Training manual · Australia · Bridging

Bridging visa B (BVB) (subclass 020)

BVA holders who need to travel outside Australia and return while their substantive visa is pending.

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 substantive visa - it adds travel rights to your bridging situation.

Visa typeBridging

LodgementOnshore

StayA specified travel period

Work rightsAs per your conditions

Study rightsUsually yes

Government charge~$190

Processing time~days

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 020 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Confirm the travel need
BVA holder with a genuine reason to travel while the substantive application is pending.
Apply before booking
Apply with the travel reason and dates; get the BVB grant before the client buys non-refundable tickets.
Brief on the window
The client must return within the specified travel period or they are offshore with a pending onshore application - a serious problem.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 020 is viable.

Currently hold a Bridging visa A (or eligible bridging situation)A genuine reason to travel and returnYour substantive application still pending

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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 DepartmentEvidence of the travel reason and datesThe pending substantive application reference

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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)	~$190
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: Currently hold a Bridging visa A (or eligible bridging situation)Confirm: A genuine reason to travel and returnConfirm: Your substantive application still pending

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 020 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Isabella from Mexico

Background: Isabella, an onshore partner-visa applicant from Mexico. BVA holders who need to travel outside Australia and return while their substantive visa is pending.
Why it qualified: (1) Currently hold a Bridging visa A (or eligible bridging situation). (2) A genuine reason to travel and return. (3) Your substantive application still pending.
What made the file strong: Dates, names and figures matched across every document - no internal inconsistencies to trigger checks.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~days).

Grant: Wei from Egypt

Background: Wei, a graduate whose visa expired from Egypt. BVA holders who need to travel outside Australia and return while their substantive visa is pending.
Why it qualified: (1) Currently hold a Bridging visa A (or eligible bridging situation). (2) A genuine reason to travel and return. (3) Your substantive application still pending.
What made the file strong: Every claim was evidenced before lodgement - nothing was left 'to follow'.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~days).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

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

Refusal: Elif from Brazil

Background: Elif, a skilled-visa applicant from Brazil, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 020.
What went wrong: Travelling past the BVB travel period
Outcome: The refusal went to review: another year, more cost, and no certainty the outcome changes.
Lesson for the agent: Front-load the file - address the weakness squarely in a submission instead of hoping the case officer will not notice.

Refusal: Kwame from South Africa

Background: Kwame, a former student-visa holder from South Africa, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 020.
What went wrong: Applying too late before departure
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.

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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