withdraw your application for merits or judicial review
- a judicial review body upholds the decision to refuse your substantive visa application
Stay longer
You can’t stay in Australia longer by extending this visa.
Location
You and anyone included in your application must be in Australia when the BVA application is submitted and granted.
Your Obligations
You and anyone included in your application must:
- comply with all Australian laws
- comply with the conditions of the current visa
- comply with the conditions of your Bridging visa A when it comes into effect
See the conditions that will and might be applied to a BVA. to the substantive visa application
Contact one of our registered migration Agents to help you out with this visa if you require any further assistance.