When Does a Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) Start, and When Must You Apply for One Yourself? (2026)
How a Bridging visa A (Subclass 010) comes into effect, and the four cases where you must lodge your own BVA application.
A Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) does not start the moment you lodge your new visa application, and in most cases you never apply for it yourself. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) page, as at August 2026, nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and the Department will tell you if this happens. A BVA then comes "in to effect" at one of three points: when it is granted in certain circumstances, when your current substantive visa ceases, or when another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current one ceases.
What does "in effect" mean, and when does my BVA actually start?
A BVA exists to keep you lawful in Australia while a substantive visa application is decided. It does not start the day you lodge that application — it starts when it comes into effect, and there are only three triggers:
- It is granted, but only where your substantive visa has ceased since you applied for the BVA, or the BVA is more beneficial than the bridging visa you currently hold.
- Your current substantive visa ceases. This is the common path: you hold a valid substantive visa, your new application is still undecided, and when the old visa expires the BVA switches on.
- Another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current bridging visa ceases.
The practical consequence is a two-stage rule that catches a lot of people out. If you still hold a substantive visa when the BVA is granted, you must keep complying with that substantive visa's conditions. The BVA's conditions only take over once the substantive visa ceases. You will be notified of the conditions attached to your BVA, and you can see them in VEVO.
If I already lodged a new visa, do I need to apply for a BVA myself?
Usually no. The Department's position is that almost every bridging visa is applied for automatically as part of a substantive visa application, and it will notify you when that happens. The first step is therefore to check whether you already hold one: the Department's guidance is to check VEVO for your current visa details and conditions.
One absolute limit is worth noting: you cannot use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided.
When do I have to apply for a Bridging visa A myself?
A separate application may be necessary in four situations set out on the Department's BVA page:
- Your substantive visa application did not also constitute an application for a BVA.
- You were granted a BVA or a Bridging visa B (BVB), but it has ceased, and you meet the requirements for another BVA.
- You are seeking a further BVA without work restrictions.
- You have applied for judicial review.
For example, assume an applicant whose BVA has already ceased after a refusal, and who now meets the requirements for another BVA while a review is on foot. That person is not covered by the automatic grant and needs to lodge their own application to stay lawful.
How do I lodge a separate BVA application?
The channel depends on how you lodged the substantive visa, and on whether a review is involved:
- Substantive visa lodged online through ImmiAccount: apply for the BVA through ImmiAccount.
- Substantive visa lodged by paper form: complete and submit Form 1005 by webform.
- You have applied for review of a decision on your substantive visa application: submit Form 1005 by webform.
- Judicial review: if you have applied for judicial review, you can only apply for a bridging visa by webform.
You, and anyone included in the application, must be in Australia both when the BVA application is submitted and when it is granted. The visa itself is free. If you applied by webform you must attach all documents before submitting, because you cannot add documents afterwards; ImmiAccount applicants can attach missing documents later.
The Department also warns that it gives no updates on processing times, and that you should submit the BVA application early so there is time to process it before your current lawful status runs out.
What if my BVA stops me from working?
Whether you can work depends on the conditions on your BVA, which are shown in your grant letter and in VEVO. If your BVA does not let you work, or restricts your work, you can apply for another BVA that allows work — but you will usually have to demonstrate financial hardship, and the Department assesses your circumstances against that claim. If you do not meet the work requirements but are still eligible for a BVA, you will be granted a new BVA carrying the same work prevention or restriction as before.
There is a hard limit: you cannot be granted a new BVA that lets you work if your current BVA prevents or restricts work and either your current BVA was granted because you applied for judicial review of the substantive visa decision, or you have applied for a protection visa.
When does a BVA stop keeping me lawful?
A BVA ends immediately if you leave Australia while it is in effect, if you are granted the substantive visa you applied for, if you are granted another bridging visa (such as a BVB) in relation to the same substantive visa application, or if the Department cancels either the BVA or the substantive visa you held when the BVA was granted.
Otherwise, an outcome on your application sets the end date. For a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016:
| Outcome | When the BVA ceases |
|---|---|
| Refusal decision, or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decision on the associated substantive visa application | 35 calendar days after |
| Determination that the substantive visa application, or an AAT review application, is invalid | 35 calendar days after |
| You withdraw the substantive visa application or the AAT review application | 35 calendar days after |
| A judicial review body upholds the refusal decision | 28 calendar days after |
| You withdraw a related judicial review application | 28 calendar days after |
For a BVA granted before 19 November 2016, the BVA ceases 28 days after the date of notification of the relevant outcome — including notification that the application is invalid, that it has been refused, that a merits review tribunal has upheld the refusal or has no jurisdiction, or that a judicial review body has upheld the refusal — or 28 days after you withdraw the substantive, merits review or judicial review application. VEVO shows exactly how long you can stay once you have been notified of an outcome.
You cannot extend a BVA to stay longer; you must apply for a new visa.
Can I travel overseas while the BVA is in effect?
No. A BVA does not support return travel, and an in-effect BVA ceases as soon as you depart Australia. If you want to travel and come back while your substantive visa application is being processed, you need to have been granted a BVB before you leave.
Can my family be included?
If you and your family applied together for a substantive visa in Australia, you may also have applied together for a BVA — check each family member's status in VEVO. If you apply separately for a BVA, you can include members of the family unit who are included in your substantive visa application, and the Department decides which bridging visa each member can be granted.
This article is general information about how the rules work and is not advice about your individual circumstances; for your own position, rely on the current official page and on advice from a properly qualified professional, since the criteria in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 are what ultimately apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my BVA start as soon as I lodge my new visa application?
Not necessarily. A BVA comes into effect only when it is granted in the circumstances described above, when your current substantive visa ceases, or when a more beneficial bridging visa ceases. Until then, the conditions of the substantive visa you still hold continue to govern you.
How can I tell whether I already hold a BVA?
Check VEVO for your visa details and conditions. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of a substantive visa application, and the Department will tell you if that has happened, so the absence of any notification is a reason to check rather than assume.
Is there a fee for a separate BVA application?
No. The Department lists the cost of the Bridging visa A (Subclass 010) as free. You and anyone included in the application must, however, be in Australia when the application is submitted and when it is granted.
Can I work on a BVA?
It depends entirely on the conditions attached to your BVA, which appear in your grant letter and in VEVO. If work is prevented or restricted, you can apply for another BVA that allows work, but you will usually need to show financial hardship, and some applicants — including those whose BVA was granted for judicial review, and protection visa applicants — cannot be granted a work-permitting BVA.
How long do I have after a refusal before my BVA ends?
For a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or an AAT decision on the associated substantive visa application, or 35 days after an invalidity determination or your withdrawal. If a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or you withdraw the judicial review, the period is 28 calendar days. VEVO shows your exact date once you are notified of the outcome.
Can I leave Australia and come back on my BVA?
No. An in-effect BVA ceases on departure and cannot be used to return. You would need to be granted a BVB before leaving if you intend to come back while your substantive visa application is being processed.
Do I need a BVA while my citizenship application is decided?
No, and you cannot use one for that purpose. A bridging visa cannot be used while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided.