Bridging Visas Decoded: Master Your Options in Australia

Are you on a bridging visa right now? Do you actually know which one you have and what you can and cannot do on it?

Most people do not. That is a problem. The conditions on each bridging visa are different. Get it wrong, and you could breach your visa without even realising it.

Let me break down the five types.

Bridging Visa A (BVA)

This is the most common one. You get a BVA when you lodge an application for another visa while you are in Australia. A partner visa. A skilled visa. It lets you stay lawfully while your application is being processed.

Most BVAs come with work rights. But here is the catch: if you leave Australia on a BVA, the visa stops. You cannot come back. You are stuck overseas waiting for your substantive visa decision.

If you need to travel, you need a different bridging visa first.

Bridging Visa B (BVB)

This is the travel visa. If you hold a BVA and need to leave Australia temporarily, you apply for a BVB before you go. It lets you leave and come back within a set period.

The key word is "before." If you leave on a BVA without getting a BVB first, you cannot return. I have seen people make this mistake. It does not end well.

Bridging Visa C (BVC)

This one is for people who have become unlawful. Maybe your visa expired and you did not realise. Maybe you overstayed. A BVC lets you stay in Australia legally while your situation gets sorted.

It comes with restrictions. No automatic work rights. No travel. You are stuck in Australia until your next visa is decided.

Bridging Visa D (BVD)

This is a short-term visa for people who need to leave Australia but cannot do it immediately. It gives you a few days to make arrangements and depart voluntarily.

It is not a long-term solution. It is a grace period.

Bridging Visa E (BVE)

This is for people in immigration detention or those who have been refused a visa. A BVE lets them be released from detention or stay lawfully while waiting for an appeal outcome or ministerial intervention.

Conditions vary. Some BVEs have work rights. Some do not. It depends on the circumstances.

Why This Matters

Each bridging visa has different conditions. Work rights. Travel restrictions. Reporting requirements. If you breach those conditions, it can affect your future visa applications. Sometimes permanently.

Do not assume you know what your bridging visa allows. Check. And if you are not sure, book a consultation before you do something that cannot be undone.