How to apply for a Bridging visa E (ImmiAccount or Form 1008)

Updated 3 October 2026

Lodge a Bridging visa E application in ImmiAccount (Form 1008 Internet) if no other BVE application is pending, or on the paper Form 1008 if you cannot use ImmiAccount.

There is no application charge (A$0) under item 1305 of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994, and the subclass 050 rules and Home Affairs guidance say to apply only once your visa has ended, or while you hold a Bridging visa E or Bridging visa D (subclass 041).

You, and everyone included in the application, must be in Australia when you lodge it and when it is decided, under item 1305 and the grant criteria in the Migration Regulations 1994.

Some onshore visa application forms also count as a Bridging visa E application under the Migration (Arrangements for Bridging visa applications) Instrument 2021 (LIN 21/045), and Home Affairs tells you when yours did.

Your grant letter states your conditions, according to the Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page, including any condition 8101 (no work) under Schedule 8 to the Migration Regulations 1994.

In immigration detention you hand the paper form to an officer, as LIN 21/045 requires.

The site’s enquiry form is a disabled preview and cannot send details yet. For an individual application check, contact an Australian migration lawyer directly. Read about the Bridging visa E enquiry.

Applying for a Bridging visa E

1. Check you are unlawful, a Bridging visa E holder or a Bridging visa D (subclass 041) holder.
2. Choose ImmiAccount (Form 1008 Internet) or the paper Form 1008.
3. Give your ground and evidence.
4. Attend an interview if asked.
5. Read the grant letter for your conditions.

These steps follow clause 050.211 and the application criteria in the Migration Regulations 1994, LIN 21/045 and the Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page.

At a glance

Applying for a Bridging visa E (subclass 050 or 051): the online and paper routes, what to include for your ground, the nil charge, the interview and the grant letter.

The eligibility and grounds below concern subclass 050, the general BVE. Subclass 051 has separate, limited protection-applicant criteria under Part 051 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994.

Can you apply yet?

Yes, for subclass 050, if you are in Australia, not in immigration clearance, and are an unlawful non-citizen, a Bridging visa E holder or a Bridging visa D (subclass 041) holder. These requirements appear in clause 050.211 of Schedule 2 and item 1305 of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994.

No, if your substantive visa is still in effect. The Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page, updated 8 August 2025, says an application “cannot be made in anticipation of becoming unlawful”. A substantive visa is a visa other than a bridging, criminal justice or enforcement visa.

You must also be an “eligible non-citizen” under section 72 of the Migration Act 1958: immigration cleared, in a prescribed regulation 2.20 class, or personally determined eligible by the Minister under section 72(2).

You cannot validly apply if a BVE you held was cancelled for breaching condition 8564 (no criminal conduct) or condition 8566 (code of behaviour), or any visa you held was cancelled under regulation 2.43(1)(p) or (q). Item 1305(3)(f)–(g) of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets these restrictions.

Since 12 December 2025, regulation 2.08H of the Migration Regulations 1994 limits a Bridging visa R holder—and someone unlawful after holding one who has remained in Australia—to protection visa or Bridging visa R applications. They cannot validly apply for a BVE.

Act promptly after expiry: Apply as early as you can after your substantive visa ends: if your BVE is granted within 28 days of that date, later departure on it is not a PIC 4014 risk factor under Schedule 4, PIC 4014(5)(b)(i) of the Migration Regulations 1994.

How do you apply online in ImmiAccount?

1. Sign in to ImmiAccount. The Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page, updated 8 August 2025, says: “The preferred method is to apply online.” Access the application through Home Affairs ImmiAccount.

2. Choose the Bridging visa E application, Form 1008 (Internet). Under sections 4(4)–(5) of the Migration (Arrangements for Bridging visa applications) Instrument 2021 (LIN 21/045), it is approved only if you have no other pending BVE application. Pending means made, valid, not withdrawn and not yet granted or refused.

3. Give your residential address and ground. Home Affairs Form 1008 requires a residential address, not a post office box, and details of the reason you need the visa.

4. Attach your evidence. Step 2 of the Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page asks for colour copies of passport pages showing your photo and details, any national identity card, and evidence of your immigration matter or departure plans. Have non-English documents translated; translations made in Australia must be by a NAATI-accredited translator.

5. Submit the application: there is nothing to pay. Item 1305(2) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets a nil charge, as at 1 July 2026.

Do not use the wrong webform: the Home Affairs Bridging A, B, C visa application online page, dated 22 September 2026, says that webform cannot be used to apply for a Bridging visa E.

When do you use the paper Form 1008?

You use the paper form when you cannot apply in ImmiAccount, including when another BVE application of yours is pending, because Form 1008 and LIN 21/045 then direct or restrict the available route. In immigration detention, or at an interview with an officer, LIN 21/045 requires the paper form to be handed over in person.

For help completing it, the paper BVE form has its own part-by-part guide.

Did your visa application already count as a BVE application?

Yes, if you made a valid application in Australia for a substantive visa on a form also approved for a BVE. Examples in Schedule 1 item 5 of LIN 21/045 include Form 866 for a protection visa and Form 47SP for a partner visa.

The Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page says: “We will tell you if this happens. In this case, you do not need to lodge a separate application.”

It counts only if the substantive application is valid under item 1305(3)(e) of the Migration Regulations 1994. Regulation 2.07A excludes applications made outside Australia and visas that can only be granted outside Australia; LIN 21/045 also excludes Forms 1364 and 866 as BVE forms for current subclass 785 or 790 holders.

A combined form is an application, not an automatic grant.

What evidence goes with each Bridging visa E ground?

Your ground is the legal reason for seeking the visa. Clause 050.212 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets the grounds; Part D and questions 16–17 of Home Affairs Form 1008, together with Step 2 of the Home Affairs subclass 050 page, identify the supporting information.

The work-permission row is explained further in how to ask for work rights on a BVE.

If your visa has just ended, read about becoming lawful again after a visa expires.

What does a Bridging visa E cost?

A$0 to apply. Item 1305(2) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets the base charge, additional applicant charges and second instalment at nil, as at 1 July 2026. Regulation 2.12C(2)(b) means there is also no non-internet charge for the paper application.

The Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page confirms: “There is no fee for a BVE application.”

A Bridging visa E is not an “e-visa”: E is the class letter, with Bridging E designated Class WE under item 1305(4) of the Migration Regulations 1994.

Other costs can arise:

• Security (bond): An officer may require security for compliance with conditions before grant under clause 050.224 of the Migration Regulations 1994. That clause sets no fixed amount.
• Detention costs: If condition 8507 (pay or arrange payment of detention costs) is imposed, the Migration (Daily Maintenance Amount for Persons in Detention) Determination 2026 sets the daily maintenance amount at A$702.31 from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028.
• ART review in detention: Review of a detention bridging-visa refusal under section 338(4) has no fee under regulation 4.13(2)(a) of the Migration Regulations 1994.
• ART review outside detention: Check whether your refusal letter gives a review right; where the standard non-protection review fee applies, the ART fees page listed A$3,727 when checked on 24 September 2026, with a 50% reduction available for financial hardship.

Interview and security (bond)

• Interview: Clause 050.222 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires an interview by an authorised officer unless an exception applies. Examples include a non-detainee with a substantive application who is not seeking different conditions, no officer being available, or an officer deciding no interview is needed. The Regulations give no fixed list of interview questions: be ready to explain your ground and evidence, and how you will comply with your conditions, as clause 050.223 requires.

• Security: An officer may require a bond for compliance with conditions under clause 050.224 of the Migration Regulations 1994. It must be lodged before grant, and the declaration in Home Affairs Form 1008 says it may be forfeited if you break a condition.

What happens after you lodge a Bridging visa E application?

1. Receive an acknowledgement. The Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page says it will tell you it has received your application and documents. If you are in detention, item 1305(3)(c) of the Migration Regulations 1994 also requires a detention review officer to have been informed of the application.

2. Respond to further requests. The Home Affairs subclass 050 page says you may be asked for more information, an interview, biometrics or a health examination. If you made a mistake, notify Home Affairs using Form 1023, Notification of incorrect answers.

3. Read the written decision. The Home Affairs subclass 050 page says you receive either a grant notice or a refusal letter stating the reasons and whether you have a right to review.

The Home Affairs subclass 050 page gives no fixed timeframe: there is no published Bridging visa E processing time outside detention.

Reading your Bridging visa E grant letter

The Home Affairs Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page identifies these grant details:

• Grant number: Keep this with your visa records.
• Date the visa starts: Check when the grant takes effect.
• Conditions: Read every condition attached to your visa.
• No visa label: Your visa is linked digitally to your passport.

The Home Affairs subclass 050 page also directs you to Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) to check your specific conditions.

You can find what each code means when you see your Bridging visa E conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Bridging visa E granted automatically?

No, ordinarily it requires a decision on an application. Exceptions include a deemed grant for an eligible detainee under section 75 of the Migration Act 1958 and limited grants without an application under regulation 2.25 of the Migration Regulations 1994 or section 195A of the Act.

Can I use the online Bridging visa A, B or C webform?

No. The Home Affairs Bridging A, B, C visa application online page says it cannot be used for a BVE; use the applicable ImmiAccount or paper Form 1008 route instead.

Do I have to stay in Australia until the decision?

Yes. The Migration Regulations 1994 grant criteria and Home Affairs guidance require you and everyone included to be in Australia at decision; leaving also immediately ends a BVE you already hold under section 82(8) of the Migration Act 1958.

What if I made a mistake on my application?

Tell Home Affairs as soon as you can using Form 1023, Notification of incorrect answers, as its Bridging visa E (subclass 050) page directs.

If your Bridging visa E application is refused

Unless you hold another visa, you remain or become an unlawful non-citizen. Sections 13–14 of the Migration Act 1958 define lawful and unlawful status, and section 189(1) requires an officer to detain someone known or reasonably suspected to be unlawful in the migration zone.

If you are in immigration detention when notified of a reviewable refusal, section 347(3)–(5) of the Migration Act 1958 gives you 14 days after the notification day to apply to the ART. The ART cannot extend that deadline, and regulation 4.13(2)(a) of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets no fee for a section 338(4) review.

A detainee refused a bridging visa generally cannot apply again until 30 days after the refusal, or after review is finally determined. Section 74 of the Migration Act 1958 and regulation 2.23 provide an exception where the Minister is satisfied the criteria are now met.

A BVE refusal itself does not trigger the section 48 application bar: section 48(1)(b)(i) of the Migration Act 1958 expressly excludes a bridging-visa refusal.

For the next steps, read Bridging visa E refused; for help with a detention application or review deadline, see BVE lawyer in immigration detention.

If you made a valid onshore substantive visa application without holding a substantive visa and have not held a BVE since your last substantive visa, a Bridging visa C (subclass 030) may be the relevant visa instead, subject to the other subclass 030 criteria in the Migration Regulations 1994.

For the broader explanation of the visa, return to What is a Bridging visa E.

Important: Advising on or preparing a BVE application using migration-procedure knowledge is immigration assistance; giving it while neither registered nor exempt is an offence under section 280 of the Migration Act 1958. Practising lawyers are subject to professional indemnity requirements, including section 211 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (WA). If an unauthorised helper’s mistake leads to refusal or leaves you unlawful, you may have no insurer to claim against, depending on whether an actual policy covers the loss.

An Australian migration lawyer can check your claimed BVE ground, supporting evidence, applicable conditions and end-date rule before lodgement. The ground matters: a non-protection judicial-review BVE under clause 050.612A of the Migration Regulations 1994 must carry condition 8101; the Ministerial intervention grounds in clause 050.212(5B) and (6) require a first request; and section 74 of the Migration Act 1958 generally imposes a 30-day reapplication wait for a refused detainee. These are concrete eligibility and deadline checks, not a prediction of a grant.

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