2026 Australian Bridging Visa Guide | BVA, BVB, BVC Now Online-Only, Work Rights and Travel

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The short version: in an update published on 1 November 2026, the Department of Home Affairs says applications for a Bridging visa A, B or C (subclasses 010, 020 and 030) must be made online, through ImmiAccount or the online webform. If you lodged your main visa in ImmiAccount, you apply in ImmiAccount. If you lodged on paper, or your case is under review, you upload Form 1005 or Form 1006 through the webform. The steps no longer list posting a paper form. Also from 1 November 2026, Protection visa (subclass 866) applicants can no longer apply for a Bridging visa B to travel and return. BVB applications lodged before that date will still be processed.

A bigger change for many international students started on 2 October 2026. If you hold a 485, a visitor visa, an ETA, a Working Holiday visa or another visa on the Home Affairs list, you must now lodge a Student visa from outside Australia, and an offshore application does not come with a bridging visa. Switching to a Student visa onshore and waiting in Australia on a BVA is no longer possible for these visa holders.

This guide is based on official Home Affairs pages, as at 12 November 2026.

1. What changed in November 2026
2. What is a bridging visa and when does it start?
3. BVA, BVB, BVC and BVE at a glance
4. Each bridging visa explained
5. How to apply: ImmiAccount or webform
6. The October 2026 Student visa rules and bridging visas
7. Practical tips for international applicants
Frequently asked questions

1. What changed in November 2026

Change	Details (Home Affairs update, 1 November 2026)
BVA, BVB and BVC online only	Must be made through ImmiAccount or the online webform. ImmiAccount if your substantive visa was lodged in ImmiAccount. Webform if it was lodged on paper, or if you have applied for merits or judicial review
What happens to the paper forms	You still complete Form 1005 (BVA or BVC) or Form 1006 (BVB), but you attach it to the webform as a PDF (PDF only, 2MB maximum). The application steps no longer list posting a form
Not for BVE	The webform cannot be used for a Bridging visa E. The BVE page says online is preferred and still lists paper Form 1008
No BVB for 866 applicants	From 1 November 2026, Protection visa (866) applicants cannot apply for a BVB. Applications lodged before 1 November will still be processed. If your BVB travel period has ended, you cannot apply for another BVB or ask for more travel
BVB fee	AUD575 (Home Affairs price list, checked 12 November 2026). Since 1 July 2026, a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders

The update does not withdraw Forms 1005 and 1006; they now go in through the webform. The "Before you apply" section of the BVB page still mentions post, courier and paper for review cases. That conflicts with the steps on the same page and the 1 November update, so apply online.

2. What is a bridging visa and when does it start?

A bridging visa is a temporary visa. It keeps you lawful in Australia while a substantive visa application you made onshore is being decided. You cannot extend it. It ends under set rules once your main application is decided or withdrawn.

Usually automatic: Home Affairs says nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically when you apply for a substantive visa. You will be told if this happens, and you can check in VEVO.
Granted now, in effect later: if your current visa is still valid, your BVA is granted but not yet in effect. You keep following your current visa conditions. The BVA comes into effect when your current visa ceases, and then its conditions apply.
Onshore only: for a BVA, BVB, BVC or BVE, you must be in Australia when you apply and when it is granted. An application lodged outside Australia has no bridging visa.

3. BVA, BVB, BVC and BVE at a glance

Visa	When you get it	Cost
BVA (010)	You apply onshore for a new substantive visa while holding a valid one	Free
BVB (020)	You hold a BVA or BVB and have substantial reasons to travel and return	AUD575
BVC (030)	You apply for a substantive visa while not holding one (e.g. your visa has expired)	Free
BVE (050/051)	You are unlawful or hold a BVE or BVD, and are leaving, applying, seeking review or ministerial intervention	Free

Visa	Travel and return?	Work rights
BVA	No. Ceases if you leave while it is in effect	As set out in your grant letter (check VEVO)
BVB	Yes, within the travel period	Only if your previous visa or the visa you applied for allows work
BVC	No, and you cannot get a BVB	The first BVC usually has no work rights, with some skilled and permanent visa exceptions
BVE	No. Ceases when you leave	As set out in your grant letter. Working without permission risks cancellation and detention

4. Each bridging visa explained

Bridging visa A (BVA, subclass 010)

Who gets it: people who apply onshore for a new substantive visa before their current one expires, such as Student to 485, or a 482, 186, 189, 190, 491 or partner visa.
Work: follow the conditions in your BVA grant letter, also shown in VEVO. If your BVA does not allow work or limits it, you can apply for another BVA that allows work. You will usually need to show financial hardship. You cannot get a work-permitted BVA this way if your BVA was granted for judicial review, or if you have applied for a protection visa.
Travel: a BVA does not allow return travel. If you leave Australia while it is in effect, it ceases. You need a BVB granted before you leave.
When it ends: when your substantive visa is granted or a BVB is granted for the same application. For a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ends 35 days after a refusal, a tribunal decision or a withdrawal. It ends 28 days after a court upholds a refusal.

Bridging visa B (BVB, subclass 020)

Eligibility: you must already hold a BVA or BVB (not a BVC or BVE). Your onshore substantive visa application must be for a visa that can be granted in Australia and must not be a Protection visa. You must give substantial reasons and supporting documents for travelling while you wait.
Protection visa restriction: you cannot apply if you have a protection visa application waiting for a decision with Home Affairs, the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) or a court. The same applies if you are waiting for judicial review of a protection visa decision.
When to apply: Home Affairs suggests applying no more than 3 months, and at least 2 weeks, before you plan to travel. The BVB must be granted while you are in Australia. If you leave without it, you may have no visa to return on.
Travel period: a BVB allows single or multiple trips until a set date. If you are overseas when that date passes, the BVB ceases and you cannot return on it. If the travel period has ended and you need to travel again, apply for a new BVB.
Work: you can work only if your previous visa or the visa you applied for lets you. You cannot change BVB conditions. To change them, apply for a BVA and show financial hardship.
Cost and family: AUD575 per application. Family members from your substantive application can be included for one charge, but each must meet the criteria. Only include those who need to travel.

Bridging visa C (BVC, subclass 030)

Who gets it: people who make a valid onshore application for a substantive visa while not holding one. You cannot get a BVC if you have held a BVE since your last substantive visa.
Work: the first BVC does not allow work unless you applied for a subclass 132, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 489, 491, 494 or 888 visa. Others can apply for a further BVC that allows work by showing financial hardship.
Travel: a BVC ceases if you leave, and Home Affairs cannot grant a BVB to a BVC holder. To return, you would need a substantive visa, and there is no guarantee of a grant.

Bridging visa E (BVE, subclasses 050 and 051)

Who gets it: unlawful non-citizens, or BVE 050 or BVD 041 holders, who are leaving, applying for a visa, seeking review or seeking ministerial intervention. Subclass 051 is for certain protection visa applicants. You cannot apply in advance while your visa is still in effect.
Work: as set out in your grant letter. Working without permission can lead to cancellation, detention and removal. In limited cases, such as financial hardship, you can apply for a BVE that allows work.
Travel: it ends when you leave Australia. You cannot return without another substantive visa.

5. How to apply: ImmiAccount or webform

Most people get a BVA or BVC automatically. You apply separately for a BVB, to replace a ceased bridging visa, to change work conditions, or after applying for judicial review.

Check VEVO: which bridging visa you hold, whether it is in effect, and any work limits.
Check how you lodged your substantive visa. If you lodged in ImmiAccount and have not applied for review, apply in ImmiAccount. If you lodged on paper or have applied for review, use the webform.
For the webform, complete Form 1005 (BVA or BVC) or Form 1006 (BVB) and save it as a PDF. For a BVB, pay in ImmiAccount first and put the receipt details on the form, or the application is not valid.
Attach everything before you submit: a colour passport copy, reasons and evidence for travel (BVB), and evidence of hardship (work requests). The webform cannot be saved part-way, and you cannot add documents after submitting.
Wait for Home Affairs to contact you. Home Affairs does not give processing updates for these applications and publishes no processing times for a BVA, BVB or BVC. Your BVB must be granted before you leave.

6. The October 2026 Student visa rules and bridging visas

From 2 October 2026, most Student visa (subclass 500) applications must be lodged outside Australia, and the applicant must be outside Australia at grant. Home Affairs states that if you lodged outside Australia because you could not lodge inside, you will not receive a bridging visa. You may travel to Australia on another valid visa and follow its conditions, but you must be offshore when the Student visa is granted. See our full guide to the new Student visa rules.

Your situation	Bridging visa under the new rules
Holding a 485, 482, 600 visitor, ETA 601, eVisitor 651, 407, 408, 417 or 462 visa and switching to a Student visa	No onshore lodgement and no exemptions. Apply offshore, with no BVA
Student visa holder who meets an onshore exemption (e.g. up to 12 extra months with the same provider, moving to a higher AQF level, PhD, school study, provider default)	Lodge onshore. A BVA bridges you after your current visa expires
Student visa holder who does not meet an exemption	Lodge offshore, with no bridging visa. An onshore application would be invalid and could affect your status
Secondary Student visa holder applying as a primary student	Offshore only, no exemptions
Student visa holder applying for a 485, employer-sponsored or skilled visa	Not affected by the Student visa rules. A valid onshore application can still give you a BVA

7. Practical tips for international applicants

Going home while your 485 is processed: once your BVA is in effect, leaving ends it. Get a BVB first (AUD575, ideally 2 weeks to 3 months before you fly), and come back before the travel period ends. While your Student visa is still valid, its own conditions decide whether you can travel, so check VEVO.
Stuck overseas after your BVB ends: you need a new substantive visa to return. Many Latin American and African passports, including Brazil, Colombia and South Africa, are not on the ETA list. These travellers would generally need to apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) and meet its genuine visitor criteria, with no guarantee of a grant.
Apply early and keep your current visa: applying after your visa expires means a more restrictive BVC. Home Affairs also warns that cancelling your current visa makes you unlawful and ineligible for a BVA.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still apply for a bridging visa on paper from November 2026?

Not for a BVA, BVB or BVC. Home Affairs updated its pages on 1 November 2026 to say these applications must be made online through ImmiAccount or the online webform. If you lodged your main visa on paper or are under review, upload Form 1005 (BVA or BVC) or Form 1006 (BVB) as a PDF through the webform. This does not apply to a BVE.

Can I work on a Bridging visa A?

Your BVA grant letter sets your work conditions, and you can check them in VEVO. While your current visa is still valid you follow its conditions, for example up to 48 hours a fortnight during study periods on a Student visa. If your BVA restricts work, you can apply for another BVA that allows work, usually by showing financial hardship.

What happens if I leave Australia on a BVA without a BVB?

If your BVA is in effect, it ceases when you leave and you cannot return on it. You would need to apply for and be granted a substantive visa to come back, with no guarantee of a grant. If your previous visa had not yet expired, your BVA was not in effect, so check VEVO first.

How much is a Bridging visa B and when should I apply?

The current Home Affairs price list shows AUD575. Home Affairs suggests applying no more than 3 months and at least 2 weeks before you travel. It must be granted while you are in Australia, and no processing times are published.

Can a Bridging visa C holder get a BVB?

No. Only BVA or BVB holders can apply for a BVB, and Home Affairs states it cannot grant a BVB to a BVC holder. A BVC ceases if you leave, and you would need a substantive visa to return.

If I switch from a 485 to a Student visa, will I get a bridging visa?

No. From 2 October 2026, 485 visa holders cannot lodge a Student visa application in Australia. They must lodge offshore, an offshore application does not come with a bridging visa, and they must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Waiting on a visa, planning to travel, or unsure what your bridging visa allows? Level Up Studies offers free consultations: