Bridging Visas Australia Explained: Types A, B, C, D and E (2026 Guide)

Bridging Visa A (BVA): The Most Common

A Bridging Visa A is automatically granted when you lodge a valid application for a substantive visa while you are in Australia and still hold a valid substantive visa (such as a student visa, skilled visa, or tourist visa). The BVA keeps you in lawful status from the moment your substantive visa expires until a decision is made on your application. You do not need to apply for the BVA — it is granted automatically. Key points about the BVA: Work rights: the BVA carries the same work conditions as your last substantive visa, unless you apply to the Department for a change of conditions. If your last visa had full work rights, your BVA typically has full work rights. If it had restricted work (such as 40 hours per fortnight on a student visa), those restrictions carry over. Travel: the BVA does not allow you to re-enter Australia if you depart. If you travel overseas while on a BVA, it ceases to have effect and you must hold a valid visa to re-enter. To travel overseas and return while your application is pending, you need a Bridging Visa B (BVB).

Bridging Visa B (BVB): Travel While Pending

A Bridging Visa B allows you to travel overseas and return to Australia while your substantive visa application is pending. It is not automatic — you must apply for it. Key points: you can only travel during the travel period specified on the BVB (usually 3 months from grant, but the application can specify longer for planned travel). When you depart Australia, your BVA ceases — the BVB takes effect for your return. When you re-enter Australia, you revert back to BVA (or directly to the substantive visa if it has been granted in your absence). You must return before the BVB travel period expires — if you are still overseas when the BVB expires, you no longer have a valid Australian visa. Apply for the BVB before you travel, not after. You can apply multiple BVBs if your pending application is taking a long time and you need to travel again.

Bridging Visa C (BVC): Applied After Expiry

A Bridging Visa C is granted when you lodge a valid visa application after your substantive visa has already expired — that is, you were unlawfully in Australia at the time of lodgement. The BVC restores you to lawful status but has restricted conditions: No work rights (unless you apply for a condition change based on financial hardship — this is assessed case by case). No travel — if you depart Australia on a BVC, you cannot return. The BVC is a holding visa, not a working visa. Being on a BVC means you were previously unlawful in Australia — this is noted on your record and can affect future visa applications. If you have been unlawful for 28 or more days and then depart Australia, a re-entry bar may apply (3 years for 28 days – less than 1 year of unlawfulness; may be longer depending on circumstances). Avoid allowing your visa to expire without having a pending application — the consequences of unlawful status compound over time.

Bridging Visa D (BVD) and E (BVE): Emergency Visas

Bridging Visa D is an extremely short-term bridging visa granted when a person needs to lodge a substantive visa application but currently holds no visa and needs a brief period of lawful status to do so. It is valid for a maximum of 5 days and is not automatically available — it requires a case officer decision. Bridging Visa E is granted to people who are currently unlawful in Australia (not holding any valid visa) and are making arrangements to depart or applying for ministerial intervention. BVE holders typically have restricted or no work rights. The BVE is usually a last resort — it signals that the person's immigration status is in serious difficulty. If you are in Australia without any valid visa, seek advice from a registered migration agent immediately. Remaining unlawful significantly worsens all future outcomes.

Work Rights on Bridging Visas

Work rights on bridging visas depend on which bridging visa you hold and what conditions it carries: BVA: same work conditions as the last substantive visa held, unless the Department imposes a restriction. BVB: same as BVA. BVC: no work rights by default; can apply for restricted work rights on grounds of financial hardship — approved case by case. BVD/BVE: generally no work rights, or highly restricted. If you need to change your work conditions on a bridging visa (for example, your student visa had restricted hours and you want unrestricted work rights while waiting for a skilled visa decision), you can apply to the Department to have your bridging visa work condition changed. This is a separate application with a small fee. The application is assessed on whether unrestricted work rights are justified given your circumstances.

What Happens If Your Bridging Visa Expires

A bridging visa generally does not expire while the pending application it is tied to remains under consideration. However, a BVB expires on the end of the specified travel period, and a BVD expires after 5 days. If a substantive visa application is refused and you do not lodge a review or a new application within the specified period (usually 28 days after refusal), the bridging visa will expire. After that, if you remain in Australia, you are unlawful. If your visa situation becomes uncertain — refusal, review, appeal — seek advice from a registered migration agent immediately. The time window to take protective action is short, and missing it creates lasting consequences.

Am I on a bridging visa right now and don't know it?

Possibly. If you lodged a new visa application before your current visa expired, you were automatically granted a BVA. You can check your current visa status and conditions through the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system on the Department of Home Affairs website — enter your passport number and TFN or ImmiAccount details.

Can I be deported while on a bridging visa?

Not while you hold a valid bridging visa. Bridging visas provide lawful status. However, if the substantive application is refused and no further action is taken within the deadline, the bridging visa expires and you become removable at that point.

Do I need a migration agent just because I'm on a bridging visa?

Not necessarily — many people navigate bridging visas straightforwardly. However, if your immigration situation is complex (refusal, appeal, health issues, prior unlawfulness, offshore situation), a migration agent adds significant value in protecting your status and managing deadlines.

Can I apply for a tourist visa while on a bridging visa?

You cannot generally hold two substantive visa applications simultaneously, and a tourist visa would be substantive. Your bridging visa situation and your pending application together constitute your current lawful status. Lodging a tourist application is complex and generally not advisable without advice.