How long does a Bridging visa B last in 2026? The 35-day and 28-day end rules
A Bridging visa B (subclass 020) has no fixed length, so the honest answer to "how long does it last" is: until one of a short list of decision events happens, and then for a fixed run-out period. On a BVB granted on or after 19 November 2016, that run-out is 35 calendar days after a refusal of the associated substantive visa or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decision on it, after a determination that the application or AAT review application is invalid, or after you withdraw the substantive application or AAT review — and 28 calendar days where a judicial review body upholds the refusal or you withdraw a related judicial review application. On a BVB granted before 19 November 2016, the run-out is 28 days across the listed events. This reflects the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Bridging visa B (subclass 020) page as at August 2026; the department directs holders to VEVO for the exact end date on their own visa, and this article is general information rather than advice on an individual case, so the official page and your own VEVO record govern.
What actually brings a Bridging visa B to an end?
The department lists six outcomes that determine when a BVB ceases:
- your substantive visa application is refused
- your merits or judicial review is decided
- you withdraw your application for the substantive visa, merits review or judicial review
- a merits review tribunal tells you it has no jurisdiction to consider your application for review
- the department grants you the substantive visa the BVB is associated with
- the department cancels your BVB, or the substantive visa you held when the BVB was granted.
Two of these end the visa without a countdown at all: if the substantive visa is granted, you move onto that visa; if the BVB or the associated substantive visa is cancelled, the permission ends with the cancellation. The others trigger the 35-day or 28-day run-out described below.
How many days do you get if your BVB was granted on or after 19 November 2016?
This is the rule that applies to almost anyone holding a BVB in 2026.
| Outcome | Run-out period |
|---|---|
| Refusal of the associated substantive visa application, or an AAT decision on that application | 35 calendar days |
| A determination that the substantive visa application, or the AAT review application, is invalid | 35 calendar days |
| You withdraw the substantive visa application or the AAT review application | 35 calendar days |
| A judicial review body upholds the decision to refuse the substantive visa application | 28 calendar days |
| You withdraw a related judicial review application | 28 calendar days |
One gap is worth flagging rather than papering over: the department's general list of cessation events includes a merits review tribunal notifying you that it has no jurisdiction, but the post-2016 section assigns day counts only to the five outcomes above. If you receive a no-jurisdiction notice, the visa has ended and VEVO is the place to read the resulting date.
And if your BVB was granted before 19 November 2016?
Older BVBs run on a single 28-day clock. Under the pre-19 November 2016 rules, the visa ends 28 days after the date of any of the following:
- notification that the substantive visa application is not valid
- notification that the substantive visa application has been refused
- withdrawal of the substantive visa application
- a merits review tribunal notifying you that it has upheld the refusal
- a merits review tribunal notifying you that it has no jurisdiction
- withdrawal of a merits or judicial review application
- a judicial review body upholding the refusal
Note the difference in wording between the two rulebooks. The pre-2016 countdown is expressed as running from the date of notification; the post-2016 countdown is expressed as running from the refusal decision, the AAT decision, the invalidity determination or the withdrawal itself. Because the difference can move your last lawful day, the exact figure should come from VEVO rather than from your own arithmetic.
Where do you find your exact last day?
VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) is the department's own answer: once you have been notified of an outcome, VEVO shows exactly how long you can stay in Australia. It is also where you check the conditions attached to your BVB, including whether you can work. The grant letter the department sends lists the same conditions, so it is worth reading alongside the VEVO record.
Can the 35 or 28 days be extended?
No. The department states plainly that you cannot stay longer by extending this visa — if you want to stay longer you must apply for a new visa. The countdown is a window to arrange departure or lodge something new, not a period you can renew. Withdrawal is also a deliberate trigger: handing in a withdrawal notice starts the same clock as a refusal would.
What if you apply for judicial review after the tribunal upholds the refusal?
Judicial review is a separate track with its own paperwork. 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 the proceedings, and if you have applied for judicial review you can only apply for a bridging visa by webform. A separate BVB application is also needed if you wish to travel while judicial review is on foot. If the judicial review body later upholds the refusal, or you withdraw the judicial review application, the 28-day rule applies.
Does the travel facility end on the same day as the visa?
Not necessarily — they are two different dates. When a BVB is granted, the department specifies a travel period, and the travel facility may be single or multiple travel. If the travel period has ended, or does not have enough validity left to cover the trip you have in mind, you need to apply for and be granted a new BVB before leaving Australia.
The interaction that catches people out is being abroad: if you are outside Australia when the specified travel period on your BVB ends, the visa ceases, and you cannot return to Australia on a ceased BVB. So a decision received while you are overseas can leave you with a countdown you cannot use to re-enter.
Do work rights continue during the run-out?
Your BVB conditions apply from the point the visa comes into effect — when it is granted, if your substantive visa has already ceased or the BVB is more beneficial than your current bridging visa, or otherwise when your current substantive visa ceases. Whether you can work depends on whether the substantive visa you had, or the visa you applied for, allows work; if both carry work restrictions, a BVB does not give you work rights. A BVB granted for judicial review cannot have its conditions changed, and if you hold a BVB that does not permit work and want that changed, the route is an application for a Bridging visa A (subclass 010), which requires proving financial hardship.
What about family members included in the same BVB?
Family members can be included in one BVB application where you applied together for the substantive visa in Australia and they are members of the family unit, with one form and one visa application charge. But each member must meet the requirements for a BVB individually — consistent with the subclass 020 criteria in the Migration Regulations 1994, which set out no separate secondary criteria for this subclass. Each person therefore has their own visa record and should check their own VEVO entry for their own end date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Bridging visa B have a fixed expiry date?
No. A BVB lasts until one of the listed decision events occurs — refusal, a review decision, withdrawal, a no-jurisdiction notice, grant of the associated substantive visa, or cancellation — and then continues for a short fixed run-out period. The practical expiry date is the one shown in VEVO after the outcome is notified.
How long can I stay after my substantive visa is refused?
If your BVB was granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ends 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or an AAT decision on the associated substantive visa application. If it was granted before that date, the run-out is 28 days from the date you are notified of the refusal.
What happens if I withdraw my application while holding a BVB?
Withdrawal is one of the events that ends the visa. On a BVB granted on or after 19 November 2016, withdrawing the substantive visa application or the AAT review application starts a 35-calendar-day run-out; withdrawing a related judicial review application starts a 28-calendar-day run-out.
Can I travel overseas during the 35 days?
Only if your BVB travel facility is still valid for the journey, and you must hold that facility before leaving. If you are outside Australia when the specified travel period ends, the visa ceases and you cannot re-enter on it, so check the travel end date in VEVO before booking.
Can I apply for another BVB to get more time?
A BVB cannot be extended, and staying longer means applying for a new visa. A fresh BVB application is possible in specific situations — for example, a separate application is needed if you have applied for judicial review and wish to travel, and if you have applied for judicial review you can only apply for a bridging visa by webform.
Do I keep my work rights during the countdown?
Your BVB conditions continue to apply until the visa ceases, and whether work is allowed depends on the substantive visa you held and the one you applied for. If both carry work restrictions, the BVB does not permit work, and changing that requires a Bridging visa A application supported by financial hardship.