Am I Eligible for Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) After Lodging a Skilled or Employer PR Application? (2026)
How the Bridging visa A (Subclass 010) test applies after you lodge a 189, 190, 491 or 186 application in Australia.
If you lodged a subclass 189, 190, 491 or 186 application while you were in Australia, and you held a substantive visa at the moment you lodged it, you meet the substance of the Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) eligibility test — the live question is whether that PR application is still "not finally determined". According to the Department of Home Affairs' Bridging visa A (BVA) (Subclass 010) official page (as at August 2026), the common criteria are that you hold or have held a substantive visa, that you are in Australia when you apply, that you have made a valid application for a substantive visa which has not been finally determined, that any review was applied for within the prescribed timeframe, and that you meet the character requirement; the full criteria sit in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994. This is general information only, not advice about your own circumstances, so check the current official criteria or speak to a registered migration professional before relying on it.
What "not finally determined" means for a 189, 190, 491 or 186 application
A subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), 190 (Skilled Nominated), 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) or 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) application is an application for a substantive visa, not for a bridging visa, so it is the kind of application that can anchor a BVA. Clause 010.211(2) of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out three elements for a pending-application case: the applicant has made, in Australia, a valid application for a substantive visa of a kind that can be granted if the applicant is in Australia; that application has not been finally determined; and the applicant held a substantive visa at the time that application was made.
An application stops being "not finally determined" at identifiable points. The Department's page lists the outcomes that end the bridge: the substantive visa application is refused, a merits or judicial review is decided, you withdraw the substantive application or the review, or a merits review tribunal advises that it has no jurisdiction. Being granted the visa also ends it, because a BVA ceases immediately once the substantive visa you applied for is granted.
Two practical consequences follow for skilled and employer-sponsored applicants. First, a pending 186 or 491 application can keep a BVA alive for a long time, because nothing in the eligibility test turns on processing speed. Second, the clock does not run from the date of the decision letter alone — the BVA continues for a defined period afterwards, which is where the 35-day rule comes in.
Do you need a separate BVA application, or does it come with your PR application?
In most cases you do not apply separately. The Department states that nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and that it will tell you if this happens; you can confirm whether you already hold a BVA through VEVO. A separate BVA application may be necessary where:
- your substantive visa application did not also count as an application for a BVA;
- you were granted a BVA or a Bridging visa B (BVB) that has since ceased and you now meet the requirements for another BVA;
- you are seeking a further BVA without work restrictions;
- you have applied for judicial review.
If you do apply separately, you — and anyone included in the application — must be in Australia both when the BVA application is submitted and when it is granted. There is no visa application charge: the official page lists the cost as free.
When does the BVA actually take effect if you still hold a 482?
This is the point skilled and employer-sponsored applicants most often get wrong. A BVA can be granted while your current substantive visa is still running, but it comes "into effect" later. Per the Department's page, a BVA comes into effect when it is granted (if the substantive visa has already ceased, or if the BVA is more beneficial than your current bridging visa), when your current substantive visa ceases, or when another, more beneficial bridging visa ceases.
So for a subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) holder whose 186 application is pending, the usual pattern is: BVA granted, 482 continues, and the BVA only switches on when the 482 ceases. While you still hold the 482 you must keep complying with the 482 conditions; once it ceases, the BVA conditions apply. The same logic applies to a 500 or 485 holder waiting on a 189 or 190 outcome.
What conditions will the BVA carry, and can you work?
The Department's position is that you might be allowed to work depending on the conditions attached to your BVA, and that your grant letter tells you which conditions apply. If your BVA does not let you work, or restricts your work, you can apply for another BVA that does let you work; to be considered, you will usually have to demonstrate financial hardship. There is a hard limit: a new work-permitting BVA cannot be granted if your current BVA prevents or restricts work and either that BVA was granted because you applied for judicial review of the substantive visa decision, or you have applied for a protection visa.
For skilled and employer-sponsored applicants specifically, the Department's procedures guidance (PAM3) describes applicants in subclasses 189, 190, 489, 887, 491, 494, 186, 187, 188, 888, 132, 457 and 482 as being granted a BVA without conditions, while noting that where a former 457 or 482 visa carried condition 8107 or 8501, the BVA must carry the same condition. Treat that guidance as indicative of how conditions are set and confirm the current position against the official pages, because conditions are applied case by case and are recorded in VEVO.
When does the BVA end, and what happens after a refusal?
A BVA ends immediately if you leave Australia while it is in effect, if you are granted the substantive visa, if you are granted another bridging visa (such as a BVB) in relation to the same substantive visa application, or if the Department cancels either the BVA or the substantive visa you held when the BVA was granted.
Otherwise, for a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, the duration after an adverse outcome is fixed:
| Outcome | When your BVA ceases |
|---|---|
| Refusal decision, or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision on the associated substantive visa application | 35 calendar days after the decision |
| A determination that the substantive visa application or AAT review application is invalid | 35 calendar days after that determination |
| You withdraw the substantive visa application or the AAT review application | 35 calendar days after withdrawal |
| A judicial review body upholds the refusal decision | 28 calendar days after that decision |
| You withdraw a related judicial review application | 28 calendar days after withdrawal |
For a BVA granted before 19 November 2016, the official page specifies 28 days after the relevant notification, withdrawal or decision. Once you have been notified of an outcome, VEVO shows exactly how long you can remain.
Travel is the other hard edge. A BVA does not support return travel: if you leave Australia while it is in effect, it ceases on departure and you cannot return on it. If you need to travel and come back while the PR application is being processed, you must be granted a BVB before you leave.
What if your visa had already ceased when you lodged?
For the ordinary pending-application pathway, the requirement is that you held a substantive visa at the time the PR application was made. The general "hold or have held a substantive visa" wording on the official page is broader than that single limb, and the broader wording comes from other provisions in Schedule 2. If your last substantive visa had already ceased before you lodged, the pending-application limb is unlikely to be met and a different bridging visa — such as a Bridging visa C — may be the correct category. That is a fact-specific question and one to check against the current criteria rather than assume.
Family members are handled through the same substantive application. If you and your family applied together for the substantive visa in Australia, you may also have applied together for the BVA; if you apply for a BVA separately, you can include members of the family unit who are included in your substantive visa application, and the Department assesses each member individually and decides which bridging visa they can be granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the BVA granted automatically when I lodge a 189, 190, 491 or 186 application?
In most cases yes, because nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and the Department tells you if that happens. Confirm what you hold through VEVO rather than assuming. A separate application is only needed in the situations the official page lists, such as where the substantive application did not count as a BVA application or you are seeking a BVA without work restrictions.
I am on a 482 and the 186 nomination is in — do I need a BVA now?
You do not need it to stay lawful while the 482 is running, but a BVA granted alongside the 186 application is what keeps you lawful after the 482 ceases. The BVA comes into effect when your current substantive visa ceases, so your 482 conditions continue to apply until that point and the BVA conditions take over afterwards.
How long can I stay after my PR application is refused?
For a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or after an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision on the associated substantive visa application. Where a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or you withdraw a related judicial review application, the period is 28 calendar days. VEVO shows the exact date once you have been notified.
Can I travel overseas while my PR application is being processed?
Not on a BVA. A BVA does not support return travel and ceases as soon as you leave Australia while it is in effect. To travel and return during processing you must be granted a BVB before you depart.
Does the BVA cost anything, and can my partner and children be included?
The official page lists the cost as free. If you apply separately, you can include members of the family unit who are included in your substantive visa application; each member is assessed individually and may be granted a different bridging visa.
Are there age, health or character requirements?
You can be any age to apply. The Department's page states that you will need to meet the character requirement, and notes that the complete set of criteria is in Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994.