The Alphabet of Bridging Visas

The Alphabet of Bridging Visas

Basically speaking, there are 2 types of visas – substantive visas such as a visitor visa, partner visa, student visa, employer sponsored visa – the reason and purpose why you are in Australia … and then there are bridging visas which are the “in-between visas” to take you from one substantive visa to another.  You may also hold this visa if you are seeking appeal of the visa decision, either at the AAT or through the Courts.
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Why are there so many Bridging Visas and what does each one mean?

There is a basic but important rule to note about Bridging Visas (BVs) – the lower down the rank you go, the more restrictive it is.  And no, a BVA is not better than a BVB – go figure! 

Here are the most commonly granted Bridging Visas and the order that is most beneficial to you as the visa holder!
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1. Bridging Visa B (BVB)

​This visa can only be obtained by paying an application fee.  It is for the purpose of obtaining permission to travel. This visa can only be granted if you are holding an active BVA, so don’t jump the gun by applying for a BVB simply because your BVA has been granted and is waiting in the background. You should make your application for a BVB as far in advance to travel as possible, ensuring you have documents in support of your plans. Also look to include as many trips you think you will take in your application so the Department can look to granting you a visa with a multiple travel facility.  This may avoid you needing to lodge again for a future trip. But don’t be surprised if the visa isn’t granted straight away – it could be granted only a few days prior to your planned travel!  Most importantly – DO NOT LEAVE AUSTRALIA without this visa first being granted and especially do not let the travel facility expire whilst you are overseas. It CAN’T be granted to you from overseas and you may be stuck there! Should the travel component expire whilst you are back in Australia, you do not need to apply again unless you plan on travelling again. The BVB stays active for you to remain in Australia until a decision is made.

​2. Bridging Visa A (BVA)

This BV will be granted to you when you are doing everything right.  What does that mean?  The normal scenario is that are holding a substantive visa in Australia, and you apply for another substantive visa. The Department grant you this BVA to keep you lawful in Australia should your first substantive visa expire and the 2nd visa application hasn’t had a decision yet. The BVA will only become active once the 1st visa is expired. If not, it will stay in the background, inactive. For this basic scenario, you do not normally need to apply for this visa separately. If you are undertaking other immigration matters or if you are unsure, please speak to a Registered Migration Agent who can look into this for you further. Work rights on this visa are generally determined by the visa you had previously, so for example if you had a visitor visa with no work rights, then the BV will have that too.

3. Bridging Visa C (BVC)

This is when things are starting to go a little amiss. Now what does that mean? Generally, this BV is granted in 2 scenarios – you are applying for another substantive visa whilst on a BVA or BVB; or you are applying for another visa from an unlawful state, meaning you are not holding another visa at all. This visa can’t be granted to you if you have ever held a BVE. A BVC will allow you to stay in Australia whilst your application is processing but does not allow you to travel, nor can you apply to travel. Generally, you will have no work rights either.

4. Bridging Visa E (BVE)

Now we are at the end of the line for bridging visas. It is called a Status Resolution Visa. This visa is normally granted to those who have gotten themselves into a sticky situation. You may have had a visa cancelled and are seeking review of the decision; you have overstayed your visa and are looking into options; you have made the decision to go home; or you may be asking the Minister to intervene in your case. You understand and don’t want to be in Australia without a valid visa – this can lead you to potential detention and removal from the country; which can then affect other visa applications, even for other countries! So do the right thing and take action asap. Before applying directly to the Department for this visa, I highly recommend you book yourself a consultation and speak with a Registered Migration Agent about your case. You may still have options open to you. Remember as noted above, a BVC might be open to you still… but not if you have a BVE granted to you first.

Great Australian Migration’s principal agent – Emily Surina (MARN 2318036) left the Department as a Status Resolution Team Leader and Trainer to open this agency, so she understands exactly the process and is sure to guide you in the right manner – with honesty and integrity.
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For BVE packages, see our specials!

​How can I change the conditions on my Bridging Visa?

There are normally 3 conditions people want to change on their Bridging Visas…

1. Travel rights: As mentioned earlier, only a person who holds a BVA can apply for a BVB to travel.  This is applied for through ImmiAccount and costs $180 AUD.
   
   
2. Work rights:  You may have restrictions when it comes to your work rights. But now that you have applied for another visa and will be in Australia longer than first planned, you may need to work in order to support yourself.  You will need to demonstrate that you have a compelling need to work, and this is usually because you are in financial hardship. In some cases, you may also need to show a reason in your delay in applying for the next substantive visa – in particular if you are the holder of a BVE.  Apply for a change of conditions on the same type of visa that you already have through ImmiAccount, there will be no visa application fee. However, you may want to consider engaging the services of a Registered migration Agent to do this application for you, they will usually charge a fee for this.
   If you are the holder of a BVB with no work rights, you will unfortunately need to apply for another BVA in which case the travel facility will be removed and you will need to apply for another BVB after the work rights have been granted.
   
   
3. Study rights: You may have been imposed with a restricted permission to study. Generally, this is difficult to have removed as someone who is in Australia looking to study should have applied for a student visa. However, there are some situations where very limited study rights may be given (3-4 months permission). We again, highly recommend you speak with a Registered Migration Agent if this is your case.

If you are in a position where you find your immigration pathway is not going as smoothly as you thought, don’t delay!  Contact and pay for a consultation with a Registered Migration Agent – they really are worth every cent to provide you with reassurance and a plan to straighten your way. Yes, it might mean that you are given advice that isn’t what you want to hear and you may need to leave and start again, but it's better to do that than to have your visa cancelled or to face exclusion periods to apply for another visa all because you didn’t want to pay for a consultation.
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At Great Australian Migration we want to help you as best we can – with honesty, hard truths and integrity.