Which Bridging Visa for An Australian Partner Visa Suits Me?
Knowing which bridging visa for an Australian Partner Visa is very important for your visa application.
As a rule to be eligible for an Australian Partner Visa onshore application you must be the holder of a substantive visa. That means you must be holding a current valid visa at the time of application.
If your current visa expires whilst your Partner visa is processing the Department of Immigration and Border protection will automatically issue you with a Bridging Visa.
A bridging visa is a temporary visa that allows you to remain in Australia legally whilst you are awaiting a decision to be made on your partner visa application.
There are many different types of bridging visas for an Australian Partner Visa.
For the purpose of a Partner Visa the following is the most common:
Bridging Visa A
A bridging visa A is the visa mentioned above and is the most common bridging visa issued to an applicant who has applied for a Partner visa onshore.
A bridging visa A (BVA) does not allow you to exit Australia.
Bridging Visa B
Bridging visa B (BVB) is a visa that allows you to leave and return to Australia while your Partner visa is being processed.
A BVB will only allow you specific travel time.
You must return to Australia within the specified travel period.
Usually a BVB will be applied for by an applicant who is already holding a BVA and they need to return home to their country suddenly for family emergencies or they wish to take a holiday.
You must however be in Australia at the time a decision is made on your Partner visa application.
Bridging Visa C
Bridging visa C (BVC) is a temporary visa that is granted to an applicant who has applied for an Australian Visa onshore but was not the holder of a substantive visa (valid visa) at the time of their application.
The BVC is similar to that of the BVA except that it is for those who were unlawful at the time of application.
The below bridging visas are for a completely different purpose:
Bridging Visa D
Bridging Visa D (BVD) again a temporary visa that will allow you to stay in Australia lawfully for a short period if your substantive visa has ended, so that you can make arrangements to apply for a new visa or leave Australia.
It does not allow you to re enter Australia if you leave.
Bridging Visa E
Bridging Visa E (BVE) is a temporary visa that is granted for those whose substantive visa has ended and allows you to stay lawfully while you make arrangements to leave, and finalise your immigration matters.
The BVE does not allow you to re enter Australia if you leave.
Bridging visas, like a substantive visa, may have certain conditions that you must abide by during the validity of the visa.
For example, work and study conditions.
Your bridging visa may allow you to work or study for a certain period of time.
You will need to ensure that you understand exactly what your bridging visa allows or doesn’t allow you to do.
For example, a BVC that has been granted to an applicant who is waiting on a decision to be made for a partner visa is not allowed to work, where as an applicant who has been granted a BVC that is awaiting a decision on a skilled working visa may be allowed to work whilst holding that BVC.
Some bridging visas like the BVA and BVC will be automatically granted to an applicant, others must be applied for and approved.
I know which bridging visa for an Australian partner visa suits me. What’s next?
It is important to understand the differences between the bridging visas to ensure that you apply correctly and that you abide by your bridging visa conditions.
If you are unsure of what bridging visa you need to apply for or what the conditions of your bridging visa are, you can contact us at ONE derland Consulting.
With over 7 years experience in Australian Migration and Visa cases, ONE derland Consulting will be able to assist you with understanding the conditions of your bridging visa.
ONE derlands senior migration agent Indah Melindasari, Indah Melindasari is a Professional Migration Agent in Perth registered with the Australian Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).
She has the expertise and knowledge in complex Australian Migration laws, and will be able to guide you in the right direction when it comes to knowing which Bridging visa you may need to apply for.
Call 08 9477 5831 to book your appointment today, or you can talk to one of our friendly consultants on live chat using the widget on the bottom right of our website.
