What is a Bridging visa B (Subclass 020) and who needs one in 2026?
A Bridging visa B (BVB, Subclass 020) is the temporary visa that lets you leave Australia and come back while you are waiting for a decision on a substantive visa application. It does not replace the visa you are waiting for, and it does not give you new permission to stay — it adds a travel facility to the lawful status you already hold. Per the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official page "Bridging visa B (BVB) (Subclass 020)", as of the August 2026 official page, the BVB travel facility may be granted for single or multiple travel and is valid until a specified date; with it you can stay lawfully in Australia until your substantive visa application is finally determined, and leave and return within the defined travel period.
This article is general information about how the visa works, not personalised advice; your own conditions, deadlines and travel window should be checked against your grant letter, VEVO and the official page, and against a registered migration professional if your situation is complicated.
What problem does a BVB actually solve?
A Bridging visa A (BVA, Subclass 010) keeps you lawful in Australia while your substantive visa application is processed, but it does not give you a right to re-enter once you leave. If you depart on a BVA alone, you generally cannot come back on that visa.
A BVB solves exactly one thing: it restores the return leg of the trip. It is still a temporary visa tied to the same underlying application, and it stops being useful as soon as that application reaches one of its end points.
Who can apply?
Based on the Department's official process requirements, at the time you apply and at the time of grant you must:
- be in Australia (you cannot apply or be granted from outside the country)
- hold a BVA or a BVB
- have applied in Australia for a substantive visa that can be granted while you are in Australia
PAM3 and the Subclass 020 criteria also require that you not be in immigration clearance. If you hold a substantive visa when the BVB is granted, you keep complying with that visa's conditions until it ceases; the BVB conditions then apply.
Who does not need one — or cannot use one?
Several common situations fall outside what a BVB does:
- You are waiting on a citizenship application. The Department states you can't use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided.
- You want a longer stay. You cannot extend a BVB; if you want to stay longer you must apply for a new visa.
- You want different conditions. It is not possible to apply to change conditions on a BVB. If you need different conditions, you must apply for a BVA.
- You are in Australia on a visa that already allows travel. A BVB is a bridging arrangement, not an upgrade.
Do you need a "substantial reason" to travel?
Yes. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, a BVB applicant must satisfy the criteria for Subclass 020, which include having substantial reasons for wanting to leave and re-enter Australia. PAM3, the Department's procedural guidance, treats "substantial" as meaning the reason must be real and of genuine significance — examples it points to include a seriously ill close relative, a significant family event such as a wedding or funeral, and work, business or study-related travel such as a conference or business negotiation.
PAM3 is policy guidance rather than law, and decision-makers can depart from it in individual cases; it is also the kind of material that gets revised, so treat the official visa page as the current reference for what you must lodge. A routine holiday is the clearest example of a reason that may not clear the bar.
How long is the travel facility valid?
The Department grants the travel facility as single or multiple travel valid to a specified date, and tells you the end date when it grants the visa. Two rules matter in practice:
- If the travel facility has ended, or does not have enough validity left to cover your trip, you must apply for and be granted a new BVB before you leave Australia.
- If you are outside Australia when the travel period ends, the visa ceases, and you cannot return on a ceased BVB.
PAM3 guidance suggests a travel facility of up to 12 months for some longer-processing visa categories (it names parent visas and GSM/BIIP), but that is policy guidance and not a fixed entitlement.
When does a BVB stop?
A BVB ceases on whichever happens first among: refusal of your substantive visa application; a decision on your merits or judicial review; withdrawal of the substantive, review or judicial review application; a merits review tribunal deciding it has no jurisdiction; grant of the substantive visa the BVB is associated with; or cancellation of your BVB or of the substantive visa you held when the BVB was granted.
For BVBs granted on or after 19 November 2016, the visa ends 35 calendar days after a refusal decision or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decision on the associated substantive visa application, a determination that the application is invalid, or your withdrawal of that application or AAT review. It ends 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal decision, or you withdraw a related judicial review application. For BVBs granted before 19 November 2016, the general period is 28 days after the relevant notification or withdrawal.
Can you work on a BVB?
Only if your visa conditions allow it. You may be able to work if the substantive visa you had, or the visa you applied for, lets you work; your grant letter sets out the conditions. If both the visa you had and the visa you applied for carry work restrictions, you cannot work on a BVB. There is no "financial hardship" route for a BVB — if you need work rights changed, you must apply for a BVA and, as part of that, prove financial hardship.
Can your family travel on the same application?
If you and your family applied together for the substantive visa in Australia, you can include family unit members in one BVB application, with one form and one visa application charge — but each member must individually meet the BVB requirements. The Department advises that only family members with substantial reasons for travelling outside Australia should be included; the others can stay in Australia on their current bridging visas.
What does it cost?
Visa application charges are published in the Department's visa pricing table and change over time, so check the current charge when you lodge. One dated change is confirmed: from 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised by a valid passport from a specified country (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). Where the lower cost is not recognised at lodgement, the Department refunds the difference.
What if your case is at judicial review?
A BVB based on judicial review is handled separately. If a merits review tribunal upholds the refusal and you apply for judicial review, you must apply for a new bridging visa to remain lawful during those proceedings, and if you have applied for judicial review you can only apply for a bridging visa by webform. You also cannot change the conditions on a bridging visa granted on the basis of a judicial review application.
One more mechanical detail worth knowing: your visa is digitally linked to your passport, so you will not get a visa label.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave Australia on a Bridging visa A and come back?
No. A BVA keeps you lawful in Australia while your substantive visa application is processed, but it does not provide a return facility. To leave and come back lawfully while waiting, you need to be granted a BVB before you depart.
What if my BVB travel period expires while I am overseas?
The visa ceases and you cannot return to Australia on it. If you need to travel again after the travel period has ended, you must apply for and be granted a new BVB while you are still in Australia.
Do I need a new BVB for every trip?
Only if the travel facility does not cover the trip. A BVB can be granted with single or multiple travel valid to a specified date; if the facility has ended or lacks enough remaining validity for your planned journey, a new BVB is required before you leave.
Can I work while I hold a BVB?
Only if your conditions permit it, which depends on whether the substantive visa you held or the one you applied for allows work. If both carry work restrictions you cannot work on a BVB, and changing work conditions requires applying for a BVA with evidence of financial hardship.
Can my partner and children be included in my BVB application?
Yes, if you applied together for the substantive visa in Australia and they are members of your family unit — one form and one charge covers the group. Each person must still meet the BVB requirements individually, and only those with substantial reasons for travelling should be included.
I am waiting for my citizenship application — can I get a BVB?
No. The Department states that you can't use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided.
My case is at judicial review — is the application different?
Yes. You need a separate bridging visa application to maintain lawful status during judicial review, and that application can only be made by webform. Conditions cannot be changed on a bridging visa granted on the basis of a judicial review application.