By Navpreet Aulakh, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619467 | Updated 26 September 2026 | Checked against Department of Home Affairs guidance on 26 September 2026
Waiting for an Australian visa decision can leave you with practical questions: Can you keep working? Can you visit family overseas? What happens when your current visa expires?
The central difference between a Bridging Visa A (BVA) and a Bridging Visa B (BVB) is travel. A BVA does not provide permission to return to Australia after an overseas trip. A BVB can provide that permission during an approved travel period. Work rights require a separate check of your conditions.
Before accepting extra shifts or booking flights, establish which visa is currently in effect and read its conditions. Your application receipt, bridging visa grant and current visa record answer different questions.
This guide explains how to approach those checks and prepare for a conversation with a registered migration agent. If you are on a Bridging Visa C or E, or need the cease-date rules, read our bridging visas explained guide, or see how we help on our bridging visas page.
What is a Bridging Visa A?
A Bridging Visa A, subclass 010, is a temporary visa that generally allows you to remain lawfully in Australia after your substantive visa ends while a new substantive visa application is being processed.
A substantive visa is a visa such as a student, visitor or partner visa, rather than a bridging visa.
Many applicants encounter a BVA after lodging an eligible visa application in Australia, such as an onshore partner visa or a skilled visa. However, do not assume that submitting any application automatically gives you lawful status. Confirm that a bridging visa has actually been granted, and check when it operates.
The Home Affairs BVA page is the official starting point for subclass requirements.
What is a Bridging Visa B?
A Bridging Visa B, subclass 020, can allow an eligible applicant to leave Australia and return during a specified travel period while their substantive visa application is being processed.
It requires an application and a decision. Having a flight booking or lodging a request does not itself give you travel permission.
Home Affairs identifies being in Australia when applying as a requirement. A BVB also only permits employment where its conditions allow it. Read the official BVB information before making arrangements.
Bridging Visa A vs B: quick comparison
| Question | Bridging Visa A | Bridging Visa B |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass | 010 | 020 |
| Main purpose | Lawful stay during a relevant immigration process | Lawful stay with an approved travel facility |
| Can it support return after overseas travel? | No | Yes, within the approved travel period |
| Does it automatically allow unrestricted work? | No | No |
| What should you check? | Commencement, conditions and cessation terms | Those details plus travel dates and permitted entries |
Neither visa represents approval of your underlying visa application. Plan around the grant you actually hold, rather than the outcome you hope to receive.
When does your BVA become active?
In the usual transition between visas, the bridging visa takes effect when your current substantive visa expires. Receiving the bridging visa grant earlier does not immediately replace the conditions of the visa still in effect.
For example, imagine you hold a visitor visa and receive a bridging visa associated with another application. You should not begin employment simply because the future bridging arrangements appear to permit work. First establish which visa governs your stay today.
Check the grant notification alongside Home Affairs guidance on changing visas. Cancellation, multiple applications or review proceedings can require closer assessment than this common example.
Write down three items: your current visa, its relevant end date, and the bridging visa commencement terms. This makes it easier to spot gaps or misunderstandings before they affect a job or journey.
Bridging visa work rights: can you work on a BVA or BVB?
Permission depends on your individual visa conditions. The words "bridging visa" alone do not establish whether you can work or whether restrictions apply.
Use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) to check your current in-effect visa. VEVO does not display a future bridging visa as your current visa while another substantive visa remains in effect. Our VEVO check guide walks through the steps.
Before starting or changing employment:
- Check the visa currently operating.
- Read the work conditions and their full meaning.
- Compare them with the proposed role and hours.
- Resolve any uncertainty before accepting the work.
Do not rely on a friend's grant letter, even if you applied for the same visa subclass. Personal visa histories can differ.
For employers, Home Affairs provides separate guidance on checking work rights. Where a bridging visa has no expiry date displayed in VEVO, that guidance recommends checking every three months to confirm continuing work rights.
What if your bridging visa does not allow work?
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to apply for a new bridging visa with different conditions. Financial hardship can be relevant, but eligibility and evidence requirements vary.
Form 1005 discusses applications involving changed conditions and evidence of a compelling need to work. It also explains a particular sequence for BVB holders seeking work rights: applying for a BVA without work restrictions, then a further BVB.
Get advice before changing visas where travel is also planned. A work-rights application should be considered alongside your travel arrangements.
Useful preparation may include bank statements, rent, household expenses, income and available financial support. Explain the figures consistently rather than submitting a large collection of unexplained screenshots. Continue to comply with your existing conditions while the request is assessed.
Can you travel overseas on a Bridging Visa A?
You cannot use a BVA to re-enter Australia. Home Affairs explains that departing while another type of bridging visa is in effect causes that bridging visa to cease; among bridging visas, the BVB provides the travel facility.
If a substantive visa still permits your departure and return, the assessment is different. Check whether it will remain valid for your return and what happens to your bridging arrangements. Do not assume an unused BVA simply remains available after the trip.
Read travel while your visa is being processed before leaving.
How to prepare a Bridging Visa B application
1. Confirm eligibility before choosing travel dates
The requirements described in Form 1006 include holding a BVA or BVB, having substantial reasons to leave and return, and meeting the public-interest requirement.
A BVC or BVE is not interchangeable with a BVA. If your status is different, seek advice before assuming the same travel option exists.
2. Explain the purpose and timing
Prepare a clear account of why you need to travel, the proposed departure and return dates, and who is travelling.
For illustration, evidence might include a family event invitation, information about a relative's illness, or an employer's explanation of an overseas commitment. These are possible supporting documents, not a list of reasons that guarantees approval.
Aim for a short explanation supported by relevant evidence. If your dates are flexible, make that clear. If they are fixed, explain why.
3. Use the correct application channel
Home Affairs currently directs applicants who lodged their substantive application through ImmiAccount and have not applied for review to submit their bridging application through ImmiAccount. If you are new to it, our ImmiAccount guide covers the basics.
For applicable paper applications and other eligible circumstances, its bridging visa webform provides an alternative. A BVB application through that route requires Form 1006, supporting documents and payment through ImmiAccount before submission.
Follow the current instructions for your circumstances. Avoid sending duplicate applications merely because you are worried about processing.
4. Check the grant before departure
After approval, compare the actual travel permission with your itinerary. Check each traveller's documents separately, including children. Keep accessible copies of the grant notification, passport and relevant correspondence.
Home Affairs cannot change or extend the travel period after the BVB is granted, so if your plans move you may need a new BVB. Put the return deadline in your calendar and plan a buffer for delays. A return flight scheduled at the very end of the permitted period leaves little room for cancellations or illness. Our Bridging Visa B travel guide covers the travel period in more detail.
Bridging Visa B processing time, cost and urgent travel
Home Affairs recommends applying no more than three months and no less than two weeks before your intended travel date. This is application timing guidance, not a promise of approval within two weeks. See its bridging visa travel guidance.
As at 26 September 2026 the Bridging Visa B costs AUD 575 (except in limited circumstances), and Home Affairs says there are no processing times available for this visa. Check the current charge using the official visa pricing information. Government charges and professional assistance fees are separate costs.
For urgent circumstances, Home Affairs provides an urgent BVB application channel. Check its instructions and provide evidence of urgency. An urgent request does not guarantee approval before your flight.
When comparing travel options, consider the cost of changing a booking as well as the airfare. Do not treat a cheap non-refundable ticket as a reason to depart without the necessary permission.
A practical example: visiting family overseas
Suppose Priya is waiting for a visa decision and wants to attend a family celebration. She has received several immigration emails and is unsure which document matters.
Her first step should be to organise the information: current VEVO result, substantive visa grant, bridging visa grant, pending application details and proposed itinerary. Together, these allow her adviser to assess her position.
She should ask specific questions: Which visa applies now? What permission will support my return? Could a decision during the trip change the arrangements? What happens if my return flight is delayed?
This fictional example illustrates preparation, not an eligibility finding. The useful habit is to resolve the immigration questions before making irreversible travel commitments.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the main difference between BVA and BVB?
The BVB can include permission to leave and return during an approved travel period. A BVA does not provide re-entry permission. Both require attention to their individual conditions.
2. Can I work full-time on a BVA?
Possibly, depending on its conditions and whether it is in effect. Check your own documents and VEVO before assuming that unrestricted work is permitted.
3. Does a BVB automatically give me work rights?
No. Travel permission and employment permission are separate matters. Read the conditions attached to your grant.
4. Can I leave after applying for a BVB but before approval?
An application does not provide travel permission. If you need the BVB to support your return, wait for the grant and check its terms before departing.
5. How early should I apply for a BVB?
Home Affairs recommends the period between three months and two weeks before travel. Allow preparation time and do not interpret this recommendation as a processing guarantee.
6. Can I apply for a BVB after leaving Australia?
The BVB requires you to be in Australia when applying. If you are already overseas without suitable return permission, obtain advice about your available options promptly.
7. Why is my bridging visa not showing in VEVO?
VEVO reports your current in-effect visa. Your substantive visa may still be operating. Check the bridging grant's commencement details and investigate any discrepancy you cannot explain.
8. Can my family travel under my BVB?
Do not assume your grant covers everyone. Form 1006 requires relevant family members needing a BVB to be included. Confirm each person's grant and travel permission before departure.
9. Does a bridging visa mean my permanent visa will be approved?
No. It does not decide the outcome of the substantive application. Continue preparing and responding to that application on its own merits.
10. What should I bring to a bridging visa consultation?
Bring your passport, visa grants, recent VEVO result, application acknowledgement, proposed itinerary and relevant Home Affairs correspondence. Include any refusal or review documents and highlight urgent dates at the start.
Get help with your bridging visa questions
If you are unsure about work conditions or overseas travel, book your consultation with Nanak Migration. Have your documents ready so your circumstances can be assessed before you make commitments.
This article provides general information, not advice about your individual circumstances. Visa rules and requirements can change. Nanak Migration Group, 1313 Success Group Pty Ltd, ABN 54 674 937 476. Navpreet Aulakh, MARN 2619467.