Bridging visas are a category of temporary visas under Australian immigration law that allow a person to remain in Australia lawfully in defined circumstances — primarily while a substantive visa application is being processed, while an appeal is on foot, or while the person makes arrangements to depart Australia. They are not work or residence visas in their own right; they bridge a gap in a person's immigration status.

There are six bridging visa subclasses, each designed for a different circumstance. The work rights, travel rights, and duration of each vary considerably. The key bridging visas are:

• Bridging Visa A (BVA — Subclass 010): Granted automatically (by operation of law) when a person makes a valid application for a substantive visa while holding a substantive visa or bridging visa in Australia. Allows the applicant to remain in Australia until a decision is made. Work rights inherited from the previous substantive visa (unless otherwise specified).
• Bridging Visa B (BVB — Subclass 020): Granted to BVA or BVC holders who need to travel outside Australia temporarily and return. Allows one departure and return within a specified period. Without a BVB, a bridging visa ceases on departure.
• Bridging Visa C (BVC — Subclass 030): Granted to people who apply for a substantive visa when they are not holding a substantive visa (for example, after their visa has expired). Does not carry work rights unless the applicant applies and demonstrates financial hardship.
• Bridging Visa D (BVD — Subclass 040 and 041): A short-term emergency bridging visa granted where a person is not able to immediately apply for another visa and needs to be given a short period (typically 5 days) to make a valid application. Used rarely in exceptional circumstances.
• Bridging Visa E (BVE — Subclass 050 and 051): Granted to people who are unlawful non-citizens or whose visa has ceased in circumstances not covered by BVA/BVC. Also used where a person is making arrangements to depart Australia. Does not automatically carry work rights — the holder must apply and demonstrate financial need.
• Bridging Visa F (BVF — Subclass 060): A specialised bridging visa used in circumstances involving victims of human trafficking or where there are exploitation concerns. Allows a person to cooperate with authorities.

Bridging visas are authorised under Part 2 of the Migration Act 1958. Section 37 provides for the grant of bridging visas. The specific criteria for each bridging visa subclass are set out in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994. Bridging visas are generally granted by operation of law (automatically) or on application — the mechanism depends on the subclass.

Automatic BVA grant: When a person lodges a valid substantive visa application while in Australia holding a valid substantive visa, a BVA is granted automatically by operation of law at the time of lodgement. The person does not need to apply separately for the BVA.

Ceasing on departure: All bridging visas (except BVB) cease automatically when the holder departs Australia. This is a critical rule — a person who departs Australia on a bridging visa without first obtaining a BVB will lose their bridging status and their pending visa application may be affected.

Work rights on bridging visas: The BVA typically inherits the work rights of the substantive visa that was held immediately before the BVA was granted. The BVC and BVE do not carry automatic work rights — the holder must apply for a work condition to be attached, and must demonstrate financial need (that they cannot meet their living costs without working).

Duration: Bridging visas remain in effect until a decision is made on the underlying application, or until another event specified in the visa conditions occurs (for example, departure or grant of a new visa). They have no fixed expiry date in the ordinary sense — they last as long as the underlying circumstances continue.

A common misconception is that holding a bridging visa confers the same rights as holding the substantive visa that was applied for. It does not. Work rights, study rights, and travel rights on a bridging visa are determined by the bridging visa's own conditions, not by the applied-for visa's criteria.

Unlawful non-citizens — persons in Australia without any visa — are not on bridging visas. They are technically in breach of the Migration Act and are subject to detention and removal. A person becomes an unlawful non-citizen if their visa (including their bridging visa) has ceased and they have not been granted a new visa.

For current application charges, refer to the DHA fee schedule. For current processing times, refer to global visa processing times.