The purpose of a Bridging Visa is to allow non-citizens of Australia to remain in Australia lawfully on a temporary or indefinite basis. It essentially “bridges the gap” between your old visa and your next course of action. The type of bridging visa you are granted depends on your circumstances.
There are five types of bridging visas:
- Bridging Visa A (BVA)
- Bridging Visa B (BVB)
- Bridging Visa C (BVC)
- Bridging Visa D (BCD)
- Bridging Visa E (BVE)
Although all bridging visas allow you to remain in Australia lawfully, only the BVB allows you to leave Australia and return on the same visa. If you hold any other bridging visa, it will be cancelled upon your departure from Australia.
The BVA comes into effect once the substantive visa, held at the time of application, expires and it remains in effect until a decision is made on your visa application. If you would like to travel out of Australia and avoid your BVA being cancelled while waiting for you substantive visa application to be processed, you will need to apply for a BVB.
To apply for a BVB, you need to:
- Be in Australia
- Already hold a BVA or BVB
- Have applied in Australia for a substantive visa that that that can be granted while you are in Australia
- Have good reasons for wanting to leave and return to Australia while your visa application is being processed.
- Provide evidence of your reason for travel and provide proposed travel dates.
It is important to note that your BVB will have a defined travel period. You can only leave and re-enter Australia within this defined period. Should you need to travel outside of Australia once the travel period ends, you will need to apply for another BVB. It is recommended that you apply for a BVB no more than 3 months and no less than 2 weeks before you plan to travel.
So, make sure you have a BVB before you hop on a plane when leaving Australia, otherwise you won’t be allowed to re-enter!
To discuss your eligibility to apply for a BVB to travel as well as the process involved, please contact the migration specialists at KU Legal:
+61 (0) 429 133 911
jb@kulegal.com.au
Disclaimer: Changes to the Australian migration program can occur without notice. The above information is not intended to be legal advice and is correct as of the date of publication.
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