Form 1006: Application for a Bridging Visa B

What Bridging Visa B actually does

A Bridging Visa A keeps you lawfully in Australia while your substantive visa application is being processed, but it doesn't authorise international travel — leaving Australia on a BVA generally causes it to cease, and you may not have a valid visa to re-enter with your substantive application still pending.

A Bridging Visa B solves this. It's granted for a specified travel period you nominate, during which you can leave Australia and return without your bridging visa arrangement breaking down. Once you're back within that travel window, you resume holding bridging visa status as before, and your substantive application continues to be processed.

Fee — as at 2026

Unlike Bridging Visa A and C (generally no charge, applied for via Form 1005), Bridging Visa B carries a visa application charge of $575. From 1 July 2026, a lower cost of $195 applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Confirm which figure applies to you using Home Affairs' Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay, since visa charges can be indexed on 1 July each year.

When to apply, and why it can be refused

Home Affairs says to apply for your BVB no more than 3 months, and not less than 2 weeks, before the date you want to travel — too early and your readiness to travel may be harder to assess, too late and you risk needing to leave before it's granted. Don't book non-refundable travel until it's granted: Home Affairs does not publish a processing time for the Bridging Visa B, which is exactly why that window matters.

A BVB is not automatic. The Department can refuse the application if your reasons for travel aren't accepted as substantial, if you don't meet other criteria (including character or detention-related requirements), or if there are compliance concerns with your existing application. Only include family members in the same application who also have substantial reasons for needing to travel — if some don't need to leave, they generally shouldn't be included.

The travel period you nominate on the form should realistically cover your trip, including any buffer for delays — a BVB is granted for a specific window, and travelling outside that window doesn't have the same protection.

What's actually on the form

Form 1006 runs to Parts A through J. Beyond your personal and passport details (Parts A–C), a few sections are specific to this form and worth knowing about before you start:

Part D asks about your substantive visa application, and separately about judicial review — if you're awaiting the outcome of judicial review proceedings on your substantive visa, there's a dedicated question for the refusal date, any merits review decision date, and the date the judicial review application was lodged, plus your solicitor's details if you have one. It also asks your intended destination and departure and return dates, and — if you'll be overseas for 14 days or more while a decision is pending — the address you'll be at.

Part E lets you include family members who are travelling with you on the same BVB application (each with their own passport and residential address details), provided they too have substantial reasons for needing to travel.

Part F is health and character — questions Home Affairs asks, in its own words, to help determine that your return to Australia is not contrary to the public interest. It covers tuberculosis-related questions and a long list of character questions (criminal charges or convictions, protection orders, security concerns, and similar), the same kind of screening that appears on other visa application forms.

Part H is where you nominate who receives written communications about the application — yourself, an authorised recipient, or a migration agent or legal practitioner appointed on Form 956.

What happens if you leave without one

This is the mistake with the most serious consequences on this form. If you depart Australia on a Bridging Visa A without first being granted a BVB, your bridging visa generally ceases the moment you leave. Because a BVA is tied to remaining in Australia while your substantive application is decided, leaving without the travel authorisation can mean you have no valid visa to re-enter on, and your substantive application may be affected by your absence from the country during a period when your status here mattered.

If you're in this situation — travel is already booked, or a family or work emergency means you need to leave before a BVB is finalised — get advice from a MARA-registered migration agent or a community legal centre before you travel, not after. On Migratio you describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from MARA-registered agents (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book); see our bridging visa work rights guide for how bridging status interacts with the rest of your visa situation.

How to lodge

Apply through ImmiAccount where that option is available — this is the recommended method and lets Home Affairs assess the request against your existing bridging visa file directly. Where a paper application applies, the current Form 1006 is downloaded free from the Home Affairs form-listing page. Always use the current version; an outdated form can delay processing.

Common mistakes

The most common and costly mistake is booking or taking travel before the BVB is actually granted, assuming the application alone is enough. Others: nominating a travel period too narrow for the actual trip, applying outside the 3-months-to-2-weeks window Home Affairs sets, assuming the grant is automatic rather than a decision that can be refused on the substantial-reasons test, including family members who don't themselves have a reason to travel, and confusing Form 1006 (BVB, has a fee) with Form 1005 (BVA/BVC, generally no fee) — they're separate forms for separate purposes.

What does a Bridging Visa B let me do?

It authorises a Bridging Visa A holder to leave Australia and return during a specified travel period without their bridging visa ceasing, while their substantive visa application continues to be processed.

How much does Form 1006 cost?

The base application charge for a Bridging Visa B is $575. From 1 July 2026, a reduced cost of $195 applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. Confirm which applies to you on Home Affairs' Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay.

What happens if I leave Australia on a Bridging Visa A without a BVB?

Your bridging visa generally ceases when you depart, which can leave you without a valid visa to re-enter Australia and may affect your pending substantive visa application. Get the BVB granted before you travel, not after you've already booked or taken the trip.

How long before travel should I apply for a BVB?

Home Affairs says to apply no more than 3 months, and not less than 2 weeks, before the date you want to travel. Don't book non-refundable travel until it's granted — Home Affairs publishes no processing time for this visa.

Can a Bridging Visa B application be refused?

Yes. Home Affairs can refuse it if your reasons for travel aren't accepted as substantial, if you don't meet other criteria, or if there are compliance concerns with your existing application. A refusal doesn't itself affect your underlying substantive visa application — it means you can't travel on the BVB as planned.

Is Form 1006 the same as Form 1005?

No. Form 1005 covers Bridging Visa A and C, which generally have no application fee. Form 1006 is specifically for Bridging Visa B — the travel authorisation — and carries its own fee.