An Australian bridging visa is a temporary visa that allows for non–Australian citizens to remain lawfully in Australia where they do not hold any other visa, or their visa either has or is about to expire. Australia bridging visas are only available in certain circumstances.

The circumstances whereby an Australia bridging visa may be granted include when someone:

• Is making arrangements, or is the subject of arrangements to depart Australia.
• Has made a visa application that has not yet been decided.
• Has applied for either a merits review or a judicial review of a refusal to grant a substantive visa
• Has applied for a merits review or a judicial review of the cancellation of a visa or a decision not to revoke a cancellation.
• Has applied to have an automatic student visa cancellation revoked
• Is awaiting a decision regarding ministerial intervention powers
• Is in criminal detention

It is very important to apply for Australian bridging visas promptly as if you remain in Australia without a valid visa you will be seen to have violated Australian law. This means that you are unlikely to be approved for any other type of visa in the future. The Australian bridging visa was developed to prevent people from becoming unlawful in certain circumstances. There are 5 types of Australia bridging visa that allow varying lengths of stay and conditions for different situations. For more information please follow this link on types of Australian bridging visa.

Due to the nature of Australia bridging visas they can only be applied for whilst in Australia. You must be able to provide them with a residential address in Australia to be eligible to apply. All applications for Australia must be lodged directly with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural affairs in Australia. As a result Australian Travel Visa's Ltd is unable to act as an agent. All information on Australian bridging Visas is provided for your information only. However, if you do have any questions please feel free to contact us on 0845 045 5525 or by email at migration@australiantravelvisas.co.uk and one of our visa experts will be happy to help.