BVB applications for PR applicants in 2026: ImmiAccount vs webform depending on how you lodged

Your Bridging visa B channel in 2026 is set by how you lodged your substantive visa: ImmiAccount online, or webform Form 1006.

Published: 10 July 2026 Reading time 12 min

If you are waiting on an onshore permanent residence application and need to leave Australia and come back, the channel for your Bridging visa B (BVB) (subclass 020) is decided by a single fact: how you lodged that substantive visa. According to the Department of Home Affairs' Bridging visa B (BVB) (Subclass 020) official page (as at August 2026), you must apply for the BVB in the same way you applied for your substantive visa — through ImmiAccount if the permanent visa went in online, and by webform if it was lodged on a paper form, or if you have since applied for merits or judicial review of a decision on it.

This article sets out the published process requirements only; it is general information rather than advice on your own circumstances, and because channels and payment rules are updated from time to time, the official page as currently published should be treated as the authority before you lodge.

Which channel applies to you?

The rule the department states is a matching rule, not a preference. Your BVB follows your substantive visa application.

How you lodged the substantive (permanent) visa	Channel for the BVB
Through ImmiAccount, and no decision has been made yet	ImmiAccount: log in, attach documents, pay the visa application charge
By paper form	Webform: pay the visa application charge first, then complete and submit Form 1006 with the receipt details
You have applied for merits or judicial review of the decision	Webform: pay the visa application charge first, then complete and submit Form 1006 with the receipt details

Most onshore permanent visa applications are lodged through ImmiAccount, so for most readers the answer is simply: stay in ImmiAccount. The webform exists for the two situations the department carves out — a paper-lodged substantive application, and a substantive application that has moved into review.

One practical point follows from the same rule: if you later need to correct something or appoint someone, the department directs you back to the channel you used. Written notification and Forms 956 and 956A are uploaded to ImmiAccount if you applied online, and sent to the office assessing your application if you applied on paper.

What if my PR application is now in review?

Review changes the channel even if the original application was lodged online. If you have applied for a review of a decision about your substantive visa application, the BVB must be submitted by webform, and the same applies where the matter has reached judicial review — in that case the department states you can only apply for a bridging visa by webform.

There is a second consequence worth planning around. Where a merits review tribunal upholds the refusal of your substantive visa and you then apply for judicial review, you must apply for a new bridging visa to maintain lawful status during those proceedings. A separate BVB application is also needed where you have applied for judicial review and wish to travel; the visa you held for the merits review stage does not simply carry over. The department also notes that conditions cannot be changed on a bridging visa granted on the basis of a judicial review application.

What makes a webform BVB application valid?

Two steps, in order. You pay the visa application charge first, and then you complete and submit Form 1006 through the webform with the receipt details entered on the application form. The department states the receipt details are required to make a valid BVB application, so a form submitted without them is open to being treated as invalid rather than as a minor omission.

The same page notes that concessions apply in limited circumstances, and that from 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, identified by the valid passport used in the application; where the lower cost is not recognised at lodgement, the department says it will refund any difference. No figures are set out here because the amount payable is set by the department and changes over time — check the charge shown against the BVB before you pay.

When should I lodge, and where do I have to be?

Timing is bounded at both ends. You should apply no more than three months, and not less than two weeks, before the date on which you want to travel. Applying too early creates a different problem: some visas can only be granted while you are in Australia, and if you apply too far ahead it can be difficult for the department to assess whether your substantive visa will be ready for decision.

Location matters at two separate moments. You, and anyone included in the application, must be in Australia when you lodge, and you must be in Australia when the decision is made. A BVB cannot be granted to someone who has already left.

What documents do I need to have ready?

For identity, provide colour copies of the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates. Also provide a national identity card if you have one, and proof of change of name if relevant — a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the relevant overseas authority, or documents showing other names you have been known by.

How you attach them depends on the channel. If you apply through ImmiAccount and did not attach everything at lodgement, attach the outstanding documents as soon as possible. If you apply by webform, all documents must be attached before you submit, including the passport colour copies for every applicant included.

Can my family be included in the one BVB?

Yes, if they are members of the family unit and applied with you for the substantive visa in Australia. You complete one application form and pay one visa application charge, but each family member must meet the requirements for a BVB in their own right.

The department adds a filter on who should actually be included: only include family members who have substantial reasons for needing to leave Australia. Family members who do not need to travel can remain in Australia on their current bridging visas.

What happens after I lodge?

The department confirms receipt of the application and documents, and states that it does not give updates on processing times — you wait to be contacted. If you made a mistake on the application, tell the department as soon as you can using Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers.

Travel only becomes safe once the visa is granted. To be able to return to Australia, the BVB must be granted before you leave, and the travel facility runs to a specified date. If you are outside Australia when that period ends, the visa ceases and you cannot return on it — you would need to apply for and be granted a new visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the webform if my permanent visa was lodged in ImmiAccount?

No. Where your substantive visa was lodged through ImmiAccount and no decision has been made, you must apply for the BVB through ImmiAccount. The webform is directed to paper-lodged substantive applications and to applicants who have applied for merits or judicial review.

Do I have to pay before submitting Form 1006?

Yes. The department requires you to pay the visa application charge first, then complete and submit Form 1006 by webform, entering the receipt details on the form. Without those receipt details, the application is not a valid BVB application.

Can I lodge a BVB while I am already overseas?

No. You and anyone included in the application must be in Australia to make a valid application, and you must also be in Australia at the time the decision is made. Leaving before the grant risks being outside Australia without a visa that lets you return.

How early should I apply before my travel date?

Apply no more than three months, and not less than two weeks, before the date you want to travel. Applying much earlier can make it harder for the department to assess whether your substantive visa will be ready for decision.

What if I want different conditions, such as permission to work?

You cannot change the conditions on a BVB. To change conditions you must apply for a Bridging visa A (BVA), and where the issue is work rights you must prove financial hardship as part of that process.

How long does the BVB keep me lawful after a refusal or review outcome?

For a BVB granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ends 35 calendar days after a refusal decision or AAT decision on the associated substantive visa, a determination that the application or review is invalid, or your withdrawal of either. It ends 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or you withdraw a related judicial review application.