Applying for a Bridging Visa B (BVB) while waiting for your 820/801 Australian Partner Visa
Last Updated on 2 February 2022
With global processing times currently at 23-29 months for the 820/801 Australian Partner Visa, it’s very likely that you’ll want to travel outside Australia sometime before your visa is granted, whether it be to visit your family, attend a conference overseas, or simply to take a holiday.
Unfortunately, though, the standard placeholder visa that is issued when you submit your application for residency (Bridging Visa A) does not permit you to leave the country— to be granted limited travel rights before your Partner Visa has been approved, you’ll need to apply for a Bridging Visa B. This is a comprehensive guide to applying for a Bridging Visa B, including how the visa works and who is eligible, how to complete the online application, what supporting evidence to attach, and what to expect when the visa is issued.
Read my whole series on applying for the 820/801 Australian Partner Visa for more information about preparing your evidence, lodging your application, and the next steps. If you’re just beginning, start with this post to get an overview (and to read about our story). And, as always, please remember that I am not a migration agent or affiliated with Home Affairs in any way, so all the information provided in these posts and in the comments below is based entirely on my own experience and my own understanding of the application process.
About Bridging Visas
Bridging Visa A
When you apply for permanent residency through the 820/801 Partner Visa (onshore), you are automatically issued a Bridging Visa A (subclass 010). Think of this as a placeholder visa— it comes into effect as soon as your previous visa expires (e.g. tourist visa, student visa, work visa) and remains active until your Partner Visa is granted.
For most people, this visa includes unlimited work and study rights, which means you can live a totally normal life in Australia while you wait several years (UGH) for your Partner Visa to be processed.
The one hitch is that the Bridging Visa A doesn’t come with any travel rights (or, more specifically, it doesn’t come with any re-entry rights). If you do leave the country on this visa, you’ll not only forfeit your right to remain in Australia while your Partner Visa is being processed, but you’ll probably find yourself caught up in time-consuming and expensive litigation to get your Partner Visa granted at all. Unless it’s a life or death emergency, leaving Australia on a Bridging Visa A is really not smart.
Bridging Visa B
If you want to travel outside Australia for any reason while you’re waiting for your Partner Visa to be approved, you’ll have to apply for a Bridging Visa B (subclass 020).
When granted, this visa will supersede your Bridging Visa A (with the same work/study rights) and remain active until your Partner Visa is approved— but it still doesn’t mean that you can enjoy unlimited travel outside Australia. Your Bridging Visa B comes with a limited travel period based on the dates you requested and the information you provided in your application.
It used to be that the travel period rarely exceeded 3 months, but my first BVB was approved for 4 months and my second for 12 months. Both of these were for personal travel!
You might also be granted different entry rights with your Bridging Visa B. Some BVBs will allow multiple entries within the specified travel period, meaning you can travel in and out of Australia as much as you want, while others will only permit a single entry, meaning you’ll need to apply for a new Bridging Visa B if you want to leave Australia for a second time, even if it’s within the travel period.
Both of my BVBs were issued with multiple entries even though I didn’t specifically request that, but there is no guarantee— if you really need a long travel period or multiple entries on your BVB, you should specify this in your application and provide appropriate evidence to support your request.
What is a “substantial reason” for travel?
To be issued a Bridging Visa B, you must have “substantial reasons for wishing to leave and re-enter Australia”— and it used to be that you really did need a substantial reason, like a dying family member or an important overseas conference. As wait times for the 820/801 Partner Visa have absolutely exploded, though, the general consensus seems to be that visiting family, taking a holiday, celebrating an anniversary, or attending a wedding are ALL appropriate reasons to apply for a Bridging Visa B.
Based on the (admittedly limited) forum wisdom, these visas are rarely refused if you apply correctly and provide a compelling or compassionate reason for wanting to travel. I first applied for a BVB to travel around South America for 3 months after submitting my PhD, and thankfully this was deemed to be a “substantial reason” for travel. My second BVB was only for a 2-week trip to New Zealand with my partner, but I actually got granted a full 12 months with multiple entries. Travel seems to be a totally legitimate reason to get a BVB these days!
When to apply for a BVB
One of the main reasons you are required to apply for a BVB prior to travel outside Australia is that Home Affairs needs to check on the status of your Partner Visa application before you leave the country.
You should submit an application for a Bridging Visa B no sooner than 3 months and no less than 2 weeks before your intended travel dates. I applied for my second BVB about 10 days out and it was approved with no issues, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this.
How to apply for Bridging Visa B
Starting an online BVB application
The easiest way to submit an application for a Bridging Visa B is through your Immi Account:
- After logging in to your Immi Account, you should see your submitted Partner Visa application on the “My Applications” homepage.
- Click View Details just below your application.
- This will take you to a page that says “Application Home” and shows the application history for your visa (e.g. the date you submitted, etc). On the lefthand menu, click Bridging Visa Information.
- On the “Bridging Visa Information” page, you should see the original grant date of your Bridging Visa A listed under “Current Bridging Visas for This Application”. Directly above this, click the link that says Apply for a Bridging Visa (it might also be called Bridging Visa Information).
- This will bring you to an “ELodgement Page” where you can begin applying for your Bridging Visa B.
BVB application questions
If you’re wondering what information you’ll need to provide on your Bridging Visa B application, here’s an overview of all the questions:
Select the reason for applying for a Bridging Visa
Tick to seek permission to travel outside of Australia (application for a Bridging visa B).
Request permission to travel
Complete the form with your personal details (name, passport number, expiry) and intended dates/countries of overseas travel. You can enter multiple countries on the form, but you only need to provide travel dates for when you’re actually leaving and returning to Australia. Finally, you have 2000 characters to tell Home Affairs about your “purpose for travel”.
Keep in mind that you can also attach a letter to your application to provide additional information about your travel plans, so this doesn’t need to be exhaustive. In this box, I just wrote that I was “hoping to travel outside Australia to visit my parents, enjoy a holiday with my partner and celebrate the submission of my PhD” and also provided dates of when I was travelling to each country and with whom.
Contact details
Enter details of your residential and postal address. If you’re staying more than 14 days at an overseas address (e.g. staying at your parents’ house for a few weeks), you should provide this address; otherwise, just provide your address in Australia. This should match the address information that you put on your Partner Visa application!
Health declarations
Answer yes or no: “Has any applicant… ever had, or currently have, tuberculosis? … been in close contact with a family member that has active tuberculosis? … ever had a chest x-ray which showed an abnormality?”
Character declarations
Answer yes or no to a long series of questions about whether you’ve ever been charged with a legal offence, been involved in illegal activity, etc. If you answer yes to any of the questions, you’ll need to provide further details.
Declarations
Answer yes or no to a series of questions about whether you understand the visa process, have provided true and correct information, etc.
Attaching evidence to your BVB application
After reviewing all of your responses and clicking Submit on the application, you’ll be taken to an Attachments page, where it’s possible to upload relevant supporting evidence. There’s pretty minimal guidance on what documents you should include to demonstrate a “substantial reason for travel”, but the upload categories (in the photo below) give you some idea of what you might provide.
If you’re going to visit a sick relative, for instance, you might upload medical records or a letter from a doctor explaining the condition. If you’re going on a business trip or attending an international conference, you might upload a letter from your employer or proof of conference registration. Personally, I uploaded a colour scan of my passport, a summary of my travel plans, copies of my flights, and a few assorted bookings (e.g. hotels, tour reservations).
Submitting your BVB application
After uploading any supporting documents, you will be taken to a payment page, which is the final step in submitting your application to Home Affairs. The application cost for a Bridging Visa B is $145 (as of June 2019) and can be paid either with a credit/debit card or Paypal (both incur a $1-2 fee).
If the payment has successfully gone through, you should be given a PDF receipt and your Bridging Visa Information page on ImmiAccount will display the status of your application as “Submitted [date]”.
Update: As of 1 July 2019, the application fee for Bridging Visa B has increased to $155AUD.
IMMI BVB Grant Notification
I’d previously heard that Home Affairs might only grant your BVB a week before your travel dates, so I was prepared to settle in for a long (and somewhat stressful) wait. Thankfully, that was far from the case! I applied on a Friday afternoon (5 weeks before my trip) and received my BVB via email the following Monday morning. My second BVB was exactly the same. Of course, everyone’s wait time will depend on personal circumstances and how busy Home Affairs is, but it’s nice to know that a long wait isn’t a guarantee with this visa.
As soon as you receive a visa grant email, your Bridging Visa B will replace your Bridging Visa A, typically with the same work and study conditions (i.e. if you had unlimited work rights on your BVA, you will still have unlimited work rights on your BVB).
Your Bridging Visa B Grant Notification email will tell you whether you have single or multiple entries and also specify your approved travel period— as an example, you can see my travel period in the screenshot below, which extends from the date of the visa grant to 20 October 2019. This is a full week after my requested date of re-entry into Australia, so it’s great that Home Affairs has given me a little cushion in case my flights are delayed. Overall, a very simple and speedy process to get a BVB!
I hope this information has been helpful and I wish you so much luck on your Australian Partner Visa journey! Feel free to ask any questions below and I will do my very best to answer them.
* I am not a migration agent or affiliated with Home Affairs in any way, so all the information provided in these posts and in the comments below is based entirely on my own experience and my own understanding of the application process.
If you found this post helpful and want to contribute to some of the costs associated with running the blog, I would be infinitely grateful!
You can use the PayPal button below to donate whatever you feel this information is worth. If you aren’t able, don’t worry— I will always keep my posts free and accessible for everyone!
UPDATE: A MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who’s commented to let me know that you found these posts helpful— I can’t tell you how much it means to me to read your success stories! I worked incredibly hard to compile all of this information (while getting my PhD & teaching), but it’s genuinely been worth it to make even a small difference for my fellow immigrants.
More importantly, though, THANK YOU to everyone who has shared their own experience or answered questions for other readers in the comments below! We are building a wonderful & supportive community of Partner Visa applicants here, and every comment and question is a resource for others.
If you felt like these posts helped with your application, I’d encourage you to come back after your visa is granted (or even after various milestones) and let us all know what happened— it might mean the world to someone else struggling with this process! Best wishes to you all xx bb
The Comments
Carla
Hi Brooke!
First of all, thanks for putting this great blog post together!
Do you happen to know if you 820 & 801 visa applications get put ‘on pause’ while you are outside of Australia on your Bridging Visa B?
Thanks!
brooke brisbine
CarlaHi Carla,
So happy you found these posts helpful! As far as I know, your application stayed ‘in the queue’ regardless of being on a BVB, but it is possible that it will be assessed less favourably if you’ve spent considerable time abroad without your partner.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
trexy
Hey
What if your 801/820 gets rejected on BVB?
Are you stuck outside forever?
brooke brisbine
trexyHi Trexy,
If your application is rejected, whether on BVB or not, it’s pretty much the same outcome– you can’t live in Australia. However, if you apply onshore, you MUST be onshore when a decision is made, so there’s not really a way for this to happen unless you’ve left the country without notifying IMMI.
-Brooke
Anita Cabal
Annie
Hi, my dear. I was married to an Australian citizen and applied onshore the 820 Partner Visa, granted also the BVA and BVB since we need to travel outside Australia. My husband left before one month grace period and we agreed that I will follow after one month. But unexpectedly I was stuck to my country because of lockdown, restrictions must be followed especially for us who are senior citizens. We are on this pandemic situation and borders in Australia are closed until now for international flights.
Now, my problem is my BVB will soon expires and still no available flights on the airline that I booked. I have two questions:
1. If my BVB on the last minute rebooking applied immediately and back to Melbourne, what visa I will be in hand in coming back, is it the BVA or do I’m allowed to stay longer even if my partner visa is not approved yet.
2. If my BVB expires while offshore, what visa do I need to apply if I will be coming back Melbourne or is this BVB renewable?
brooke brisbine
Anita CabalHi Anita,
Unfortunately, this is probably a question for Home Affairs, I wouldn’t want to tell you the wrong thing! Typically you would not want your BVB to expire before you’re back onshore as this could have major implications for your visa, but given that it is entirely out of your control with the pandemic, there would definitely be some exceptions made– speak directly to the Department about what they recommend.
Wishing you a safe journey to Australia sometime very soon!
-Brooke
Anita
No, my husband is currently offshore, awaiting a partner visa. My question is, if he was to come to Australia on a visiting visa, can he apply for a BVA while waiting for the substantial visa (partner) when the visitor visa expires? I hope that made sense 🙂
brooke brisbine
AnitaHi Anita,
Ah ok, I understand. A BVA is automatically issued to those who apply onshore for a visa (including 820/801), but I don’t believe it’s possible to “apply” for a BVA offshore as a means of coming to visit Australia. In my understanding, it’s not possible to apply for a BVA at all, it’s just a placeholder visa that the department issues for those in the country awaiting a visa grant.
Other readers, feel free to correct me!
Dylan
Hi Brooke! I feel so so lucky to have come across your page! First off, thank you so much for all this information. The process has been confusing and overwhelming for me, and I did not want to to pay for a migration agent!
I just wanted to clarify something. When I pay for the application I am automatically given the bridging visa? And then I have more time to get all my documents posted?
My WHV is about to expire in less than a month and I am hating myself for putting everything to the last minute! We have some stuff prepared, and I’m ready to dedicate myself to getting everything done, but just want to make sure I didn’t screw myself over. Seriously so mad at myself for waiting so long 🙁
brooke brisbine
DylanHi Dylan,
So happy to hear these posts have been helpful to you! Yes, as soon as you submit and pay for the application (regardless of whether you’ve uploaded any documents yet), you will be automatically issued a BVA that will come into effect as soon as your WHV expires. So don’t stress, as long as you get the online application completed and paid in the next month, you’ll have plenty of time to upload evidence afterwards 🙂
-Brooke
Anita
Hi Brooke!
I have a question about applying for a BVA on visitors visa, while waiting for a partner visa.
My husband and I are waiting on a 801/820 visa, we applied for it offshore. Due to the long waiting time, he is visiting me on a visitor visa, I am wondering if I can apply for a BVA while waiting or the Partner visa, do I need to submit the visa onshore to be considered?
Regards,
Anita
brooke brisbine
AnitaHi Anita,
I’m not totally sure I understand your question.. Your husband is offshore with a current BVA (awaiting the 820/801 visa) and would like to visit you on a visitor’s visa here in Australia? And you’re wondering if you need a BVA as the sponsor? Can you just clarify what you mean and I’ll do my best to answer 🙂
-Brooke
Mick D
Great advice Brooke, thank you so much. It looks like approval times for BVBs are super fast at the moment despite the COVID situation.
My partner unfortunately has to travel to the UK urgently for compassionate reasons. She submitted the BVB request on a Sunday, asking for 4 months’ travel duration in case there were delays getting back to Australia. The BVB was approved less than 24 hours later!
brooke brisbine
Mick DHi Mick, thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m sure that will be of great reassurance to anyone else needing to travel urgently during these mad times.
Best of luck to you and your partner!
-Brooke
Frankie
Hi Brooke,
I was wondering if I can apply for BVB while being on a work sponsorship? We have submitted our partner visa, currently I am on a sponsorshio.
Thanks xx
brooke brisbine
FrankieHi Frankie,
I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about work sponsorship!
Best of luck with it all!
-Brooke
Revathi
Hi Brook, I had applied for BVB visa on Sunday early morning and mentioning the travel dates one week from the date of submitting . But while uploading I forgot to attch the documents and thing to attach after submission and later I realized there is no option to upload documents after submission and I am eagerly waiting for the approval to travel to my home country as my employer is not allowing me to work in australia with BVA and I am 2 months prevent and badly need to sty with my parents .
Could you please let me know when can I expect approval .
Regards,
Revathi
brooke brisbine
RevathiHi Revathi,
Unfortunately I can’t really comment on getting a BVB in your specific circumstances (or, more importantly, during a global pandemic), but I hope you’ve heard back from Home Affairs with an answer already!
Best of luck getting back home!
-Brooke
Jeanne
Hi Brooke, can you visit your home country with BVB? I was certain that I can but my family is afraid that once I come to my home country they won’t let me back to Australia. Thanks 🙂
brooke brisbine
JeanneHi Jeanne,
You can absolutely visit your home country on a BVB! As long as you have a valid travel permission (and you re-enter Australia within that time), you can go wherever you want 🙂
-Brooke
Krystina
Thanks Brooke for these amazing tips. I travelled last year in December and was granted a BVB for 12 months (woohoo!). Too bad I only found your article 3 days before my flight :/ I was terrified they wouldn’t approve it in time. Luckily, they approved it immediately.
My question is you mentioned you applied for two different BVBs, did you apply for your second BVB while you were in Australia? I’m thinking of going home in September and maybe not returning until after Christmas (depending on COVID) and my BVB expires the 13th of Dec. If my BVB expires while I’m away, I’m wondering if I can apply while on my trip home? Or if I’m able to apply for a second BVB while my current one is still valid. I don’t expect you to know all of these questions, but thought I would ask just in case! Thank you 🙂
brooke brisbine
KrystinaHi Krystina,
Glad to hear it was just as easy for you to get a 12 month BVB! I applied for my second BVB after the travel period expired on the first BVB and from within Australia. Unfortunately, I don’t actually know what the best thing would be for your exact situation, so I’d recommend calling Home Affairs and hopefully they can give you an answer! Otherwise, maybe another reader knows???
Best of luck with everything and sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
-Brooke
Joana Cerejo
Hi Brooke!
Found your blog in one of my extensive searches around the internet to find info on visas… THANK YOU so much for this article, it is super helpful! I was really happy to read that nowadays, pretty much everything is a good reason to travel… I wanted to apply to a BVB during my BVA to travel 6 months in Asia with my boyfriend (while waiting for Partner Visa) – hopefully starting mid next year. The fact that they gave you 12 months travel permission with multiple entries sounds absolutely incredible! Would you have any tip on how to explain the purpose of a 6 month backpacking trip? Also, I’ve seen the application form and I’ve seen that the space for “intended purpose of travel” just has two small lines to write on… How do we make sure that we present a proper argument in such a short space? Did you attach any other document?
Just one last question – Do you have to mention all the countries you plan on going beforehand when you apply for the visa? Or if it is multiple entries they don’t care?
Obviously these are all long-term-post-covid-19 goals!
THANK YOU so much for this, such a precious piece of information!
brooke brisbine
Joana CerejoHi Joana, so glad you found this post helpful! There wasn’t a lot of concrete information on the internet when I applied for my first BVB, so I was really nervous about being rejected (especially since the trip was already booked), but it was seriously no drama at all. Based on my experience with 2 BVBs now, I would imagine your request to travel 6 months with your partner would be totally fine.
All I did to explain my trips was write a very short letter (a couple paragraphs) about where I was going and why– one was that I wanted to take a trip with my partner and the other was that I wanted to travel after graduating. I uploaded this as a document to the application, because 2 lines is obviously not enough room.. but you seriously don’t need to write a lot! Just explain that you are travelling with your partner, some general idea of your plan (really does not have to be specific), and your flights or some other bookings showing both names.
Hope that answers your questions!
-Brooke
Renee Budini
Wow, Brooke, I can’t thank you enough for all the hard work and detail you’ve put into this partner visa series, it is simply amazing. I have been trying to wrap my head around this visa mess for months and have literally had sleepless nights because I had no good roadmap for the situation. We even paid a really horrible “visa counsellor” in Melbourne for a consultation, and he spoke down to us and refused to give us any information at all really unless we paid him a $3000 fee…. yeah right!? With the hefty $7000 that we already have to spend on the visa, there is no we could afford to pay a counselor or lawyer fee.
The information on the government website is confusing and vague, it was making my brain hurt. I tried calling them and it’s as if they are required to be even more vague than the website because they can’t give any hints at all, they just sort of nudge you to their website and tell you to click a button or two. I’ve been procrastinating on this for months. The Australian government really should hire you to design the instructions.
My husband found your blog a few days ago, and it was like a light came on and I am doing so much better. I finally feel way more comfortable with the process. I finally started my 820/801 application yesterday, and got most of the way through it. I just have a few details left. But seriously you have provided resource gold with this blog.
And as a side note I am feeling inspired to get back to work on my own travel blog that I’ve started work on. The last days have been just full of a-ha moments. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
brooke brisbine
Renee BudiniAh Renee, thank YOU so much for such a thoughtful comment!! I can absolutely relate to how overwhelming this visa application can be, due in no small part to the complete lack of useful information on any official website.. I was insanely frustrated myself and wasted so much time flapping around because, like you, I couldn’t really figure out where to start for AGES. I finally put my head down and started writing out steps for myself based on every source of information I could get my hands on, making lists and organising things in a way that made sense to me. Even then there were a lot of surprises (like when I got to the upload step and realised I’d basically organised everything completely wrong), but it helped me so much to at least have a blueprint. And that’s how this whole visa series came about, to provide others with the complete, systematic, logical approach that I wish I’d had!
It makes me incredibly happy to hear from other couples going through this process that they are using my blog! It took me a ridiculous amount of time to put all of this together and adapt all of my notes so they were actually useful to other people, but it’s always worth it when I hear that it’s been helpful! Wishing you and your partner the best of luck, hopefully your application will be behind you soon enough and you can get to the very exciting process of waiting 🙂
-Brooke
PS. You’ll have to send through a link to your travel blog so I can check it out!
Vanessa
Brooke, I cannot thank you enough for this post. I think I’ve gone a little crazy now reading up all the gov.au information around the million caveats with a partner visa. My partner is an American boy and we’re hoping to get him over to me in Sydney – I think I’ve gone cross eyed and brain fried a little trying to get all the info together. The way you put this together was eloquent and followed a sensible narrative that answered ALL the questions I had after hours of research. We appreciate this so much!
Vanessa
brooke brisbine
VanessaHi Vanessa,
Thank you so much for the lovely comment, it’s always incredibly nice to hear that these posts are helping other couples apply for the Partner Visa!
Wishing you and your American boy lots of luck 🙂
-Brooke
Kevin Ucci
Hey,
Thanks for the info on BVB. I was planning to head home on my working holiday and get back before my BVA comes into effect. Now, with the current pandemic, if I am able to get home, I worry about being denied entry to the country and run the risk of being outside the country when my working holiday visa expires leaving me without a visa to re-enter.
My question is, what information did you provide them in order for them to be given a 1-year travel facility.
brooke brisbine
Kevin UcciHi Kevin,
I certainly don’t know all the specifics of your personal situation, but I’d be very concerned about getting back into Australia right now if you left. However, I’m sure that’s a more than valid reason to request a long travel period on your BVB.
I didn’t actually ask for 12 months when I applied, I only requested a few weeks for a quick trip to NZ, and they just gave me a full year. That makes me think they are being pretty generous with travel periods right now. As they should, considering how long it takes to get the visa!
So, I’d recommend explaining the situation in a letter and uploading it to your BVB application. That’s the best idea I’ve got!
Hope it helps, and good luck with everything.
-Brooke
Ryan
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone and providing such helpful information! Hoping you can help me with mine too.
1) I am applying for a BVB while i wait for my graduate visa to be granted, but it is to work overseas on a 4months contract. Would this be valid? Given that is contractual employment overseas? Wondering if you have heard anyone getting approved for that.
2) Partner visas have been on my mind. And was just curious if the global 2years waiting time is after getting the temporary partner visa and after the 2 year period to be eligible to apply for the permanent partner visa? (So essentially, 4years from getting the temp partner visa?!)
brooke brisbine
RyanHi Ryan, always happy to help wherever I can!
1) As for a BVB, although I haven’t personally applied for the same reason, I suspect work overseas would be a more than valid reason. Considering all the people commenting on this post alone that they’ve been granted BVB for nothing more than a holiday, work seems even more of a reason to go, especially since you’re awaiting a graduate visa. Now, that’s no promise on my part because I really don’t know, so take this response with a grain of salt.
2) Yes, 75% of onshore first stage partner visa applications are processed in 24-31 months or something absurd, and then there is a fixed 2 year waiting period after that to go onto the final permanent stage of the visa. There is a loophole for couples who have been married or de facto for more than 3 years at the time of initial application, where the permanent visa is granted without a 2 year wait. With all of these times, remember it is very case by case, so one couple might take 4.5 years from application to permanent residency and another might only take 3. These are just estimates from Home Affairs (except the 2 year waiting period, which is fixed for everyone but long term couples).
Hope that helps!
– Brooke
Amit
I came to Australia on visitor visa on 10 th of November and applied for a student visa on 10th January 2020. Waiting for my student visa grant. but leave Australia in urgency on 17feb 2020 without applying bridging visa B.now I can not enter to australia.does it effect my student visa grant application too.please let me know.
brooke brisbine
AmitHi Amit,
Unfortunately, this is probably a question for Home Affairs or a qualified migration agent!
Best of luck with everything, and sorry I can’t be more helpful.
-Brooke
Phanindra
Hi Brooke,
I have to attend an event organised by my parents to me. Its a family tradition. I mentioned the same in the reason for leaving country as well. I applied for TR 2 days ago and now applied for BVB. Will I be able to get my bridging visa granted on or before 28th Feb ( my travel day).
brooke brisbine
PhanindraHi Phanindra, have you heard anything about your BVB yet? Usually they are granted pretty quickly.
At any rate, it’s impossible for me to say whether yours will or won’t be granted, but based on my own experience and the many comments left on this post by others, attending a family event is a more than reasonable purpose to travel.
Let everyone know how you go in the comments, it’s always good to hear about individual experiences with the BVB!
-Brooke
KP
Hi,
Can we apply a new bridging visa B outside of australia while being already on bridging visa B?
My friend is stuck in china due to recent corona virus outbreak and she went there on a bridging visa B as she is waiting for her student visa that she applied in august 2018. the bridging visa B she is on expires in april. she may be there for longer than that. can she apply another bridging visa B or extension from china?
Thanks
KP
brooke brisbine
KPHi KP,
Sorry to hear about your friend being stuck in China, but I don’t know about applying for a BVB while you’re already on a BVB– in theory it should be fine, but I’d definitely consult with a registered migration agent or lawyer to see what the best course of action is.
Best of luck!
-Brooke
Jelly
Hi Brooke,
Just want to share that I received my first Bvb grant notice today, it’s good for a year, multiple entries. It was just processed in 1 business day, didn’t expect it to be that quick.
Your work here has been so helpful to me and I thank you very much!
Bdw did you update your address on 820 application before your travel overseas?
Lovelots,
brooke brisbine
JellyHi Jelly,
Great news, congrats!!
Even when travelling overseas, I am still “living” in Australia in the sense that all my stuff is in my apartment, I’m continuing to pay rent, etc. So I don’t change the address. If you were going to live overseas for 6mo that might be a different story, but otherwise it’s fine.
-Brooke
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Alex
Hi, you have a lot of information on this page which is great. I have a strange scenario and I would be grateful if you could help.
I am currently on a 457 (short term stream) which will expire at the end of June. I will be applying for a partnership visa in March and they will give me a bridging visa A straight away but won’t be in effect until the end of June where my sponshorship ends. I am flying out the country on the 1st of July. Which means that I need Will have 1 day to get a brigding visa B if I need to be on bridging visa A first. So that won’t work. Can I apply and be granted a bridging visa B before my bridging visa A is in effect?
Thanks for your help
brooke brisbine
AlexHi Alex,
I THINK you could apply for a BVB after the BVA is issued but before it is “active”, but I don’t actually know. I’d recommend calling Home Affairs directly to ask! The number is 131 881.
Please let me know in the comments what you hear from Home Affairs, as I’m sure other people will experience similar issues in future.
Good luck!
-Brooke
web page
Good write-up. I certainly appreciate this website.
Stick with it!
brooke brisbine
web pageThank you 🙂
Nick
Hi Brooke!
Thanks for all the information, this will be a massive help for when my wife applies for her BVB for a trip back to UK. Good luck with your visa process!
We have a domestic cruise coming up and not sure if we need a BVB for it or not, no one seems to know. If anyone is reading this and has experienced this, please let me know!
Thanks
Nick
Peter I. Kash
Hi Brooke, trust you’re well. Came across your page while doing some research about BVB. I am intending to travel outside Aus to attend a friend’s wedding (on the 11th of July 2020), together with my wife. This article has been so insightful on this whole BVB application process and just wanted to say thank you. Wasn’t so sure how to go about it whether or not it could be granted. Guess would have to apply sometime in April coz that would be 3months prior to my intended travel date. Thank you once again really appreciate. Just one last personal question have you been granted your subclass 801/820 yet?
brooke brisbine
Peter I. KashHi Peter,
I don’t imagine you’ll have any trouble getting a BVB to attend the wedding! You can apply 3mo out, but it’s possible they won’t actually grant until a bit closer to your dates– it totally depends on where your application is and what your CO is doing.
Sadly, no visa grant for me yet. I was really hopeful of getting it in the middle of the year (which would be 18mo), but I just got a BVB approved for 12mo, multiple entries– a guarantee that I won’t be getting anything before January 2021. Disappointing, but at least I’m free to travel a lot this year.
Good luck with everything!
-Brooke
James
Hi Brooke, thank you this is an incredibly useful article 🙂 And so good to see it’s recent. I have a couple of questions after reading your article and the comments if you have the time.
1. What happened when you finished your travel? Did you go back onto BVA or do you stay on BVB until your Partner visa is granted?
2. Did you let your case officer know (or upload anything to ImmiAccount) that you’d be offshore between X and Y dates? Maybe not, I see you traveled not too long after applying so perhaps no need?
Thankfully I’m almost at the end, have just uploaded my last batch of evidence, police checks and medical so just waiting for grant now. Tried to time a holiday for after grant but now it’s clashing with their potential decision window so it’s making me nervous! The idea of getting a grant email while I’m offshore after over two years of waiting is going to keep me awake..! Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll push the grant through instead of a BVB like you mentioned.
Anyway thank you for a great article, I’m going to read the rest of your posts this weekend.
brooke brisbine
JamesHi James,
1. I think you technically stay on a BVB, but the travel period expires, so it kind of acts like a BVA in the end. Don’t 100% quote me on this.. but it shouldn’t make any difference to you anyway, the work/study rights will stay the same.
2. Your CO will know that you are out of the country within the approved travel period and there is NO CHANCE that they will approve your visa in this time. That’s why you have to apply for a BVB in the first place, so they can confirm your application isn’t going to be actioned while you’re away. You should include your travel plans (exact dates, rough itinerary, etc) in the application for your BVB, which the CO could see if they needed to.
Hope that helps a bit!
-Brooke
Reshmi
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for your wonderful website!
I just have one query regarding my BVB. My BVA become active on March 9th and is it ok if I apply for BVB on that day itself? Since I’m on loss of pay from my employer in India and I need to travel back to resign on time…. Do you think this will be a good reason while applying BVB? Also please advise on whether I can apply for BVB on the day my BVA is granted?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Reshmi.
brooke brisbine
ReshmiHi Reshmi,
I don’t have personal experience applying for a BVB the day a BVA was issued, but I haven’t seen anything that says you can’t– I imagine it will be fine!
Good luck,
-Brooke
Ning
Hey Brooke,
Firstly im really really thankful for the information you provided, its extremely helpful. really a big thankyou to you.
brooke brisbine
NingHi Ning, thanks for the lovely message!
Raj
Hi Brooks
Currently i am on BVA . I have applied BVB papeer visa before 1 week of my travel date
Will my BVB will granted ?
Thanx
brooke brisbine
RajHi Raj,
Sorry for the delayed response, I’ve been travelling this month. I assume you’ve gotten the BVB by now? Hope you enjoy your trip!
-Brooke
Kim
Hi, I would like to know because my partner is holding a BVA and we are planning to apply for a fiancé Visa, but before that we just want to go home to our country to meet his family. Is there any chance that they might grant the fiancé visa or should we get married and apply for a spouse visa, is that much easier? Hope is makes sense. Thank you so much! Hoping for you reply 😊
brooke brisbine
KimHi Kim,
I can’t really say whether it is easier for those on a PMV or not, but it should be no issue to get a BVB to visit your partner’s family– that’s a more than reasonable purpose for travel!
-Brooke
Alice E
Ok, so I NEVER comment on posts, but I actually just HAD to say the biggest THANK YOU for this!!! Your writing is so clean and clear and helpful, you really helped me through this every step of the way! Thank you Brooke for your generosity of effort that you put into creating a resource that is so helpful to so many people…you took the anxiety out of this whole process. Hope the Sydney smoke clears soon, sending a high-five from Melbs! xx Alice
brooke brisbine
Alice EThank you SO MUCH for the lovely message, Alice!
I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, it makes me so happy to know that people are finding these posts helpful 🙂
Best of luck with everything!
-Brooke
Nafsika
Hi Brooke
Me and my partner applied for the partner visa at the beginning of August. We are planning on going on a trip to Korea in July so i can finally meet his family. Do you think that will be a good reason to get the BVB granted?
I’m also curious about something else. I am the sponsor. Do i also have limitations when it comes to leaving the country? I was considering spending some time in Korea for studying and i don’t know if i’m allowed. Until now i thought that since my partner can’t leave the country i can’t either but it doesn’t make sense.
Waiting for your reply
Thanks~
brooke brisbine
NafsikaHi Nafsika,
As you know, I don’t work for Home Affairs, so please take this advice with a grain of salt… but based on my experience and everything I’ve heard, going to meet your partner’s family is a MORE than adequate reason for them get a BVB. I had one granted for a 2.5 month holiday! They aren’t too strict about reason for travel these days, it would seem, so I wouldn’t worry at all.
You absolutely can leave the country while sponsoring someone, but I think your CO might question why you are spending so much time apart during the visa process.
-Brooke
Nafsika
brooke brisbineThanks for your reply. I thought that meeting the family would be a good reason as well
I would ask someone to make sure before I make any actual plans but I’m not sure who. Since its still early for a case manager to contact us I don’t know exactly how I can ask. I had this opportunity to study abroad for a while but I wanted to make sure before anything that I can spend that much time apart. Maybe going to the immigration office?
brooke brisbine
NafsikaHi Nafsika,
Just give Home Affairs a call and ask them. The number is 131 881.
-Brooke
Sam
brooke brisbineHi I have applied my BVB on 7 January and still didn’t hear anything. Can you please tell me how long time they r taking?
brooke brisbine
SamHi Sam,
It’s different in every case, but I’ve applied for 2 different BVBs and both were issued within a couple days.
Hope yours has come through by now!
-Brooke
Anonymous
SamWhen did you get your BVB then?
Maha
SamWhen did you get your BVB?
Shruti
Hi Brooke,
I had my partner visa filed through an agent. Can I file my own bridging visa b?
Thanks in advance
Shru
brooke brisbine
ShrutiHi Shru, as long as you have access to your online Immi account, you should be able to file your own BVB.
-Brooke
Alicia
I just realise that after I bought my air ticket my passport is going to expire. I need to apply for bridging visa B to leave the country and am wondering is my visa attached to my current passport? if it is, can I apply for my bridging visa B and renew my passport in Malaysia and can I come back to Australia with my new passport? Please advice me.
brooke brisbine
AliciaHi Alicia,
This sounds like a slightly tricky situation, so I’d definitely advise reaching out to Home Affairs and asking them directly what you should do (if you haven’t already).
Best of luck with everything!
-Brooke
Elizabeth Mccondichie
Hi Brooke,
I booked a family cruise which goes to PACIFIC ISLANDS. Now realise my daughter in law will need to apply for a BVB for this holiday. Do you think a family holiday is a good enough reason? Thanks, Elizabeth
brooke brisbine
Elizabeth MccondichieHi Elizabeth,
I can’t speak for every situation, but I personally got a BVB for a holiday and know many other people who also have. I think it should be fine 🙂
-Brooke
Suzy
Hi Brooke, many thanks for your full website, you have helped me a great deal along the way! I was wondering if you had any idea in regard to the ‘proposed travel date’. There is a possibility I may go home next month, but it could potentially be postponed for a further month. Is it mandatory I must leave Australia on the ‘proposed travel date’ I enter on the application? I was going to request a travel period of 12 months because I have several plans to go to several different places with my partner next year so I am hoping I can leave whenever I like during the travel period, but of course return before they advise. Hope this makes sense. Suzy x
brooke brisbine
SuzyHi Suzy,
You don’t have to leave on the proposed travel date, anytime on or after it is fine (and returning before the travel period ends, obviously). They will usually grant you a pretty decent window.
As for 12mo, I’d be a bit surprised if they will give you that long of a BVB just for travel. The whole idea of applying for travel permission is to make sure your application isn’t going to be approved while you’re away, in which case you’d have to illegally re-enter Australia (since you’re supposed to be here when it’s granted). It would be pretty hard for them to say that your application DEFINITELY won’t be approved in the next year since that’s such a long window of time. But you may as well ask for it, no harm in trying! It’s VERY annoying having to apply and pay for a new BVB constantly… so let me know how you go, I’m curious to hear!
Best of luck 🙂
-Brooke
Alina
Hi Brooke! Super helpful article – thanks a bunch for the info! I’m in a bit of a dilemma – I don’t permanently live in AU yet and am only going there for my wedding in Jan, I’ve read that I can apply for a BVB while on a substantive visa – does that mean I can apply for a BVB while on a Prospective Marriage visa while in AU, go back to my country and come back to AU to lodge my application for the 820 before the PMV expires (10th Feb)? Or can I only lodge a BVB when I lodge the 820? I’m only finding out if I can do it this way due to time limitations as my aussie partner and I still work in Europe and I have to be back at work by Feb 20th.
I appreciate any advice!
P.S. Apologies if this sounds confusing, I’m in a confusing situation 🙂
brooke brisbine
AlinaHi Alina,
I don’t have any personal experience with PMVs.. But I do know that the PMV is an offshore visa, so you need to be out of the country when you apply and when it’s granted. Once it is approved, you can travel in and out of Australia as much as you want, so there’s no need for a BVB if you want to go back to Europe for a couple months to work! Once you apply for the 820 onshore, though, you’ll go onto a BVA for 1-1.5yrs and if you want to travel outside Aus during THIS time, then you will need to apply for a BVB.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Skye
brooke brisbineHi Brooke
I really appreciate this article , my partner is applying for 820 & we have booked a bali holiday for this August. I just got off the phone to an immigration solicitor and she said she doubts they will grant us a Bridging B for
Just a family holiday and that it needed to be more compelling like a family member dying. I have been crying my eyes out as we have been waiting for this visa for 19 months now and desperately need an overseas holiday.
This gives me hope that we will be ok.
brooke brisbine
SkyeHi Skye,
I’m not totally sure why the solicitor would have told you that– as you can see from all the comments on this post, people are getting BVBs granted for just about every reason these days. My 3-month trip to South America (the majority of which was without my partner) was approved within 2 days.
I actually need to update the post, as I applied for a second BVB a few months ago (for another overseas trip) and got granted 12 months, multiple entries. Of course every situation is different and I can’t say 100% that your experience will be the same, but everyone I’ve ever spoken to about BVBs has gotten their holidays approved. So don’t stress TOO much, hopefully you’ll be relaxing in Bali soon 🙂
-Brooke
Rajat Patel
Thank You Brooke for this very helpful information
As i also have BVA and wish to travel my home country as my 485 is still in process, i want to apply for a BVB and i want stay for upto 2 months. I am going to celebrate my first anniversary and for my cousin marriage and for holiday . Can you please help me to write the purpose of travel so they can grant me the BVB for 2 months. Thank you.
brooke brisbine
Rajat PatelHi Rajat, happy to hear this info has been helpful!
I can’t write the “purpose of travel” for you, but just explain the reasons you’re hoping to travel and provide adequate evidence (such as an invitation to your cousin’s wedding).
Good luck!
-Brooke
jay
Hi Brooke,
I am on BVA with full working rights,if I apply for BVB to travel . Upon getting BVB will i have full working rights like BVA?
Regards
JAY
brooke brisbine
jayHi Jay,
Yes, the BVB has all the same conditions as your BVA, just with the added travel permission. So you will still be able to work, no stress!
-Brooke
steve
brooke brisbinethank you for that info i wanted to ask also how about our Medicare if we change to BVA and come back to AU we do not lose our Medicare ?
brooke brisbine
steveHi Steve,
As long as you (or your partner) holds a valid bridging visa, regardless of whether it’s BVA or BVB, you are still eligible for medicare.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Ben
Thank you so much for providing this info and the 820 application info! You are wonderful!!!
brooke brisbine
BenThanks for the lovely comment, Ben, so happy to hear these posts were helpful!
-Brooke
wen
Love your blog! It has been very helpful to me! I was just doing research on applying bridging b visa, however if I did not have my flights or hotel booked when I apply the bridging b visa, would it be considered as lack of evidence? From what know, most people would have already had their flights or hotel booked when they applied and most of the time, they get their bridging b visa granted? So I would like to ask you, is it best to have my flights and hotel booked? But I worry what if it wont be granted then I will waste on the flights and hotels…. Thanks so much in advance..!
brooke brisbine
wenHi Wen, thanks so much for the lovely words 🙂
You’re right that flights and hotel can be useful evidence for the BVB, but it’s not an outright requirement, so it’s up to you whether you want to book things in advance and take the risk. What I can say is that I haven’t heard of someone NOT getting a BVB on any of the dozens and dozens of forum posts I read or from any of my other expat friends. It seems to be that pretty much any legit reason for travel is good enough these days!
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Meg
Hi Brooke.
Your article was so helpful for my partner to apply for his bridging visa.
1 question … underneath the submitted dateFor the bridging visa it says uncompleted but it’s the date before it says applied. So applied on the 3rd October and underneath it says uncompleted 2nd October. Is this saying it’s not applied??? I’m a bit confused. Hopefully u can answer my question!!
brooke brisbine
MegHi Meg,
I’m not totally sure what’s happening there… are you able to click through the application and see if you can submit it again?
Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but good luck!
-Brooke
Tiza
Can I please know when is you partner visa submitted and how far is your request from date submitted to BVB request? Thanks so much. Your article so helpful
brooke brisbine
TizaHi Tiza,
I submitted my partner visa in December 2018 and I applied for a BVB in July 2019. You should be able to apply for a BVB anytime after lodging the application.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Junior Johnson
Thanks alot for the informations and how to deal with applications ,it helps me alot but I want you to help me out with my application so I just drop my email, hope to here from you. Thanks
brooke brisbine
Junior JohnsonHi Junior, great to hear these posts have been helping!
I will certainly try my best to answer any questions, just let me know specifically what you’re wondering about.
-Brooke
Dean Logan
Hey Brooke,
This is a wonderful insight and have given me some much needed knowledge.
It’s a very stressful process which I am trying to get my head around so advice like this is much appreciated.
I have a BVB query that I am wondering you can possibly help with.
I plan on applying for BVB while I’m still on my tourist visa (after applying for partner visa in the next couple of weeks or so)
My tourist visa expires 17th December (after my first 3 months in Aus).
I also have return flights booked back to the U.K. for this date.
Will I need to rebook for the 18th in order for bvb to be activated? Even if I’ve got proof of flights?
I would hate to leave the country with out activating the bridging visa B, and then need to do 3 months on a tourist again when we return without working rights
Hope this makes sense!
Your help is much appreciated
Cheers
brooke brisbine
Dean LoganHi Dean, so glad you have found the post helpful!
If I understand your question, your tourist visa expires on the 17th (so your BVA comes into effect on the 18th), but you were planning to leave Aus on the 17th to go back to the UK. Obviously you need to be on the BVA to be granted a BVB, hence the problem…
I have to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to do in this situation! I wish I could give you the answer, but I think it’s best to just give Home Affairs a call and see what they say (the number is 131 881). I’d also love it if you would come back and let us know what they say, just in case any other readers have a similar question in the future!
Best of luck with everything 🙂
-Brooke
Sash
Thank you. Well written article with good information.
brooke brisbine
SashYou’re so welcome, Sash, thank you for the kind words!
-Brooke
Joshua
Hi Brooke,
Does BVB visa allow kids to study at primary school or high school ?
Do I have to pay ? or Free ?
This is my key issue and need to confirm before apply BVB.
Thanks
brooke brisbine
JoshuaHi Joshua,
BVB just provides travel permissions for someone already on a BVA, and it is my understanding that most BVAs include study rights (mine did). Now, I don’t know how it works with primary school, but I assume that study rights are not limited to tertiary institutions and that any study in Australia would be covered.
A BVA is automatically issued after you (or your partner) applies for the 820/801 visa, but if you need to apply for a BVB, there is a cost associated ($155 last I checked).
Hope this helps!
-Brooke
Vincent
Hi Brooke!
Thank you very much for the guidance!
I just wanted to ask you something to get something off my chest…after submitting and paying for the BVB, when i try to find the documents I submitted, I am not able to see anything (used BPAY). Only the part about permission and awaiting payment I can see…
Is this how yours was? or you could see what documents you attached just like for BVA.
Please let me know! Thanks
brooke brisbine
VincentHi Vincent,
If I understand your question correctly, you already uploaded documents for the BVB application but you can’t see them now? I believe I could still see my documents after the initial upload.. I’m not sure what to tell you!
Hopefully everything is being processed and it will be all good, but you can always call Home Affairs just in case.
-Brooke
Vanessa Cowdery
Hi jade did they give you the bvb right away?same of my case I need to go home this coming Friday and I applied bob today coz my dad passed away hope I get a good news tomorrow in this situation immigration will understand?im bit worried
brooke brisbine
Vanessa CowderyI hope everything worked out for you to go home, Vanessa! So sorry to hear about your father.
-Brooke
Mary Roxan Mejares
Vanessa CowderyHi Brooke good afternoon there to you.I just want to clear things or a question part of applying a BVB as of the moment im holding a BVA in Australia.What do i want to ask or for making clarification at the very first part of your personal details on the application form it asks there about the receipt of your last visa application made (and my last visa application made aside from my 461 subtantive visa is the tourist visa)is that the one i’ll gonna put on the very first part of the question on the personal details on the form?thanks Xanne
brooke brisbine
Mary Roxan MejaresHi Xanne,
I believe that question is asking about your substantive visa, not a tourist visa you had in the past.
Hope that helps!
-Brooke
Suresh
Mary Roxan MejaresI’m also apply bvb but Monday my flight very emergency situation
Jade
Just wanted to say thank you for this. We booked a trip and didn’t realise my daughter needed to apply for a BVB. Just put the application in Monday morning and we leave Friday. Nail biting
brooke brisbine
JadeHi Jade,
You are so welcome! I hope the BVB came through quickly for your daughter and that you all enjoy your trip 🙂
-Brooke