Bridging visa: what it is, the Bridging visa A and the other classes, including the Bridging visa E
A bridging visa is a temporary visa that keeps you lawful in Australia between visas or until you leave, and comes in classes A, B, C, D, E, F and R.
The Migration Regulations 1994 distinguish Bridging visa A (010) from Bridging visa E (050/051); check your grant notice and which visa is in effect.
Receiving a bridging visa grant does not necessarily mean it is already in effect. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, a BVA granted while a substantive visa remains in effect generally starts when that visa ceases.
Under Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994, Bridging visa A usually follows a valid onshore substantive application made while a substantive visa was held, subject to the applicable eligibility criteria. A valid application is not an automatic BVA grant.
Under the Migration Regulations 1994, work permission depends on the conditions of the visa in effect, not simply its letter.
The Migration Regulations 1994 provide for Bridging visa B travel and return during its specified travel period. Home Affairs’ Bridging visa E guidance says a BVE ends immediately on departure.
The comparison below identifies the classes, application charges and checks needed before relying on work or travel permission.
Facts checked: 3 October 2026. Application charges: effective 1 July 2026.
The bridging visas side by side
Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 set out the class, application and grant rules summarised below. This table describes classes; it does not determine your individual eligibility.
| Bridging visa | Subclass | Who it is for | Application charge | Travel and return | Work at grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridging visa A | 010 — Class WA | Generally, an eligible person with a valid onshore substantive application who held a substantive visa when applying. Specified BVA/BVB and review cases also exist. If the substantive visa remains in effect, the BVA generally starts when it ceases. | A$0. | No return travel on the BVA. | Depends on the grant basis and conditions. A BVA granted with a specified pending 801/820 partner application has nil conditions. This does not apply to every BVA. |
| Bridging visa B | 020 — Class WB | Eligible BVA/BVB holders with substantial reasons to leave and re-enter during the relevant application or review can apply for a Bridging visa B. | A$575 standard; A$195 for the specified Pacific-regional passport concession. | Travel and return during the specified travel period. | Conditions generally follow the bridging visa held at application, with special rules for particular grant categories. |
| Visa C — Bridging visa C (subclass 030) | 030 — Class WC | Eligible people who did not hold a substantive visa when making a valid onshore substantive application, subject to the BVE-history and other criteria. | A$0. | No return travel. | Initial grants usually prohibit work, except for specified skilled/business applications. Other work requests generally require financial hardship. |
| Visa D — Bridging visa D (subclasses 040 and 041) | 040 and 041 — Class WD | A short stop-gap for a prospective applicant or an unlawful non-applicant meeting the respective criteria. | A$0. | Return-travel entitlement is not established in this summary; check the grant notice before travelling. | No work: condition 8101. |
| Bridging visa E | 050 and 051 — Class WE | Subclass 050 covers eligible status-resolution and departure situations. Subclass 051 covers limited eligible protection-applicant situations. | A$0. | Ends on departure; it does not provide return permission. | Grant-specific. Do not assume either unrestricted work or a universal no-work rule. |
| Bridging visa F | 060 — Class WF | Suspected victims of human trafficking or slavery identified by police, and immediate family. | A$0. | The sources reviewed here do not establish travel entitlement; check the individual grant notice. | The sources reviewed here do not establish work conditions; check the individual grant notice. |
| Visa R — Bridging visa R (subclass 070) | 070 — Class WR | Eligible removal-pending cases, through invitation or specified no-application grant pathways—not an ordinary open application. | A$0. | Return-travel permission is not established in this summary; check the grant notice. | Do not infer unrestricted work from the class name or an abbreviated conditions list; check the grant conditions. |
The Migration Regulations 1994 support these class rules and charges. The Migration (Specification of Class of Persons) Instrument (LIN 23/029) 2023 identifies the specified pending partner applications for the BVA nil-conditions rule. Home Affairs’ current visa pricing page, retrieved on 24 September 2026, corroborates the A, B, C and E charges effective 1 July 2026.
At a glance
| Full label | Value |
|---|---|
| Bridging visa classes | A, B, C, D, E, F and R. |
| Lead class on this page | Bridging visa A — Class WA, subclass 010. |
| Bridging visa A application charge | A$0, effective 1 July 2026. |
| Bridging visa A start | On grant, or when the substantive visa ceases if it is still in effect; rules checked 3 October 2026. |
| Application form distinction | Form 1005 is for A, B or C; Form 1008 is for E. Both forms have design date 09/24. |
| First practical check | Identify the visa in effect and its conditions before working or travelling. |
The Migration Regulations 1994 establish the BVA class and start rules. Home Affairs’ Form 1005 and Form 1008 have different scopes; Form 1005 is not a universal bridging-visa application form. Home Affairs advises checking specific grant conditions in the grant letter and VEVO.
What is a bridging visa?
A bridging visa is temporary permission to remain lawful in Australia while the relevant immigration matter or departure arrangements are resolved. Home Affairs’ Bridging visa E guidance describes this role for people finalising immigration matters or arranging to leave.
A substantive visa is a visa other than a bridging, criminal justice or enforcement visa, under section 5 of the Migration Act 1958. In everyday terms, it is usually the main visa for your stay, such as a visitor, student or partner visa.
Under sections 13–14 of the Migration Act 1958, lawful status depends on having a visa in effect. A grant notice or application receipt alone is not enough to establish which visa currently permits your stay.
Home Affairs’ The Administration of the Immigration and Citizenship Programs, 16th edition, reported 412,582 holders across all bridging classes at 31 December 2025. This is not a BVE-only count and says nothing about an individual’s grant prospects.
Bridging visa A (subclass 010): the default bridging visa
Bridging visa A is the usual class for the eligible onshore-application situation—not a guaranteed or universal default. Schedule 1 item 1301 and Schedule 2 Part 010 of the Migration Regulations 1994 govern its application and grant criteria.
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Class and purpose. BVA means Bridging visa A, Class WA, subclass 010. It generally supports an eligible person’s valid onshore substantive application made while holding a substantive visa; other specified pathways also exist.
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Start. Under clauses 010.511, 010.513 and 010.514 of the Migration Regulations 1994, it comes into effect on grant or when a still-current substantive visa ceases.
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Work. Clause 010.611 of the Migration Regulations 1994 makes the grant basis and conditions decisive. The letter “A” does not itself establish unrestricted work permission.
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Travel. Home Affairs’ Bridging visa A guidance does not provide return travel on a BVA. BVA permission to remain is different from BVB permission to travel and return.
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Application and end checks. Home Affairs’ Form 1005 covers A, B or C; Form 1008 covers E. Identify whether your BVA is application-linked or judicial-review-based, then check the relevant end event under clauses 010.511 or 010.513 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
Who gets a Bridging visa A
The usual eligible BVA applicant made a valid onshore substantive application while holding a substantive visa. Schedule 1 item 1301 and Schedule 2 Part 010 of the Migration Regulations 1994 also contain specified alternative pathways.
The eligibility situations include:
- the valid-onshore-application/substantive-visa-held situation;
- specified cases involving a BVA or BVB holder;
- specified judicial-review cases where review was sought within the applicable time.
These are an outline, not a complete eligibility checklist under the Migration Regulations 1994.
Before applying, check your substantive visa’s current status, whether the proposed substantive application is valid, and whether a BVA has already been granted. The Migration Regulations 1994 distinguish eligibility for grant from when the BVA comes into effect.
Home Affairs publishes Form 1005, Application for a Bridging visa A, B or C. Its title establishes its scope; it does not mean the same submission method applies in every BVA situation.
Work on a Bridging visa A
Yes, if the BVA in effect has no work restriction; otherwise its work conditions control. Clause 010.611 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets the BVA condition rules.
Under clause 010.611 and LIN 23/029, a BVA granted with a specified pending 801/820 partner application has nil conditions. That rule concerns the specified BVA, not every bridging visa associated with a partner application.
Clause 010.611 also provides nil conditions for a new BVA granted on the compelling-need-to-work basis. Where financial hardship is relevant, providing hardship evidence does not by itself establish eligibility or guarantee a grant.
When a Bridging visa A ends
An application-linked BVA has ordinary 35-day cessation events; a judicial-review BVA has 28-day completion or withdrawal rules. Clauses 010.511 and 010.513 of the Migration Regulations 1994 govern these different bases.
For an application-linked BVA, clause 010.511 includes:
- grant of the substantive visa;
- 35 days after the Minister refuses the substantive application;
- 35 days after an Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) outcome other than remittal, or a decision that the review application was invalid;
- 35 days after withdrawal of the substantive application or ART application;
- 35 days after the Minister decides the substantive application was invalid.
The clause’s 35-day rules run from the applicable decision or event, even if a decision is defective or invalid—not from a casually assumed date when you read a letter.
For a judicial-review BVA, clause 010.513 provides 28 days after proceedings, including appeals, are completed, or after the judicial-review application is withdrawn. Clause 010.514 links a specified family-unit BVA’s end to the judicial-review party’s bridging visa expiry.
Material exceptions matter. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the specified PIC 4003(b)/4003A refusal causes immediate cessation. Cancellation of the substantive visa held, a further bridging grant for the relevant matter, and ART or court remittal can also change the applicable end rule. A remittal means the matter is sent back for reconsideration.
A BVA’s 35-day cessation rule is not a review-lodgement deadline; check the applicable decision date, grant basis and notice before relying on either period. The Migration Regulations 1994 govern cessation, while the Migration Act 1958 separately governs review time limits.
Making a review application does not automatically settle every visa-continuation question. This explanation uses the Regulations checked on 3 October 2026: Home Affairs’ BVA page contains former-tribunal wording and an older date-based distinction.
What types of bridging visas are there?
There are seven bridging visa classes: A, B, C, D, E, F and R. Regulation 2.21 and the relevant Schedule 1 items of the Migration Regulations 1994 distinguish the classes and their subclass numbers.
| Bridging visa letter | Visa class | Subclass number |
|---|---|---|
| A | WA | 010 |
| B | WB | 020 |
| C | WC | 030 |
| D | WD | 040 and 041 |
| E | WE | 050 and 051 |
| F | WF | 060 |
| R | WR | 070 |
Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994 identifies these class and subclass codes. Seven classes do not mean seven subclass numbers: D and E each contain two subclasses, giving nine subclass numbers.
Which bridging visa do you hold?
Compare your grant notice with current visa details before relying on the letter alone. Home Affairs advises using the grant letter and VEVO to check your specific conditions.
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Identify the grant. Read the visa name, subclass and conditions in your available grant notices. Keep the distinction between a visa granted and a visa currently in effect.
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Identify what is in effect. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, a BVA granted while a substantive visa remains current does not necessarily start immediately. If you hold more than one bridging visa, regulation 2.21 provides the legal order of benefit: B, A, C, D, R, E, F. This is not a recommendation or ranking of visa quality.
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Check the permission needed now. Verify work conditions and travel permission before acting. Home Affairs’ VEVO for organisations page says employers need the holder’s permission to check work entitlements.
Bridging visa conditions
Conditions depend on the class and grant basis; there is no universal bridging-visa conditions list. Schedule 2’s subclass rules and Schedule 8 of the Migration Regulations 1994 determine which conditions apply and what they mean.
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Work conditions. Under Schedule 8, condition 8101 (no work) prohibits work in Australia. BVA rules include specified carry-over conditions from an earlier visa. Do not apply the BVE condition list to every bridging class.
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Study conditions. BVE examples under the Migration Regulations 1994 include condition 8201 (study or training limited to three months), 8207 (no study or training) and 8548 (study or training limited to four months). These are not automatic conditions on A or every class.
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Reporting and address conditions. BVE examples under Schedule 8 include condition 8401 (report as directed) and 8506 (notify an address change at least two working days beforehand). Check whether either is actually imposed on your grant.
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Health-insurance conditions. Condition 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance) applies in specified grant categories under the Migration Regulations 1994. It is not a universal BVE requirement.
Breach of a visa condition is a cancellation ground under section 116(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958. This does not mean every breach necessarily causes cancellation.
How long does a bridging visa last?
There is no single duration: up to five working days for Bridging visa D, while other grants use dates or events. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, subclass 040 lasts five working days; subclass 041 ends after five working days or when a subclass 050 is granted.
The Migration Regulations 1994 include 35-day end events for application-linked BVAs and 28-day end events for judicial-review BVAs. Those are cessation rules, not a fixed duration for every BVA.
Under section 73 of the Migration Act 1958, a BVE’s period depends on a specified date, period or event. There is no universal BVE duration.
A BVB’s specified travel period is separate from its permission to remain under the Migration Regulations 1994. Home Affairs’ BVB guidance says the visa ceases if you are outside Australia when that travel period ends.
Bridging visa A, C or BVE: which one follows when your visa ends?
The class depends on your status when the substantive application was made, prior bridging-visa history and the applicable eligibility pathway. The Migration Regulations 1994 treat substantive visa expiry, application refusal and visa cancellation as different events.
| Situation | Bridging-class rule to explain | Essential qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Valid onshore substantive application made while holding a substantive visa | BVA is the usual eligible class; it generally takes effect when the substantive visa ceases. | Check the grant and its start rule. |
| Valid onshore application made without a substantive visa | BVC is a possible class under its criteria. | The prior-BVE restriction and other BVC criteria matter. |
| Unlawful, already holding BVE, or holding subclass 041 | Subclass 050 Bridging visa E is the relevant status-resolution class if an eligibility situation is met. | Unlawfulness alone is not sufficient for grant. |
| Substantive visa cancelled while a linked A/B is held | The linked A/B ceases under the cancellation rule; BVE eligibility needs a separate check. | The A/B does not simply activate after cancellation. |
| Substantive application refused or review completed | Check the existing BVA’s relevant cessation and review basis before deciding what follows. | “35 days” is neither an automatic BVE grant nor a universal review deadline. |
The Migration Regulations 1994 provide the BVA rules in clauses 010.511 and 010.513, the BVC validity rules in Schedule 1 item 1303, and the subclass 050 status requirement in clause 050.211. Subclass 050 also requires an applicable eligibility situation under clause 050.212.
Regulation 2.12 of the Migration Regulations 1994 preserves bridging classes among the prescribed section 48 classes. However, each bridging visa’s application-validity and grant criteria still apply.
Which bridging visa you hold while a partner, skilled or student visa is processed
The pending program’s name does not alone determine the bridging class. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the substantive application must be valid, and bridging eligibility depends on your status and history.
| Pending matter | Bridging-class explanation | Check before assuming work rights or continued stay |
|---|---|---|
| Partner 820/801 | Eligible applicants who made a valid application while holding a substantive visa generally follow the BVA rule. Other histories require C/E criteria to be checked. | A specified pending 801/820 BVA has nil conditions. A BVE holder’s partner application can face Schedule 3 and an unwaived no-further-stay validity bar. |
| Skilled or employer-sponsored, including 186 | Apply the A/C/E status and history rules to a valid application. Do not allocate a class solely from “186”. | Some listed skilled/business BVA categories have nil conditions. A complete subclass-by-subclass work mapping is not established here. |
| Skills in Demand/482 | Apply the general eligibility rules to a valid application. | Specified 457/482-to-482 BVA cases carry over work and health-insurance conditions. Do not assume unrestricted work. |
| Temporary Graduate/485 | Apply the general bridging eligibility rules after confirming a valid application. | The program name does not establish 485-specific onshore eligibility or unrestricted BVA work rights. |
| Student/500 or Student Guardian/590 | Distinguish valid pending applications from new applications subject to the reforms commencing 2 October 2026. | A bridging visa is not a substantive visa. The former 28-day student-expiry route was removed; narrow statutory exceptions remain. |
| Protection/866 | A, C, 050 or limited 051 pathways depend on the relevant eligibility facts and a valid application. | Subclass 051 is not automatic for all protection applicants. Work rules depend on the grant basis. |
| Visitor/600 holder seeking a later substantive visa | An eligible valid application made while the substantive visa is held generally follows the BVA rule. | Check any existing no-further-stay condition before assuming the later application is valid. |
The Migration Regulations 1994 set the A/C/E eligibility and BVA condition rules. LIN 23/029 establishes the specified pending partner BVA class for nil conditions; it does not give every partner-related bridging visa unrestricted work.
For a BVE holder seeking an onshore partner visa, Schedule 3 to the Migration Regulations 1994 can apply. Separately, section 46(1A) of the Migration Act 1958 can make an application invalid where a relevant no-further-stay condition remains unwaived. Expiry of the visa carrying that condition does not remove this validity barrier.
The Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 commenced on 2 October 2026. The amendment removed the former route allowing an onshore Student or Student Guardian application without a substantive visa within 28 days of a Student visa ending. Narrow exceptions remain, including the specified ART-cancellation case.
The Student Visa Reform Regulations’ new application-validity provisions do not affect applications made before 2 October 2026. They did not change BVE conditions.
Bridging visa F (subclass 060)
Bridging visa F is Class WF, subclass 060, for suspected victims of human trafficking or slavery identified by police, and immediate family. Schedule 1 item 1306 of the Migration Regulations 1994 provides a nil application charge. It is not a generally available alternative to BVA or BVE.
Work rights and Medicare on a bridging visa
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Work rights. Yes, full-time work is permitted if the BVA in effect has no work restriction; otherwise the imposed restrictions govern. Clause 010.611 of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets the BVA condition rules. Home Affairs’ VEVO for organisations page says employers need the holder’s permission and receive an unlimited, limited or no-work result. For the separate condition checks, read Bridging visa work rights.
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Medicare. Not automatically. The principal temporary-visa route in section 3(1)(f) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 requires a qualifying permanent visa application that has not been withdrawn or finally determined. It excludes pending parent applications and combined protection-plus-parent applicants, and requires checking the statutory exclusion under section 6A(1). You must also have the specified Australian-citizen or permanent-visa spouse, parent or child connection, or authority to work in Australia in force. Separate Ministerial Orders cover some holders, including eligible Class WE unauthorised maritime arrivals and BVR holders; Services Australia publishes Ministerial Order enrolment guidance. Unrestricted BVA work rights alone do not establish Medicare entitlement. Read the Medicare bridging visa rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does class WA mean a work visa?
No. Class WA identifies Bridging visa A, subclass 010, under the Migration Regulations 1994; its work permission depends on clause 010.611 and the grant conditions.
Does lodging a bridging visa application make me lawful?
An application is not the same as a visa in effect. Under sections 13–14 of the Migration Act 1958, check whether a visa is in effect rather than relying only on an application receipt.
Is merits review the same as judicial review?
No. In this context, merits review is Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) review, while judicial review is a court proceeding; the Migration Regulations 1994 set different BVA end rules for those pathways.
Does Form 1005 cover Bridging visa E?
No. Home Affairs’ Form 1005 is “Application for a Bridging visa A, B or C”; the BVE paper form is Form 1008.
Does a BVA travel period work like a BVB travel period?
No. Home Affairs’ BVA guidance does not provide return travel, while a BVB permits travel and return within its specified period under the Migration Regulations 1994.
Where the Bridging visa E fits
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After a substantive visa refusal. Clause 010.511 of the Migration Regulations 1994 contains 35-day refusal and ART-outcome cessation rules, subject to the applicable review, remittal and immediate-cessation provisions. Judicial-review BVAs have separate rules under clause 010.513. These periods are not review-lodgement deadlines; start by understanding what a visa refusal means.
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After expiry without another visa in effect. Lawful status needs prompt attention. Home Affairs’ “If you don’t have a valid visa” guidance directs readers to depart or apply for BVE immediately to become lawful. Lodging alone does not create lawful status or guarantee grant. If you overstay your visa, check both your current status and BVE eligibility.
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Understand BVE’s place among the classes. Under the Migration Regulations 1994 and Home Affairs’ BVE guidance, subclass 050 covers eligible immigration-resolution and departure situations; subclass 051 has limited protection-applicant eligibility. The central guide explains the Bridging visa E and the other bridging visas.
An Australian migration lawyer can check your visa grant notice, decision dates and review documents before your stay ends. The check should distinguish the 35-day application rules from the 28-day judicial-review rules in clauses 010.511 and 010.513 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
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