Is Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) Free, and Do I Need English, Health or Funds? (2026)
Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) costs nothing to apply for: the Australian Department of Home Affairs lists the cost simply as "Free" on its official Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) page, current as of the August 2026 version, and Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 attaches no English, health or financial capacity criterion to this subclass. The one standard requirement that stays with you is the character requirement, alongside a short set of eligibility basics covered below.
That combination matters most when money is tight. A refusal usually leaves you with 35 calendar days of lawful stay rather than a fresh bill, and bridging lawfulness is not something you buy into — it follows from having made a valid substantive visa application, or from judicial review that is still on foot.
What does a Bridging Visa A actually let you do?
It lets you stay lawfully in Australia until your substantive visa application is finally determined, or, when it is granted in connection with court proceedings, until those proceedings finish. It does not give you the rights of a substantive visa; it only keeps your status continuous while the other matter is being decided.
It is also not a visa you can roll forward. The Department is explicit that you cannot stay longer by extending a Bridging Visa A — you have to apply for a different visa if you want to remain after it ceases.
Is there really no fee, or does it come later?
There is no visa application charge in the published criteria. Where money can still appear in the picture indirectly is when you need something outside the Bridging Visa A itself: travel requires a separate Bridging Visa B granted before you depart, and a new substantive visa application carries whatever charge that visa carries.
Do I need English, a health exam or bank statements?
None of the three is a criterion for this subclass. English is not tested at the bridging stage; if your next substantive visa has an English requirement, it is assessed on that application, not here. The same goes for funds: your capacity to support yourself is not a Bridging Visa A test, with one narrow exception explained further down, when you are asking for work rights on financial hardship grounds.
| What the visa asks | Answer for Subclass 010 |
|---|---|
| Visa application charge | Free, per the Department's official page |
| Minimum age | None — any age can apply |
| English language | Not a criterion |
| Health examination | Not a criterion |
| Financial capacity | Not a criterion |
| Character requirement | Applies |
If English, health and funds are gone, what is left to satisfy?
The remaining criteria are structural rather than documentary. Per the Department's official page you must hold, or have previously held, a substantive visa; you must be in Australia both when the application is submitted and when it is granted; and you must either have a valid substantive visa application that has not been finally determined, or have lodged a judicial review application relating to that refusal within the prescribed timeframe, with those proceedings unfinished. The official page requires the judicial review application to have been made within the prescribed timeframe and those proceedings to be unfinished; departmental guidance puts that period at 35 days. Age is unrestricted, and every applicant covered by the application faces the same set of primary criteria — there is no separate, easier secondary test.
Family members do not ride in automatically on a separate application. Where you apply on your own, you can include members of the family unit only if they are also included in your substantive visa application, and the Department decides separately which bridging visa each person can be granted. This overview describes the published rules only and is general information rather than personalised advice for your situation, so please check the latest official guidance or take advice from a registered professional about your own case.
How long do I have after a refusal?
For a Bridging Visa A granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after: the Department's refusal decision or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision on the associated substantive application; a determination that the substantive application or the AAT review application is invalid; or your withdrawal of either. It ceases 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or after you withdraw the judicial review application.
Older grants work differently: a Bridging Visa A granted before 19 November 2016 ceases 28 days after notification of invalidity, refusal, withdrawal, a merits tribunal upholding the refusal, a tribunal finding it has no jurisdiction, withdrawal of a review application, or a judicial review body upholding the refusal.
Certain events end it immediately, regardless of dates: leaving Australia while it is in effect, being granted the substantive visa you applied for, being granted another bridging visa connected to the same application, or cancellation of either the Bridging Visa A or the substantive visa you held when it was granted. Once you are notified of an outcome, VEVO shows exactly how long you can remain.
What if I have no money and my bridging visa says I cannot work?
Work rights depend entirely on the conditions attached to your grant, which your grant letter states and VEVO reflects. Where your Bridging Visa A stops you working or restricts it, you can apply for another Bridging Visa A that permits work, and the Department will assess your claim against your circumstances — including whether you are in financial hardship. If the work claim fails but you still qualify for a bridging visa, you are granted a new one carrying the same work restriction as before.
Two groups are locked out of that work-rights route. You cannot be granted a new Bridging Visa A allowing work if your current one prevents or restricts work and it was granted because you sought judicial review of the substantive visa decision, or if you have applied for a protection visa. And if you are pursuing judicial review, the bridging application has to come in by webform.
Can I travel home and come back on it?
No. A Bridging Visa A does not support return travel: if you depart while it is in effect, it ceases on departure and you cannot return on it. Anyone who needs to leave and re-enter while the substantive application is being processed must hold a Bridging Visa B before leaving. The visa itself is digitally linked to your passport, so there is no label to collect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Bridging Visa A really free?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs states the cost as "Free" on the Bridging visa A (Subclass 010) page, with no application charge listed in the criteria. Costs can still arise from a separate Bridging Visa B for travel or from whatever substantive visa you apply for next.
Do I have to sit an English test for Subclass 010?
No English requirement applies to this visa, and there is no minimum age either. English, where relevant, is assessed against the substantive visa you are applying for, not against the bridging visa that keeps you lawful in the meantime.
Is there a health check or a bank balance requirement?
Neither appears in the published criteria for Subclass 010. The health and financial strands sit with the substantive visa application; the only way finances enter the bridging assessment is when you ask for work rights on hardship grounds.
So the character requirement still applies?
It does. The Department lists meeting the character requirement among the eligibility criteria for this visa, even though English, health, funds and age are not tested. Full criteria sit in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
Do I apply for it myself?
Usually not. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and the Department tells you if that happens — VEVO confirms whether you already hold one. A separate application is only needed in specific cases, such as when the substantive application did not itself create one, when an earlier bridging visa has ceased, when you seek one without work restrictions, or when you have applied for judicial review.
Can I keep my family on it?
Each family member is assessed individually against bridging visa criteria. If you apply separately, you can include them only where they are also included in your substantive visa application, and the Department decides which bridging visa each person can be granted.
How long does it last after my visa is refused?
For grants made on or after 19 November 2016, it runs 35 calendar days from the refusal, tribunal decision, invalidity determination or withdrawal, and 28 calendar days after a judicial review upholds the refusal or you withdraw that review. It ends immediately if you leave Australia, if the substantive visa is granted, if another bridging visa is granted for the same application, or if either visa is cancelled.