Refusing biometrics can end your bridging visa in 35 days — SHEV applicants take note (2026)
By Aurum Legal · 9 October 2026
If you are asked for biometrics for a Safe Haven Enterprise visa (subclass 790, or SHEV) application and you do not let the department collect them, two things follow, and the second one is the one that changes your status. The Australian Department of Home Affairs official page for the Safe Haven Enterprise visa (Subclass 790), as at August 2026, states that the application will be invalid and cannot be considered, and that if a bridging visa was granted when you applied, it ends 35 days after you are notified the application is invalid — at which point you become unlawful. The clock runs from the notification, not from the moment you refuse, so the shift from lawful to unlawful is triggered by a date in a letter.
This article explains how that published rule works in general terms. It is background information rather than advice tailored to your circumstances, and an individual case can turn on details that only current official information or a properly qualified professional can address.
What happens if I refuse to give biometrics for my SHEV application?
The consequence is stated directly on the official page, in two parts.
- Your application will be invalid, and the department cannot consider it.
- If the department granted you a bridging visa when you applied, that visa ends 35 days after you are notified the application is invalid. You then become unlawful.
The two parts are separate. The first concerns the application itself: it cannot be considered. The second concerns your stay: the bridging visa, if one was granted when you applied, comes to an end 35 days after the invalidity notification.
What does the department actually collect as biometrics?
The collection itself is narrow. The official page describes it as a digital photograph of your face and a scan of your fingerprints.
The request is not limited to the main applicant. The department may ask you to provide biometrics for you or for any members of the same family unit included in your application.
Will I always be asked for biometrics?
Not necessarily. The page uses "may" — the department may ask you to provide biometrics. It also states that the department may not ask you to provide biometrics again if you have already provided them.
So an earlier collection can mean there is no second request. The page does not list every situation in which a request will or will not be made, so any assumption about your own case should be checked against current official information.
How does the 35-day countdown actually work?
The bridging visa referred to here is the one granted when you apply for the SHEV, and its purpose is to let you stay lawfully in Australia while the application is processed. Whether you can work while holding it depends on a number of factors, including the type of bridging visa granted.
When the application is invalid, that purpose ends — but not instantly. The visa ends 35 days after the date you are notified that the application is invalid.
Assume an applicant is notified on 1 May 2026 that the application is invalid. The bridging visa would end 35 days after that notification date, and from that day the person is unlawful. The notification date is the number that matters, because the 35 days is counted forward from it.
Note also that the published consequence is framed conditionally: it applies "if we grant you a bridging visa when you apply". The page does not describe a bridging visa as automatic.
Does this affect family members included in my application?
A biometrics request can extend to family members, because the department may ask for biometrics from you or from any members of the same family unit included in the application.
The published consequence, however, is expressed in terms of "your application" and of a bridging visa granted when you applied. The page does not separately describe a 35-day outcome for each family member's own visa. Where a family member's individual status is at stake, that needs to be confirmed against current official information.
Is an invalid application the same as a refused one?
No. The two run on different tracks, and the difference matters for what happens to your stay.
An invalid application is one the department cannot consider at all. A refusal is a decision on the application. On refusal, the department sends a letter telling you why the visa was refused and setting out your review rights with the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), including the timeframes to apply for review. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
If a SHEV application has been finally determined and you do not engage Australia's protection obligations and do not hold another visa, you have no lawful right to stay in Australia. If you become unlawful and do not depart voluntarily, the department will take steps to remove you. Separately, if the SHEV is refused or cancelled after grant and all appeal rights are exhausted, you can ask the Minister for Home Affairs to intervene in your case, though the Minister does not have to consider the request.
The review-rights information on the official page is presented in the context of a refusal. For an application that is invalid, the stated outcome is simply that it cannot be considered.
What else can end lawful status while a SHEV is processed?
Refusing biometrics is not the only way a bridging visa comes to an end during processing. The official page also addresses travel: if you leave Australia before the SHEV is granted, your bridging visa expires, and you are not allowed to re-enter unless you hold another valid visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I refuse to give biometrics for my SHEV application?
Your application will be invalid and the department cannot consider it. If a bridging visa was granted when you applied, it ends 35 days after you are notified that the application is invalid, and you then become unlawful. The Australian Department of Home Affairs states both outcomes on its Safe Haven Enterprise visa (Subclass 790) page. The 35 days is counted from the date of the notification.
What biometrics does the department collect for a SHEV application?
The department takes a digital photograph of your face and a scan of your fingerprints. That is the full extent of what the official page describes as biometrics collection. The two items are collected together as part of the one request.
Will I be asked for biometrics more than once?
The department may not ask you to provide biometrics again if you have already provided them. Whether you are asked at all is expressed as a discretion — the page says the department "may" ask. There is no published list covering every situation in which a request will or will not be made.
When exactly does my bridging visa end if my application is invalid?
It ends 35 days after you are notified that your application is invalid, not 35 days after you refuse the collection. The notification date is therefore the date to identify. This applies where a bridging visa was granted when you applied for the SHEV.
Can family members in my application be asked for biometrics too?
Yes, a request may cover you or any members of the same family unit included in your application. The published 35-day consequence is expressed in terms of the application and a bridging visa granted when you applied. The page does not set out a separate outcome for each family member's own visa, so that should be checked against current official information.
Is an invalid SHEV application the same as a refusal?
No. An invalid application cannot be considered, while a refusal is a decision on the application. A refusal letter sets out the reasons and your review rights with the Administrative Review Tribunal, including timeframes. The application fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
What happens if I leave Australia while my SHEV is still being processed?
Your bridging visa expires if you leave Australia before the SHEV is granted. You will not be allowed to re-enter unless you hold another valid visa. This applies regardless of how far the application has progressed.