Bridging Visas Explained: A, B, C and E

Current as at 3 July 2026. The Bridging Visa B application charge is $575 from 1 July 2026 (up from $190); a Bridging Visa A is generally free. Fees are FY2026-27 figures — the charge in force at lodgement applies; confirm at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. This is general information, not legal advice.

A bridging visa is one of the least understood parts of the visa system, and one of the most consequential to get wrong. It is the visa that keeps you lawfully in Australia while something else is being decided — a new application, a review, or your departure. But bridging visas are not interchangeable. What you can do on one — whether you can work, whether you can study, and above all whether you can leave the country and come back — depends entirely on which letter you hold. Confusing a BVA with a BVE, or travelling on the wrong one, can undo months of planning.

What a bridging visa is (and isn’t)

A bridging visa is a temporary visa that bridges the gap between visas. If you apply for a new substantive visa while you hold one in Australia, you are usually granted a bridging visa that comes into effect if your current visa expires before the new one is decided. It is not a visa you can plan a life around — it exists to keep you lawful while a decision is pending. Crucially, a bridging visa’s conditions often mirror the visa you held before it: if your previous visa let you work, your bridging visa usually will too; if it carried a “no work” condition (8101), that generally carries across.

The four you are most likely to hold

This is a general overview. The exact conditions on any bridging visa are stated in the grant notice — always read yours, because two people on the same class of bridging visa can hold different conditions.

Work rights: the detail that catches people out

The most common misunderstanding is assuming a bridging visa automatically lets you work. It does not. Work entitlement generally depends on three things: the conditions on your previous visa, how the bridging visa was granted, and whether condition 8101 (no work) applies. On a BVA, work rights usually carry over from the visa before it. On a BVC, work rights are often not automatic and may require an application demonstrating financial hardship. On a BVE, work rights are frequently restricted. Working without permission is a serious breach that can jeopardise your current and future visas — if there is any doubt about your work rights, confirm them before you start a job.

Travel: why the BVB exists

Here is the rule that trips people up most often: of the common bridging visas, only a Bridging Visa B lets you travel overseas and return. If you leave Australia on a BVA, BVC or BVE, you generally cannot come back on it — your bridging visa ceases and, if your substantive application is still pending, you may have jeopardised it.

So if you are on a BVA and you need to travel — for a family emergency, work, or a wedding — you apply for a Bridging Visa B before you go. Key points:

• You need to show a genuine reason to travel.
• The BVB grants a travel facility for a specified period — you must return within it, or you may not be able to re-enter.
• The application charge is $575 from 1 July 2026 — a steep increase from the previous $190, so factor it into your plans.
• Leaving on any other bridging visa is the classic, costly mistake — check what you hold before booking flights.

Bridging Visa E: when things are more serious

A Bridging Visa E is different in character from the others. It is typically granted to someone who is unlawful, or whose immigration status is being resolved, to allow them to make arrangements — to depart, to lodge an application, or to pursue a review. A BVE usually carries tight conditions, often including limited or no work rights and, in some cases, reporting requirements. It does not permit travel. Because a BVE frequently accompanies a genuinely precarious situation, getting advice early is important — the choices made while on a BVE can determine whether a lawful pathway remains open. Our Bridging Visa E service assists people in exactly this position.

Common bridging visa mistakes

• Travelling on the wrong visa. Leaving on a BVA/BVC/BVE instead of first obtaining a BVB — the number one avoidable error.
• Assuming work rights. Starting work on a bridging visa that carries an 8101 no-work condition.
• Letting the BVB window lapse. Staying overseas past the travel period and being unable to return.
• Not reading the grant notice. Your conditions are individual to your grant — never rely on what a friend’s visa allowed.

When a bridging visa comes into effect — and when it ends

A bridging visa is usually granted at the same time as you lodge your substantive application, but it does not come into effect until your current substantive visa ends. Until then it sits dormant “in the background”. This is why many people hold a bridging visa they have never actually used — their substantive visa is still valid.

A bridging visa generally ends when one of a few things happens:

• your new substantive visa is granted (you move onto it);
• your application is refused and any associated review or appeal period runs out;
• you leave Australia on a bridging visa that does not permit return; or
• a specified end date passes (for example, the travel period on a BVB).

The moment a bridging visa ends without another visa taking its place, a person becomes unlawful — which is exactly the situation a BVE is often used to resolve. Knowing when your bridging visa is due to end is as important as knowing what it lets you do.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know which bridging visa I’m on?

Your grant notice states the subclass (for example 010 for a BVA, 020 for a BVB, 050 for a BVE) and the conditions attached. If you cannot locate it, your ImmiAccount and Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) records show your current visa and its conditions.

Can I work on a bridging visa?

Sometimes — it depends on your previous visa’s conditions and how the bridging visa was granted. Never assume; check your grant notice, and if work rights are restricted, find out whether you can apply for them before starting a job.

I’m on a BVA and need to travel urgently. What do I do?

Apply for a Bridging Visa B before you leave, showing a genuine need to travel, and return within the travel period it grants. Do not depart on the BVA itself — you will not be able to return on it.

Does a bridging visa lead to permanent residence?

No. A bridging visa is not a pathway in itself — it simply keeps you lawful while the substantive visa you actually applied for is decided. Your prospects depend on that underlying application.

Where to read more, and where to get help

For a plain-English reference on how bridging visas fit into the broader system, see our bridging visas topic page. If your bridging status is bound up with a refusal or a review, our article on what to do when a visa is refused explains how the two interact.

Not sure which one you’re on — or whether you can travel or work?

Bridging visas are simple in theory and unforgiving in practice, because a single wrong assumption about travel or work can end an application you have waited months for. If you are unsure what your bridging visa allows, whether you can travel, or how to keep a pending application alive, our team can confirm your conditions and options. Book a consultation before you make a move that cannot be undone — especially before you book overseas travel.