How Do I Apply for a Bridging Visa C Online or by Webform in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

You apply for a Bridging visa C (BVC) (subclass 030) through the same channel you used for the substantive visa application it relates to: through ImmiAccount if you lodged that application online, or by webform using Form 1005 if you lodged it on paper — and always by webform if you have applied for review of a decision on your substantive visa. That rule comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs "Bridging visa C (BVC) (Subclass 030)" official page, as of August 2026. The application itself is free. This article is general information about how the published process works, not personalised advice on your own case; where your situation turns on a decision or a review, the official page and any professional you choose to consult are the safer reference points.

What is a Bridging visa C, and when would you apply for one yourself?

A BVC is a temporary visa that lets you stay lawfully in Australia while a substantive visa application is being dealt with, when you do not already hold a substantive visa. On the Home Affairs page, nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, so in the ordinary case there is nothing separate for you to lodge.

A separate BVC application might be necessary where:

you are seeking a further BVC without work restrictions
you have applied for judicial review

You also cannot use a bridging visa while waiting for a citizenship application to be decided. Because the automatic grant is the default, the first practical question is not "how do I apply" but "do I already hold one" — check your current visa details and conditions in VEVO before you start.

Do I apply through ImmiAccount or by webform?

The channel follows the substantive visa application, not your preference. Home Affairs states that you must apply for the BVC in the same way you applied for your substantive visa, and it sets out three cases:

How you lodged your substantive visa	Channel for the BVC	What to do
Through ImmiAccount	ImmiAccount	Log in to ImmiAccount and attach your documents
By paper	Webform	Complete and submit Form 1005 by webform
You have applied for review of a decision on it	Webform	Complete and submit Form 1005 by webform

Two conditions apply regardless of channel: you and anyone included in your application must be in Australia when the BVC application is lodged, and you and anyone included in the application must be in Australia when the decision is made. That is why Home Affairs advises lodging early — you need to remain lawful while both the bridging visa and the substantive visa application are being processed.

Why does a review or judicial review application push you onto the webform?

Once a decision on your substantive visa application is under review, the BVC application can no longer be lodged through the online substantive visa pathway and must be submitted by webform instead. This matters most in the judicial review context: if a merits review tribunal upholds the refusal of your substantive visa and you apply for judicial review, you need a bridging visa to maintain lawful status during those proceedings, and you can only apply for one by webform. In that situation the work outcome is also constrained — if you are not a Protection visa applicant applying for a BVC for judicial review, a new BVC will be granted without work rights even if your previous BVC allowed you to work. For Protection visa applicants, a new BVC that allows work can only be granted if the last BVC held allowed work.

What documents do I need before I start?

For identity, provide colour copies of the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. Also provide a national identity card if you have one, and proof of change of name where relevant — for example a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by.

Two further categories are worth preparing before you lodge:

Hardship evidence, if you are applying to change your visa conditions — proof that supports your claims of hardship.
Representation paperwork, if someone is involved — Form 956A to appoint someone to receive correspondence, or Form 956 to appoint a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person to provide immigration assistance.

Home Affairs also reminds applicants to provide accurate information, including where identity cannot be proven.

What happens after I lodge — and can I add documents later?

You will be told when the application and documents have been received. The department does not give updates on application processing times, so the instruction is to wait to be contacted.

The difference between the two channels shows up here. If you applied through ImmiAccount and did not attach everything at the time, you should attach the remaining documents as soon as possible in ImmiAccount. If you applied by webform, you must attach all documents before you submit, because you cannot attach extra documents after the application has been submitted. Either way, Home Affairs may ask for more information, and you should provide it in the way the request letter asks.

If you discover a mistake on your application, tell the department as soon as you can using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers. You are also expected to notify changes such as a new phone number, email, address or passport, the birth of a child, or a decision to withdraw the application.

Can I work, travel, or include family members on a BVC?

Work. The initial BVC granted when you apply for a substantive visa does not let you work, unless the substantive visa applied for is one of the following: subclasses 132, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 489, 491, 494 or 888. If your BVC does not let you work or restricts work, you can apply for another BVC that does, but you will have to demonstrate financial hardship. If you do not meet the work requirements and are still eligible for a BVC, you will be granted a new BVC carrying the same work prevention or restriction condition as before.

Travel. A BVC does not support return travel. If you leave Australia while it is in effect, the visa ceases on departure and you cannot return on it. A Bridging visa B cannot be granted to a BVC holder for travel; if you leave without another visa that allows return, you would need to apply for and be granted a substantive visa before coming back, with no guarantee of a grant.

Family. If you apply separately for a BVC, you can include members of the family unit who are included in your substantive visa application. Each person's case is assessed separately and the department decides which bridging visa each can be granted. Where the family made a combined substantive visa application, check VEVO to see whether family members already hold a bridging visa.

How long does a BVC last, and when does it cease?

A BVC comes into effect when it is granted, when your current substantive visa ceases, or when another bridging visa more beneficial than your current one ceases. If you hold a substantive visa when the BVC is granted, you keep complying with the substantive visa conditions until it ceases; the BVC conditions then apply.

Once an outcome is notified, the page sets fixed cease periods. For a BVC granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after a refusal decision or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision on the associated substantive visa application, a determination that the application or AAT review application is invalid, or your withdrawal of the substantive visa application or AAT review application. It ceases 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal decision, or you withdraw a related judicial review application. For a BVC granted before 19 November 2016, the cease period is 28 days after notification of invalidity, refusal, withdrawal, a merits review tribunal upholding the refusal or finding it has no jurisdiction, withdrawal from merits or judicial review, or a judicial review body upholding the refusal.

A BVC also ends immediately if you leave Australia while it is in effect, you are granted the substantive visa you applied for, you are granted another bridging visa in relation to the same substantive visa application, or the department cancels your BVC or the substantive visa you held when the BVC was granted. You cannot extend a BVC to stay longer; you must apply for a new visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do most people need to apply for a Bridging visa C separately?

Usually no. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, so check VEVO first to see whether one is already in place. A separate application might be necessary if you are seeking a further BVC without work restrictions or you have applied for judicial review.

I lodged my substantive visa online — can I still use the webform?

No. Home Affairs states you must apply for the BVC in the same way you applied for your substantive visa, so an ImmiAccount substantive visa application requires an ImmiAccount BVC application. The webform route is for paper substantive visa applications and for cases where review has been applied for.

Can I add documents after submitting a webform BVC application?

No. You must attach all documents before you submit a webform application, and extra documents cannot be attached afterwards. Through ImmiAccount, documents not attached at lodgement should be added as soon as possible.

Does a Bridging visa C let me travel overseas and return?

No. The BVC does not support return travel, and a BVC that is in effect ceases when you depart Australia. A Bridging visa B cannot be granted to a BVC holder for travel while the substantive visa application is processed.

How do I get work rights on a Bridging visa C?

If your BVC has no work rights or restricted work rights, you can apply for another BVC that allows work, but you must demonstrate financial hardship. If you do not meet the work requirements and remain eligible for a BVC, the new BVC will carry the same work prevention or restriction condition as the previous one.

How long can I stay after my substantive visa application is refused?

For a BVC granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or AAT decision, or 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal or you withdraw the judicial review application. You can confirm exactly how long you may stay in VEVO after the outcome is notified.