Bridging Visa B (BVB) 2026: Fee, Timing and the Substantial Reasons Test

How to apply for a Bridging Visa B to travel overseas while your Australian visa is being decided: the fee, the apply-by window Home Affairs sets, and why it can be refused. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 Leaving Australia mid-application? You need a Bridging Visa B first
  2. 0:14 Depart on a BVA alone, and it's cancelled
  3. 0:24 Form 1006, $575 base charge
  4. 0:41 Apply: 3 months to 2 weeks before you travel
  5. 0:57 The substantial-reasons test
  6. 1:07 Typically up to 3 months, multiple trips allowed
  7. 1:17 You can apply for a new BVB anytime — even with one already
  8. 1:27 Refused? You still can't leave and return on the BVA alone
  9. 1:41 Where to read more

Transcript

Need to leave Australia while your substantive visa application is still being decided? If you hold a Bridging Visa A, you need a Bridging Visa B before you go.

If you hold a Bridging Visa A and depart without a Bridging Visa B, your BVA is cancelled the moment you leave, and your right to return goes with it.

You apply on Form 1006, through ImmiAccount. The base application charge is $575.

That drops to $195 if you hold a valid passport issued by an eligible Pacific-regional country.

Home Affairs says to apply no more than 3 months, and not less than 2 weeks, before the date you want to travel.

Home Affairs does not publish a processing time for the Bridging Visa B — which is exactly why that lead-time window matters.

The Department 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.

A granted BVB is typically valid for a travel period of up to 3 months, though it can be longer, and usually allows multiple trips inside that window.

You can apply for a fresh Bridging Visa B at any time, even while holding one already — each one needs its own fee and its own travel evidence.

If it's refused, you still can't lawfully leave and return on your existing bridging visa. Your options: a fresh application, waiting for the grant, or leaving on the BVA and losing the onshore advantage.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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