Most onshore applicants never plan to be on a bridging visa — then their current visa ticks down while their next application is still being processed, and the bridging visa becomes the only thing keeping them lawful. Get the conditions wrong, and the consequences can be serious. Here's a plain-English guide.
What is a bridging visa?
A bridging visa is a temporary visa that keeps you lawfully in Australia while the Department processes your next (substantive) visa application. It most commonly applies when you lodge an onshore application and your current visa is due to expire before a decision is made. A bridging visa generally doesn't have a fixed expiry date — it stays active until your application is decided (and for a short period after), or until it's replaced by another visa.
What's the difference between Bridging Visa A, B, and C?
Bridging Visa A (BVA) is the most common. You're generally granted a BVA automatically when you lodge an onshore application while you still hold a valid substantive visa. It keeps you lawful while your application is processed — but importantly, it does not let you travel overseas and return.
Bridging Visa B (BVB) is the one that allows travel. If you're on a BVA and need to leave Australia and come back while your application is still processing, you must apply for and be granted a BVB before you depart, with a specified travel period.
Bridging Visa C (BVC) is granted when you lodge an onshore application but no longer hold a substantive visa (for example, you applied after your previous visa had already expired). It keeps you lawful from lodgement, but its conditions are typically stricter than a BVA — and it does not permit travel.
Who gets work rights on a bridging visa?
It depends on the bridging visa and the visa you've applied for. As a general guide in 2026: if you've applied for a visa like the 485, 820/801, 189, 190, or 491, a BVA is commonly granted with full work rights. If you're moving between similar visas (for example, student to student), your bridging visa may inherit the same conditions as your previous visa, including work-hour limits. A BVC often has no automatic work rights — and working without permission on a no-work bridging visa is a serious breach with consequences for all future applications. If your bridging visa doesn't allow work and you need it, there's a process to request work rights based on a compelling need, but the evidence bar can be high.
The travel mistake that can derail everything
This is the single most important point: do not travel overseas on a BVA, BVC, or BVE. Leaving Australia on a BVA cancels it, and you may not be able to return — and travelling without the right bridging visa can disrupt or end your substantive application. If you need to travel, apply for a BVB first, allow several weeks for it to be granted (the Department recommends applying well ahead — at least around three weeks before travel), and don't book non-refundable flights until it's approved. Always check the exact conditions on your grant letter or VEVO before booking anything.
A note on the 2026 tightening
Since mid-2024, the rules around switching visa types onshore have tightened, with further adjustments in 2026, aimed at stopping people stacking short visas to stay indefinitely. The practical upshot is that bridging-visa situations need more careful planning than they once did — getting advice before your current visa runs low is well worth it.
This article is general information only and does not constitute migration advice. Bridging visa conditions are specific to your situation and easy to get wrong — book a consultation with Sirat if you're approaching a bridging visa or need to travel while one is in place.