Everything you need to know about your bridging visa — what type you have, your work rights, whether you can travel, and the one rule that catches thousands of people every year.
A bridging visa is a temporary visa that keeps you in Australia lawfully when your substantive visa has expired or while a new visa application is being processed. It is not a pathway to permanent residency — it is a legal bridge between visas.
Most bridging visas are granted automatically — you do not need to apply separately. When you lodge an application for a new substantive visa while in Australia on a valid visa, a Bridging Visa A is granted automatically at the moment of lodgement. You do not need to do anything to receive it. The one exception is the Bridging Visa B — that requires a separate application before you travel.
| Who gets it | Automatically granted when you apply for a new visa while holding a valid substantive visa in Australia |
| Work rights | Full rights in most cases (partner visa, skilled visa applicants). Check VEVO for your specific grant. |
| Travel | Cannot travel. Leaving Australia causes BVA to cease — apply for BVB before any travel. |
| Duration | Until substantive visa is decided, withdrawn, or review rights exhausted. No fixed expiry. |
| Who gets it | Applied for separately by BVA holders who need to travel overseas and return |
| Work rights | Same as your underlying BVA conditions |
| Travel | Can travel. Allows departure and return within the specified travel period. Must apply BEFORE leaving. |
| Duration | Specified travel period (dates stated on visa grant). Reverts to BVA conditions when travel period ends. |
| Who gets it | Granted when you apply for a substantive visa but did NOT hold a valid substantive visa at time of application (e.g. already on BVA, or visa had expired) |
| Work rights | Often no work rights or limited work rights — depends on circumstances and which visa was applied for. Check VEVO. |
| Travel | Cannot travel. Same rule as BVA — leaving ceases the visa. |
| Duration | Until substantive visa is decided. Specific conditions apply. |
| Who gets it | People who are unlawful in Australia, whose visa was cancelled, or who are seeking merits review after refusal |
| Work rights | May or may not have work rights depending on circumstances. Check your grant notice. |
| Travel | Cannot travel. BVE is a last-resort safety net — designed to allow time to depart lawfully or resolve status. |
| Duration | Until departure from Australia or specified period. Different conditions apply based on circumstances. |
BVD is a 5 business day bridging visa granted in specific urgent circumstances — typically when a person's visa is about to expire or has just expired and they need a short window to lodge a substantive application or make arrangements to depart. It is rarely issued but provides a critical safety net. If you find yourself needing to understand BVD, seek professional advice immediately as your situation requires urgent action.
| BVA after partner visa (820) lodgement | Full unlimited work rights. Any employer, any hours, any industry. Upgrade from student visa 48-hour limit applies immediately at lodgement. |
| BVA after skilled visa (189/190/491) lodgement | Full unlimited work rights in most cases. Verify on VEVO. |
| BVA after employer-sponsored (482/186) lodgement | Work rights usually tied to nominated employer while on BVA. Check your grant conditions. |
| BVA after student visa (500) lodgement | Typically 48 hours per fortnight (same as student visa conditions) while your student visa is still current. Work rights may change when student visa expires. |
| BVA after graduate visa (485) lodgement | Full unlimited work rights — same as 485 conditions. |
| BVC — most circumstances | Often no work rights or very limited work rights. Must apply for work permission separately if required. Check VEVO urgently. |
| BVE — review period | Work rights depend on circumstances. Protection visa applicants often granted work permission. Others may not. Check grant notice. |
| The moment you leave | Your Bridging Visa A ceases. It is not suspended — it ceases permanently. You are no longer able to use it to return to Australia. |
| Your visa application | Your substantive visa application (e.g. partner visa 820) continues to be processed — it is not cancelled. But you cannot re-enter Australia without a valid visa. You may need to apply for a visitor visa or other visa to return while waiting. |
| Getting back to Australia | You may be able to apply for a Bridging Visa B from offshore if your circumstance qualifies, or apply for another visa. This is complex and uncertain. There is no guaranteed pathway back into Australia on the same bridging visa terms. |
| Returning on a tourist visa | You can return on a tourist/visitor visa while your substantive application is processed — but you lose the work rights and Medicare access you had on the BVA. This significantly disrupts plans for people on partner visas especially. |
| Partner visa (820) applicants | Can enrol in Medicare from the date of lodgement. Take your ImmiAccount lodgement confirmation to a Medicare service centre. This applies while on the student visa, the BVA, or any other visa while the 820 is processing. |
| Skilled visa applicants (189/190/491) | Generally cannot access Medicare on the BVA while waiting for skilled visa decision. Medicare access resumes when the skilled visa is granted. |
| Student visa applicants | Student visa holders use OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover), not Medicare. No Medicare access on student visa BVA. |
| Bilateral healthcare agreement countries | UK, NZ, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Slovenia, Malta and Italy have bilateral agreements with Australia that provide limited Medicare access regardless of visa status. Check your specific country's agreement. |
| Protection visa applicants | Usually have Medicare access through the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) program while application is processed. |