Getting your spouse visa application submitted in Australia is only half the battle. The waiting times involved often stretch to months and years. Fortunately, there are bridging visas for onshore applicants to ensure that people have some secure legal status while awaiting a final decision.
The Australian government provides a bridging visa, which is a temporary permit that allows you to stay lawfully in Australia while a substantive visa application is being processed. If a partner visa application or spouse visa application is made from within Australia, the Department of Home Affairs will automatically issue a Bridging Visa A (BVA) when the primary visa application is received (before the substantive visa has expired)
The bridging visa doesn’t start until after the substantive visa has expired. The government won’t issue you two visas that run concurrently. However, it will automatically issue the bridging visa to prevent any gap in the person’s lawful stay in the country. This gives you an uninterrupted period of legal residence in Australia while your spouse or partner’s visa application is being processed.
Visa applicants’ primary concern is that they will be unable to work, study, and receive essential services while waiting for their final visa to be processed and granted. Bridging visas entitle visa applicants to certain rights depending on the type of bridging visa. The general rule with a BVA connected to a spouse visa application is that there are real and helpful benefits.
Full work rights are available to most people on a bridging visa in Australia who are in the process of waiting for a spouse or partner visa. This means you can take up employment and support yourself while you wait, giving a financial leg up during the sometimes extended waiting periods. It also gives work rights as part of integration with the country. This allows you to take part in Australian society as you await the processing of your main visa application.
Your partner can study on a bridging visa in Australia. This is also true for both student visas. It means that you can attend classes at a school or a tertiary education institution. Of course, you will not be eligible for the same government subsidies, such as HECS-HELP. It is best to get a clear answer from the Department of Education or the school provider about whether you will be required to pay full fees for your studies.
One of the most critical advantages of lodging an onshore, genuine and valid application for a spouse visa in Australia is being able to access Medicare as soon as the bridging visa comes into force. This usually means that you can enrol in the public health care system, saving a lot on health care and without the extra stress. This is particularly important for families and individuals with chronic medical conditions.
A Bridging Visa A does not permit you to leave Australia. If, however, you wish or need to travel overseas whilst your primary visa application is being processed, you will need to make an application as soon as possible for a Bridging Visa B (BVB). Bridging Visa B grants full travel rights, and you can leave and return to Australia during the prescribed period. This would need to be applied for before leaving the country, and you would not have the right to return to Australia without a Bridging Visa B.
If you are living on a bridging visa, it can be a little tricky. There are certain things you should know about how to spend your time, living legally and conveniently in Australia, as you wait for your partner or spouse visa application to be processed and hopefully approved.
For those who are lodging their partner or spouse visa application from within Australia, bridging visas are a critical component of the migration process. Bridging visas in Australia can allow an individual to live legally, work, study and access Medicare, which, as you can imagine, will enable the applicant to continue building their life in Australia.
However, it should be noted that, due to the complex conditions and sometimes confusing requirements of both bridging visas and the visa process as a whole, most couples leave it to the experts. Professional migration services in Australia, like Heenan & Browne Visa Migration Services, can make the process as seamless as possible for you. We have offices in key cities and offer personalised visa and citizenship options supported by registered migration agents. Trusted by many, we’re one of Australia’s most recommended agencies and can help with simple and complex migration matters.
