immiqa.com
Not a registered migration agent. General information only — not immigration advice.

What Is a Bridging Visa C (Subclass 030) and When Does It End in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

A Bridging visa C (BVC) (Subclass 030) is a temporary visa that lets you stay lawfully in Australia while a substantive visa application you lodged onshore is still being decided, in cases where you do not already hold a substantive visa. It ends on events rather than on a schedule you control: under the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official "Bridging visa C (BVC) (Subclass 030)" page (as of August 2026), a BVC allows you to stay until that substantive application is finally determined, or — if it was granted in connection with judicial proceedings — until those proceedings are complete.

This article is general information about how the published rules work, not legal or migration advice for any individual case. Your own dates and conditions should be confirmed in VEVO against the Department's current official page, or with an Australian-registered professional.

What problem does a Bridging visa C actually solve?

It fills a gap. If your last substantive visa has ceased and you have a valid onshore application for a new substantive visa still awaiting a decision, the BVC is the status that keeps you lawful in the meantime. Most bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of the substantive visa application, so many holders never file a separate request.

The Department describes two situations where a separate BVC application may be needed: when you are seeking a further BVC without work restrictions, and when you have applied for judicial review. A bridging visa cannot be used to wait out a citizenship application.

Who gets one, and what does it cost?

The Department grants a BVC where you have made a valid application in Australia for a substantive visa but do not already hold a substantive visa. You, and anyone included in your application, must be in Australia both when the application is submitted and when the visa is granted.

Cost is listed as free. There is also no physical visa label — the visa is digitally linked to your passport.

When does a BVC come into effect?

A BVC "comes into effect" at whichever of these happens first:

This matters for conditions. If you still hold a substantive visa when the BVC is granted, you keep complying with the substantive visa's conditions; once that substantive visa ceases, the BVC's conditions apply. A BVC can sit within its visa period and later become active again, depending on what happens to other visas.

Can you work on a BVC?

Sometimes, but assume no until you have checked. The initial BVC granted with your substantive visa application does not let you work unless the visa you applied for is one of these:

If your BVC carries a work restriction — the Migration Regulations 1994 describe this as condition 8101 — you can apply for another BVC that permits work, but you must show you are experiencing financial hardship. The Department assesses that claim, and if it is not satisfied — but you are still eligible for a BVC — you get a new BVC carrying the same work prevention or restriction as before.

Judicial review BVCs are stricter. Protection visa applicants can only get a new work-permitting BVC if the last BVC they held allowed work. Other applicants are granted a judicial review BVC that does not allow work, even where the previous BVC did; SkillSelect visa applicants are the exception — their judicial review BVC does not initially allow work, but they can make a further BVC application and demonstrate financial hardship to be considered for work rights.

When does a BVC end immediately?

Four events end a BVC on the spot:

Event Effect on the BVC
You are granted the substantive visa you applied for Ends immediately
You leave Australia while the BVC is in effect Ends immediately
You are granted another bridging visa linked to the same substantive application Ends immediately
The Department cancels your BVC, or the substantive visa you held at grant Ends immediately

What happens after a refusal or withdrawal?

In all other cases, the outcome that triggers the countdown is one of these: the substantive application is refused or deemed invalid; a merits or judicial review is decided; you withdraw the substantive application or the review; or a merits review tribunal says it has no jurisdiction.

For a BVC granted on or after 19 November 2016, the visa ceases 35 calendar days after a refusal decision, an AAT (Administrative Appeals Tribunal) decision on the associated application, a determination that the substantive or AAT review application is invalid, or your withdrawal of the substantive application or AAT review application.

It ceases 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or you withdraw a related judicial review application.

For a BVC granted before 19 November 2016, a single rule applies: the visa ceases 28 days after you are notified that the substantive application is invalid or refused, you withdraw it, a merits review tribunal notifies you it upheld the refusal or has no jurisdiction, you withdraw a merits or judicial review, or a judicial review body upholds the refusal.

Suppose an applicant whose BVC was granted in 2020 receives a refusal notification for their substantive visa. Counting from that decision, their BVC runs for 35 calendar days — not 35 working days — and during that window they must apply for a new visa or make arrangements, because the BVC cannot be extended.

Can you travel, or extend it?

No on both counts. A BVC does not support return travel: if you leave while it is in effect, it ceases on departure and you cannot come back on it. The Department also states it cannot grant you a Bridging visa B (BVB) to travel and return while your substantive application is processed. If you leave without another visa permitting return, you will need to apply for and be granted a substantive visa before returning, and there is no guarantee of being granted one.

You also cannot stay longer by extending this visa. A new visa application is required.

How do you check your own dates and conditions?

Use VEVO. Once you have been notified of an outcome, VEVO shows exactly how long you can remain in Australia, along with your specific conditions. It is also how you check whether family members already hold a BVC, how you prove your visa status to others, and how you confirm whether a BVC is currently in effect before you travel.

If your details change after applying — phone number, email, address, passport, the birth of a child, or a decision to withdraw — the Department asks to be told.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Bridging visa C a permanent or long-term visa?

No. It is a temporary visa that exists only to keep you lawful while a substantive visa application is decided. It ends when that decision is made, when you are granted the substantive visa, or on another listed event.

How long do I have to stay after my substantive visa is refused?

If your BVC was granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or AAT decision. If it was granted before that date, it ceases 28 days after you are notified. Check the exact date in VEVO.

Do I automatically get work rights?

Not always. The initial BVC allows work only if the substantive visa you applied for is one of ten listed subclasses. Otherwise it carries a work restriction unless you later apply again and demonstrate financial hardship.

What happens if I leave Australia while my BVC is in effect?

It ceases on departure and cannot be used to return. You would need to be granted a substantive visa before coming back, and grant is not guaranteed.

Can I include my family?

Yes. If you applied together for the substantive visa, family members may already hold a BVC — check each person's record in VEVO. A separate BVC application can also include members of the family unit who are included in your substantive visa application.

Can I extend my BVC to buy more time?

No. The Department states you cannot stay longer by extending this visa; you must apply for a new visa if you wish to remain.

References