---
title: Travelling on a Bridging Visa
description: Travelling on a Bridging Visa
---

[Articles - Migration Lawyer Melbourne | Agile Legal Consulting](https://www.agilelegal.com.au/blog)

# [Travelling on a Bridging Visa](https://www.agilelegal.com.au/blog/travelling-on-a-bridging-visa)

 Written by [backoffice](https://www.agilelegal.com.au/blog/author/backoffice) | 17/01/20 10:14 AM

An Australian bridging visa is a visa that bridges the gap between your old visa and your [next course of action](https://preview.hs-sites.com/services/immigration/personal-migration), whether that's a new visa or leaving the country. Like all visas, bridging visas come with restrictions. You might want to temporarily leave Australia while on a bridging visa, but are you allowed?

There are five types of bridging visas:

- Bridging Visa A (BVA)
- Bridging Visa B (BVB)
- Bridging Visa C (BVC)
- Bridging Visa D (BCD)
- Bridging Visa E (BVE)

Only one of these allows you to leave Australia and return on the same visa: Bridging Visa B. If you hold any other bridging visa, it will be cancelled upon your departure from Australia.

### BRIDGING VISA B

If you apply for a new substantive visa (i.e. not a bridging visa, criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) before your existing substantive visa expires, the you'll be granted a BVA. If you would like to travel out of Australia and avoid your BVA being cancelled while waiting for you substantive visa application to be processed, you will need to apply for a BVB.

To apply for a BVB, you need to:

- Be in Australia
- Already hold a BVA or BVB
- Have applied in Australia for a substantive visa that can be granted to you while you are in Australia
- Have good reasons for wanting to leave and return to Australia while your visa application is being processed
- Specify your travel dates when applying

Remember that:

- Generally, this visa is only valid for three months so after it is granted you will need to be back in Australia before the three months is up
- Due to the three month time limit, you should only apply for the BVB 2-3 weeks before you intend to travel
- The Department usually takes a few days to process the application

So make sure you have a Bridging Visa B (BVB) before you hop on a plane, otherwise you won't be allowed re-entry.

Visas can be a bit tricky and it can be a stressful trying to juggle travel and applications. We're experts in immigration law, so get in touch for some straight forward advice

[View full post](https://www.agilelegal.com.au/blog/travelling-on-a-bridging-visa)

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