Consider an applicant we will call Lena. Her student visa ended a month after she lodged her subclass 820 application, and her Bridging visa A took over. Then her sister announced a wedding in Manila. Lena booked flights and flew out on the BVA. At the airport on the way home, she discovered it had ceased the moment she left Australia. Her partner visa application was still valid, but she was now offshore with no visa to return on.
A $575 Bridging visa B, granted before departure, would have avoided the whole problem. This guide sets out what each bridging visa does and what it costs. It also explains how to keep your position safe while the Department decides your partner visa.
Short answer: An onshore partner visa applicant usually receives a Bridging visa A at no charge, with conditions set out in the grant letter. To travel and return during the wait, a Bridging visa B costing $575 must be granted before you leave Australia.
What a bridging visa is for
A bridging visa keeps you lawful while the Department decides a substantive application. It is temporary, and it does not speed the partner visa up. Home Affairs grants nearly all of them automatically when a valid onshore application is lodged. Consequently, you rarely need a separate form, and you can confirm what you hold through VEVO.
Three bridging visas matter for partner applicants. The differences between them decide whether you can work, whether you can leave, and what happens if the application fails.
The BVA, subclass 010, is the default for applicants who held a substantive visa when they lodged. It costs $0. It lets you stay lawfully until the partner visa is finally determined. It does not support return travel, so leaving Australia while it is in effect ends it. Work rights follow the conditions in your grant letter, and many partner applicants hold a BVA with full work rights.
The BVB, subclass 020, adds a travel facility to your position. It lets you leave and return within a defined period, for a single trip or multiple trips. The charge is $575, and one charge covers the family unit in the application. You must hold the BVB before you depart. Its conditions cannot be changed, so if it restricts work you must return to a BVA and apply for work rights there.
The BVC, subclass 030, applies where you lodged a valid application without holding a substantive visa. It costs $0. Like the BVA, it does not support return travel. Work rights follow the conditions imposed. If the BVC restricts work, you can seek a further BVC without that restriction, usually on evidence of financial hardship.
When the BVA starts
A BVA does not begin the day it is granted. Instead, it comes into effect when your current substantive visa ceases. Until then, the conditions on your existing visa still bind you. For example, a student visa’s work limit continues to apply until that visa ends. Only then do the BVA conditions take over.
This catches people out every year. Many assume the BVA overrides everything on grant day. It does not, and working outside your student conditions before the BVA starts is a breach.
Work rights: read the grant letter
Work rights are never automatic. They follow the conditions attached to your particular bridging visa, and the grant letter and VEVO both set them out. If your BVA prevents work, you can apply for a further BVA that permits it. Home Affairs will usually expect evidence of financial hardship, so gather bank statements, rent records and expense records before you apply.
Two situations block a work-permitting bridging visa where your current one restricts work. The first is an application for judicial review of a visa decision. The second is a protection visa application. Advice is essential in either case.
Travel: the BVB timing trap
Because a BVA ends on departure, any overseas trip needs a BVB granted first. Plan early, since a BVB is not instant. The travel period must cover your whole trip. An expired facility, or one that falls short of your return date, means a fresh BVB and a fresh $575 charge.
Only include family members who genuinely need to travel. Each person must meet the requirements individually, even though one charge covers the unit.
Can I study on a bridging visa?
Bridging visas do not usually stop you from studying. Your fee status is a separate question. Universities and TAFEs decide whether you pay domestic or international rates, and Services Australia decides eligibility for government study support. Confirm both before you enrol, because a budgeted course can otherwise cost several times more.
When a bridging visa ends
Your bridging visa ends when the partner visa is granted. It also ends if you withdraw the application, or if a refusal arrives. For a BVA or BVB granted on or after 19 November 2016, a set clock then runs.
- GrantThe bridging visa ceases and the partner visa takes over. Nothing further is needed.
- RefusalThe bridging visa ends 35 calendar days after the refusal. Review rights at the Administrative Review Tribunal run on their own strict deadline within that window.
- Tribunal decisionIf the tribunal affirms the refusal, the bridging visa ends 35 calendar days later.
- Judicial reviewWhere a court upholds the refusal, the bridging visa ends 28 calendar days after that decision.
Those windows are short. Seek advice the day a refusal lands, because a tribunal application costs $3,727 and must be lodged in time. Our refusals and review page sets out the steps.
Comparing the three at a glance
| Bridging visa | Charge | Return travel | Work rights |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (010) | $0 | No | Per grant conditions, can apply to vary |
| B (020) | $575 | Yes, within the travel period | Per grant conditions, cannot vary |
| C (030) | $0 | No | Per grant conditions, can apply for a further BVC |
Protecting your position during the wait
First, read your grant letter, then confirm the conditions in VEVO. Second, keep building relationship evidence, because the Department may ask for updates. Third, tell Home Affairs about changes such as a new address, a marriage or a baby. Finally, book no international travel until the BVB is granted.
The bridging visas page covers the conditions in more depth. For the partner visa itself, see the partner visa page, or contact us to review your grant letter.
Frequently asked questions
Does my student visa work limit end when the BVA is granted?
No. The BVA only comes into effect when the student visa ceases. Until that date, the student visa conditions continue to apply, including any limit on work hours.
Can a BVB cover more than one trip?
Yes. The travel facility can be granted for a single journey or multiple journeys within the travel period. State the reason for travel and the dates, and make sure the period covers your return.
What evidence supports a request for work rights on a BVA?
Home Affairs usually looks for financial hardship. Bank statements, rent or mortgage records, and a summary of income and expenses are the core documents. A short statement explaining the position helps.
What happens if I leave Australia on a BVA?
The BVA ceases on departure and does not let you return. Your onshore application remains valid, but you are then offshore without a visa to come back on. Always obtain a BVB before you travel.
Does one BVB charge cover my child?
One charge covers the family unit included in the application. Each member must still meet the BVB requirements individually, so include only those who genuinely need to travel.
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing as at 1 July 2026.
This article is general information about Australian migration law as at 2 September 2026. It is not legal advice. Figures change each July and eligibility turns on your own facts, so obtain advice before acting.