Training manual · Australia · Bridging

Bridging visa A (BVA) (subclass 010)

People who applied for a new substantive visa while holding one - keeps them lawful while it is decided.

BridgingBridgingOnshore

Overview Process flow Eligibility checklist Document checklist Cost checklist Qualification checklist Eligible cases Refusal cases Self-exam

1. Overview

Know these facts cold before the first client conversation - they are also what the exam below tests. Not a visa you apply for on its own - it bridges you to your substantive visa decision.

Visa typeBridging

LodgementOnshore

StayUntil the substantive application is decided (plus wind-up)

Work rightsConditions follow your application / previous visa

Study rightsUsually yes

Government chargeFree (granted with the substantive application)

Processing timeGranted with the substantive application

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 010 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Explain what the BVA is
Granted automatically with a valid onshore substantive application - it keeps the client lawful while the application is decided. It is not applied for separately.
Check the conditions
Work and study conditions usually follow the previous visa or the application - verify, never assume.
Brief on travel
A BVA has no travel facility. If the client leaves Australia on it, they cannot return - they need a BVB first.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 010 is viable.

Applied for a new substantive visa onshore while holding a substantive visaThe substantive application is still being decidedUsually granted automatically with that application

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4. Document checklist

The lodgement pack. Aim for decision-ready: a case officer should be able to grant without asking for anything further.

Valid passport biodata page for every applicant - check expiry against expected processing timeCertified identity documents: birth certificate, national ID, any change-of-name evidencePolice certificates for every country the client lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since turning 16)Health examinations with an approved panel physician when requested (record the HAP ID)Form 956 appointing you as the registered agent, signed before you deal with the DepartmentThe substantive application acknowledgement it was granted withCurrent conditions printout (VEVO) - verify work rights rather than assume

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5. Cost checklist

Quote the full stack, in writing, before the client signs. Surprise costs are the fastest way to lose a client's trust (and earn a complaint).

Item	Indicative amount
Base visa application charge (2025-26, indicative)	Free (granted with the substantive application)
Usually no separate charge (BVB excepted)	The BVB charge is ~$190
Your professional fee	Per your agency's schedule - quote in writing before Form 956
Rule of thumb	Government charges usually change every 1 July - re-quote any file that lodges after 30 June

6. Qualification checklist

Run this in the first consultation, before taking a retainer. It screens the client, not the visa: history, hard stops and honesty come first.

Full visa history for every applicant: refusals, cancellations and overstays anywhere in the world - undisclosed history is a PIC 4020 problem that surfaces at the worst timeIf onshore: what visa they hold now, its expiry, any 8503/8534 'no further stay' condition, and any section 48 bar from a refusalHealth: significant medical conditions in the family unit (for permanent visas the health requirement can apply to non-migrating dependants too)Character: criminal history anywhere, ever - a substantial criminal record is a hard stopIdentity: names and dates consistent across every document the client holdsMoney: the client understands the full cost stack and your fee before signing anythingConfirm: Applied for a new substantive visa onshore while holding a substantive visaConfirm: The substantive application is still being decidedConfirm: Usually granted automatically with that application

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 010 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Amir from Colombia

Background: Amir, an onshore partner-visa applicant from Colombia. People who applied for a new substantive visa while holding one - keeps them lawful while it is decided.
Why it qualified: (1) Applied for a new substantive visa onshore while holding a substantive visa. (2) The substantive application is still being decided. (3) Usually granted automatically with that application.
What made the file strong: Every claim was evidenced before lodgement - nothing was left 'to follow'.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (Granted with the substantive application).

Grant: Ngoc from Iran

Background: Ngoc, a graduate whose visa expired from Iran. People who applied for a new substantive visa while holding one - keeps them lawful while it is decided.
Why it qualified: (1) Applied for a new substantive visa onshore while holding a substantive visa. (2) The substantive application is still being decided. (3) Usually granted automatically with that application.
What made the file strong: The file opened with a short submission mapping each criterion to its evidence, so the case officer never had to hunt.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (Granted with the substantive application).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

The same visa, handled badly. Every one of these failure modes is screenable at the first consultation.

Refusal: Omar from Sri Lanka

Background: Omar, a skilled-visa applicant from Sri Lanka, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 010.
What went wrong: Leaving Australia on a BVA without a BVB (it won't let you return)
Outcome: The application was refused, and the refusal must now be declared on every future application, for any country.
Lesson for the agent: Screen for this at the first consultation, before money changes hands. It is cheaper to delay a lodgement than to fight a refusal.

Refusal: Priya from India

Background: Priya, a former student-visa holder from India, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 010.
What went wrong: Assuming work rights without checking your conditions
Outcome: The Department refused; the client lost the application charge, months of lead time, and in this subclass a refusal also complicates any onshore follow-up.
Lesson for the agent: Put this issue on the document checklist on day one and refuse to lodge until it is closed out.

9. Self-exam

10 questions drawn from this manual. Pass mark 80%. Answers are graded on the server and your result is recorded against your agent profile - retakes are unlimited and your best score is kept. Log in to the agent portal first so your result is saved to My trainings.

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