Can I Extend My Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) to Stay Longer in Australia? (2026)
No. A Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) cannot be extended, renewed, or topped up. The Department of Home Affairs states this plainly on its Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) official page (as at August 2026): "You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You must apply for a new visa if you wish to stay longer." That single sentence determines the whole strategy — if you want more time in Australia, the work happens on a new visa application, not on the BVA you already hold.
This article explains the general rules only and is not personalised migration advice; how they apply to you depends on your own visa history and current application, so confirm the details against the official page or with a registered professional before you act.
Why can't a Bridging visa A be extended?
Because of what the visa is for. A BVA exists to keep you lawful in Australia while a specific event runs its course: your substantive visa application is decided, or your judicial review proceedings finish. It is a holding visa tied to that event, not a standalone permission you can renew.
The official page describes the visa's scope in one line — you can "stay lawfully in Australia until your substantive visa application is finally determined, or if granted in association with judicial proceedings, until those proceedings are complete." Once the underlying matter resolves, the bridging permission runs out on its own schedule. There is no mechanism to ask for more time on the BVA itself.
When does my BVA actually stop?
Two different clocks matter, and which one applies depends on when your BVA was granted.
| Situation | When the BVA ceases |
|---|---|
| BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, substantive visa refused or AAT decision made | 35 calendar days after the decision |
| BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, substantive application or AAT review found invalid | 35 calendar days after the determination |
| BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, you withdraw the substantive application or AAT review | 35 calendar days after withdrawal |
| BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, judicial review body upholds the refusal | 28 calendar days after the decision |
| BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, you withdraw the judicial review application | 28 calendar days after withdrawal |
| BVA granted before 19 November 2016 | 28 days after notification of any of the relevant outcomes, including invalidity, refusal, withdrawal, no-jurisdiction notice, or a review body upholding the refusal |
Separately, a BVA ends immediately — with no grace period — 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 for the same substantive application, or if the Department cancels either your BVA or the substantive visa you held when the BVA was granted.
The Migration Regulations 1994 set the 35-day period for these outcomes in clause 010.511, and the Department's Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) page sets the 28-calendar-day period for judicial review outcomes.
Once you have been notified of an outcome, the official page directs you to VEVO to see exactly how long you can stay.
So what are the real options if I want to stay longer?
The only route is a new visa. In practice, the directions available are:
- A new substantive visa application. This is the main path. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and the Department tells you if that happens. A fresh substantive application lodged while you still hold a substantive visa can therefore bring a new BVA with it, and that new BVA runs until the new application is finally determined.
- A separate BVA application in a narrow set of cases. The official page lists four situations where a separate application may be necessary: your substantive visa application did not also constitute an application for a BVA; you were granted a BVA or BVB that has ceased and you meet the requirements for another BVA; you are seeking a further BVA without work restrictions; or you have applied for judicial review. If you apply for judicial review, you can only apply for a bridging visa by webform.
- A bridging visa during judicial review. If a merits review tribunal upholds the refusal and you apply for judicial review, you need to apply for a bridging visa to maintain lawful status while those proceedings run.
A BVA granted "in association with judicial proceedings" lasts until those proceedings are complete, then the 28-calendar-day period applies.
One important exclusion: you cannot use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided. Applying for citizenship is not a route to extending lawful stay on a BVA.
Can I apply for another BVA that lets me work?
Sometimes, but the bar is financial hardship. If your BVA does not let you work, or restricts your work, you can apply for another BVA that lets you work; to be considered, you will usually have to demonstrate you are in financial hardship. The Department assesses your circumstances against that claim. If you do not meet the work requirements but are still eligible for a BVA, you get a new BVA carrying the same work prevention or restriction condition as before.
There is also 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.
Under clause 010.211 of the Migration Regulations 1994, one of the pathways to a BVA is a "compelling need to work" finding, and the procedural guidance notes that applications on that basis are assessed on financial evidence such as bank statements, debts and household expenses.
What are the basic rules for a BVA application?
A BVA costs nothing to apply for, and you — plus anyone included in your application — must be in Australia both when the application is submitted and when it is granted. You cannot apply from outside Australia.
Family members are assessed individually. If you applied together for a substantive visa in Australia, you might also have applied together for a BVA; if you apply separately for a BVA, you can include members of the family unit in your application if they are included in your substantive visa application. The Department assesses each person's application and decides which bridging visa they can be granted, so family members can end up on different bridging visas.
Does leaving Australia affect any of this?
Yes, and it is unforgiving. A BVA does not support return travel. If you leave Australia while your BVA is in effect, it ceases on departure and you cannot come back on it. If you want to travel and return while your substantive visa application is being processed, you must be granted a Bridging visa B (BVB) before you leave.
What happens if I simply stay past the end date?
Once your BVA ceases and no other visa is in effect, you no longer hold a visa that lets you stay lawfully in Australia — the BVA's permission is defined by the outcomes listed above, and it does not continue past them. The obligations attached to a BVA include complying with all Australian laws and with the conditions of your current visa and of your BVA when it comes into effect, so the state of having no lawful visa is a fundamentally different position from holding one. The official page does not describe a way back onto a BVA after that point; it directs readers to explore visa options instead.
The Department's procedural guidance notes that people who no longer hold a lawful visa may in some circumstances be considered for a Bridging visa E.
How much time do I actually have to plan?
For most people granted a BVA on or after 19 November 2016, the useful number is 35 calendar days from a refusal or AAT decision — or 28 calendar days where the outcome comes from a judicial review body or from withdrawal of a judicial review application. That window is when the decision about a new visa has to be made, not after it closes.
Assume a hypothetical applicant whose Student visa application is refused and whose BVA was granted in 2025: the BVA stops 35 calendar days after the refusal decision, and no request to extend the BVA will change that date. What could change their position is a new substantive visa application, or a separate BVA application in one of the four situations the Department lists — lodged inside that window, while they are still in Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extend or renew my Bridging visa A?
No. The Department of Home Affairs states you cannot stay in Australia longer by extending a BVA; you must apply for a new visa if you wish to stay longer. The BVA's permission is tied to your substantive visa application or judicial review proceedings, so it ends when those conclude.
How long does a BVA last after my visa is refused?
For a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or an AAT decision, or after a determination that the application or review is invalid, or after you withdraw. Where a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or you withdraw a judicial review application, the period is 28 calendar days.
Can I apply for a brand-new BVA?
Yes, in the specific situations the Department lists — for example, if your substantive visa application did not also constitute a BVA application, if a previous BVA or BVB has ceased and you now meet the requirements, if you need a BVA without work restrictions, or if you have applied for judicial review. The application is free and you must be in Australia when it is submitted and granted.
Can I get work rights through a new BVA?
You can apply for another BVA that lets you work, but you will usually have to demonstrate financial hardship. If your current BVA restricts work and it was granted because you sought judicial review, or you have applied for a protection visa, a new BVA with work rights cannot be granted.
What if I need to travel while on a BVA?
A BVA does not support return travel and ceases the moment you leave Australia while it is in effect. To travel and come back while your substantive visa application is being processed, you need to be granted a Bridging visa B (BVB) before you depart.
Does my partner's or child's BVA follow mine?
Not automatically. The Department assesses each member of the family unit's application and decides which bridging visa they can be granted, so family members can end up on different bridging visas even when they applied together. Check each person's status in VEVO.
Can I hold a BVA while my citizenship application is decided?
No. The Department of Home Affairs states you cannot use a bridging visa while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided, so a citizenship application is not a way to extend your stay on a BVA.