Subclass (050) · Bridging and other visas · Stream of Bridging visa E (BVE)
Bridging visa E (BVE)
A Bridging Visa E may provide lawful stay while a person resolves their immigration status, arranges departure or pursues an eligible process. The duration and conditions depend on the case. It does not provide a right to return after departure.
This visa lets you stay lawfully in Australia while you make arrangements to leave, finalise your immigration matter or wait for an immigration decision.
- Stay
Temporarily
- Government charge
- There is no fee for a BVE application.
- Visa type
Bridging
Official information from the Department of Home Affairs
The material below reproduces English-language information from the Department of Home Affairs about this visa. Requirements may have changed since it was added to this website. Use the source link to check the latest information; I can explain relevant provisions in Vietnamese or English during a consultation.
Overview
Stay
Temporarily
Government charge
There is no fee for a BVE application.Processing times
For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
With this visa you can
- stay in Australia lawfully while you finalise your immigration matter or make arrangements to leave Australia
You must
- comply with all Australian laws
- be in Australia when the application is lodged and in order to be granted this visa, you must be in Australia when a decision is made.
Help with your visa
If you are getting help with your visa, before you pay someone, read information on Who can help with your visa application.
About this visa
Types of bridging visas
You can stay in Australia lawfully while you finalise your immigration matter or make arrangements to leave Australia.
There are two types of BVEs:
- Bridging (General) visa (subclass 050) - generally if you are currently unlawful, the holder of a BVE 050 or the holder of a BVD 041
- Bridging (Protection Visa Applicant) visa (subclass 051) - used in limited situations to allow certain eligible non-citizens (as specified by the Regulations) to remain lawfully in Australia while their protection visa application is being finalised
With this visa you can
You can stay in Australia if:
- you are making arrangements to leave Australia
- you are applying for a substantive visa
- you are seeking merits or judicial review of a visa decision or citizenship decision
- you are seeking ministerial intervention
You must be an unlawful non-citizen, the holder of a BVE (subclass 050) or the holder of a Bridging D visa (BVD) (subclass 041) when you apply for this visa.
Working in Australia while you hold a BVE
Your grant letter will tell you if you are allowed to work. If you work when you are not allowed to, we can cancel your BVE and detain you. You could also be removed from Australia.
If you are not allowed to work, there are only some situations where you might be able to apply for a new BVE that does allow you to work. For example, you might be in financial hardship if you cannot pay for the reasonable cost of your living expenses.
We will assess your situation to see if you meet the requirements. If you do not meet the requirements we will not grant you a new BVE that allows you to work.
There are different requirements, depending on whether you have applied for judicial review or ministerial intervention. There are also special rules for when protection visa applicants are allowed to work.
How long you can stay
This visa is valid until a specified date, or for a particular time period, or a specified event happens.
Your BVE will also end if:
- you leave Australia
- we grant you a substantive visa
- your BVE is cancelled
Stay longer
You cannot stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. If you are unable depart Australia or resolve your immigration matter by a specified time or event, you will need to apply for a new BVE or explore other visa options.
If you are unsure about your options or need help to resolve your immigration status, you can seek assistance from the Status Resolution Service and Meet with us.
If you are unable to depart due to financial hardship, you can access help. Find out more at Help to leave Australia.
Cost
There is no fee for a BVE application.
Apply from
You and anyone included in your application must be in Australia when the BVE application is lodged and in order to be granted the BVE, you and anyone else included in your application will need to be in Australia when the decision is made.
Processing times
For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
Your application can take longer to process if:
- you do not fill it in correctly
- you do not include all the documents we need or we need more information from you
- it takes us time to verify your information
Your obligations
You and anyone included in your application must:
- comply with all Australian laws
- be in Australia when the application is lodged and granted
Travel
A BVE allows you to stay in Australia lawfully for a short time. It will end immediately if you leave Australia. You will not be able to return unless you have another substantive visa.
A substantive visa is any visa that is not a bridging visa or a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
Eligibility
You must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to be eligible for this visa under the Temporary Residence Transition stream. Answer the questions below to see if you meet them, and which requirements that apply to you.Be an unlawful non-citizen or hold a BVE (subclass 050) or hold a BVD (subclass 041)
You must be an unlawful non-citizen, the holder of a BVE (subclass 050) or the holder of a Bridging visa D (BVD) (subclass 041), when you apply for this visa, and 1 of the following must apply to you:
Be making arrangements to leave Australia
You must be making arrangements to depart Australia.
Be applying for a substantive visa
You must be applying for a substantive visa.
Be applying for merits or a judicial review
You must be seeking merits or judicial review of a visa decision or citizenship decision, or be seeking ministerial intervention.
Age
You can be any age to apply for this visa. If you are under 18 years of age please apply on an application with your parent/guardian.
Meet character requirement
You must meet our character requirement.
We might also ask that other family members meet the requirement.
Previously refused application or a cancelled visa
How to apply
You must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to be eligible for this visa under the Temporary Residence Transition stream. Answer the questions below to see if you meet them, and which requirements that apply to you.1Before you apply
A BVE application cannot be made in anticipation of becoming unlawful. You must be an unlawful non-citizen, BVE holder or BVD holder. If your substantive visa is still in effect, look at other visa options first and only apply for a BVE once your substantive visa has expired.
In some cases, when you make a valid application for a substantive visa in Australia, you will also have applied for a BVE. We will tell you if this happens. In this case, you do not need to lodge a separate application.
You should read about this visa, understand what it lets you do and the eligibility criteria first.
Get help with your application
Only some people can help you with your application. If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance they must be:
You can appoint anyone to receive documents on your behalf relating to your visa matter.
2Gather your documents
Gather the documents you need for your application.
Provide accurate documents
Provide accurate information. See what happens if you cannot prove your identity or do not provide true information.
Identity documents
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
- proof of change of name
Documents that prove a change of name include:
- a marriage or divorce certificate
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
- documents that show other names you have been known by
Supporting documents
Provide documents to support your application for the visa.
Include details of any immigration matters you are awaiting the outcome of, including:
- visa applications
- merit review proceedings
- judicial review proceedings
- ministerial intervention requests
Or, if you are applying for the visa because you are arranging your departure from Australia, provide details of:
- when you intend to leave
- where you are going
- your current passport or other travel document
- your ticket
Character documents
We will tell you if and when you need to get a police certificate.
Tell us you are getting help
To nominate someone to:
- receive your correspondence, use Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient
- provide immigration assistance, use Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.
Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount if you applied online, or send with your paper application.
Prepare your documents
Translate
Have all non-English documents translated into English.
Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited. But on each translation, they must include their:
- full name
- address and telephone number
- qualifications and experience in the language they are translating
These details must be in English.
Note: You do not need to have any documents certified.
Scan or photograph
Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour.
The scans and photos must be clear.
If a document is more than 1 page, save it all as 1 file.
Keep
Keep a copy of your completed application.
3Apply for the visa
The preferred method is to apply online.
Apply online
You and anyone included in your application must be in Australia when you lodge the BVE application.
You can apply for a BVE if you do not already have an undecided BVE application.
Provide accurate information
Provide accurate information. See what happens if you cannot prove your identity or do not provide true information.
Apply on paper
Complete Form 1008 Application for Bridging visa E - subclass 050.
Send your paper application by post to the Australian Visa and Citizenship Office nearest to you, as you might need to attend an interview as part of the application process.
4After you apply
See what you can and must do after you apply.
What will happen after you apply
We will let you know when we have received your application and documents.
Status updates
We can't give updates on applications.
Wait for us to contact you.
Travel
A BVE lets you temporarily stay in Australia. It will end when you leave Australia. If you travel outside Australia after you apply for a BVE, you need a visa to return.
But, in order to be granted this visa, you and anyone included in your application must be in Australia when we make a decision.
Learn about visa expiry.
Health exams
We will let you know if you need health examinations.
Biometrics
We might ask for biometrics (fingerprints and photo). We will let you know if you need to provide them.
Attach more information
If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as possible in ImmiAccount.
If you applied on paper, send the documents to the office where you lodged the application.
We might also ask you to provide more information.
Mistakes on your application
Let us know as soon as you can if you made a mistake on your application.
Help with your application
Let us know if you no longer want someone to:
- receive your correspondence - complete Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient
- provide immigration advice - complete Form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.
Upload your written notification or your forms to ImmiAccount if you applied online, or send to the office where you submitted your application.
For more information see Who can help you with your application.
Tell us if things change
Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:
- changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
- the birth of a child
- you want to withdraw your application
See how to tell us if your situation changes.
5Visa outcome
We will tell you when we make a decision about your visa application in writing.
In order to be granted a BVE, you and anyone included in your application must be in Australia when we make a decision.
We will let you know in writing our decision about your visa application. If we grant you a BVE, the notification letter will tell you:
- your visa grant number
- the date your visa starts
- your visa conditions
Keep a copy of the letter with you when in Australia.
If we refuse your visa, we will let you know in writing. We will tell you:
- why it was refused
- whether you have a right to a review of the decision
When you have this visa
In Australia
What you can do when you have this visa
- stay lawfully in Australia until a decision is made on your substantive visa application
To see your specific conditions use VEVO.
What you must do on this visa (your obligations)
- comply with all Australian laws
- comply with all conditions (if any) on this visa
Tell us if things change
Things you need to let us know about include:
- changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
- you want to withdraw your application
See how to let us know if there is a change in your situation.
Leaving Australia
Before you leave
Check your travel documents
You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.
At the Border
Leaving the airport faster
We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.
After you leave
International Movement Record
Request your international movement records to get proof of your travel in and out of Australia.
All streams of the Bridging visa E (BVE)
Official source: Department of Home Affairs, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. © Commonwealth of Australia. Refer to the source website for its copyright and conditions of use.
Open the official page
Next step
Have a visa question or need help getting started?
A 30-minute consultation gives us time to discuss your circumstances, consider initial options and identify the documents that need checking. Some matters require a further review of the records before I can give a complete assessment.