Do I Need to Apply Separately for a Bridging Visa C With My PR Application in 2026?

Answers whether a Bridging visa C comes automatically with a PR application, and the two cases that need a separate one.

Published: 10 July 2026 Reading time 12 min

For most permanent residency applicants the answer is no. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and the Department of Home Affairs may grant you a Bridging visa C (BVC) (Subclass 030) if you have made a valid application in Australia for a substantive visa but do not already hold one — as set out on the Department's Bridging visa C (BVC) (Subclass 030) official page, as at August 2026. A separate BVC application is only likely to be needed in two situations: when you are seeking a further BVC without work restrictions, or when you have applied for judicial review.

Is a Bridging visa C automatic when you lodge a permanent residency application?

Yes, in the ordinary case. The BVC is not an extra form you tick on your skilled or employer-sponsored application; it is generated as part of a valid substantive visa application made in Australia, which is why the Department describes nearly all bridging visas as applied for automatically.

A BVC comes into effect when it is granted, when your current substantive visa ceases, or when another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current one ceases. If you still hold a substantive visa when the BVC is granted, you must keep complying with that substantive visa's conditions; the BVC conditions only apply once it comes into effect. You are notified of the conditions that apply when the visa is granted.

Family members are covered the same way: if you and your family applied together for a substantive visa in Australia, you may also have applied together for a bridging visa.

When does a permanent residency applicant need to lodge one separately?

The official page identifies two circumstances in which a separate BVC application might be necessary.

When your automatic BVC does not let you work

The initial BVC granted when you apply for your substantive visa will not let you work unless the visa you applied for is one of a specific set of subclasses. If your BVC does not let you work, or carries work restrictions, you can apply for another BVC that does let you work — but you will have to demonstrate that you are experiencing financial hardship.

The Department assesses your circumstances against that hardship claim. If you do not meet the requirements for work but are still eligible for a BVC, you are granted a new BVC carrying the same work prevention or restriction condition as the previous one.

When your case moves to judicial review

If a merits review tribunal upholds the decision to refuse your substantive visa application and you apply for judicial review, you need to apply for a bridging visa to maintain lawful status during those proceedings. Where judicial review has been applied for, a bridging visa can only be applied for by webform.

There is a hard limit on work rights here. If you are not a Protection visa applicant and apply for a BVC for judicial review, you will only be granted a new BVC that does not allow you to work, even if your previous BVC did. A Protection visa applicant in the same position can only be granted a new BVC allowing work if the last BVC they held allowed work.

Whether a hardship claim or a judicial-review BVC succeeds turns on individual circumstances. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice; check your position against the Department's current official guidance or with a qualified professional before acting.

Which permanent visas come with work rights on the automatic BVC?

Work rights on the initial BVC depend on the subclass you applied for, not on your current job or finances. The official page lists these visas:

If your substantive visa application is for…	The initial BVC
Skilled — Independent visa (subclass 189)	Lets you work
Skilled — Nominated visa (subclass 190)	Lets you work
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)	Lets you work
Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)	Lets you work
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)	Lets you work
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (subclass 187)	Lets you work
Business Talent visa (subclass 132)	Lets you work
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)	Lets you work
Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)	Lets you work
Skilled — Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)	Lets you work

If the visa you applied for is not on that list, the initial BVC will not let you work, and the only route to work rights is the separate hardship-based BVC described above. A separate BVC is therefore the route to work rights where the initial BVC does not let you work.

How do you check whether you already hold one?

Check VEVO before lodging anything. The Department's first step is to confirm whether you already hold a BVC, and VEVO is also where you see whether a BVC is in effect and exactly how long you can stay after an outcome is notified. For a combined family application, VEVO shows whether family members already hold a bridging visa too.

How is a separate BVC lodged, and what does it cost?

Nothing — the visa is free. The lodging channel is fixed by how you applied for your substantive visa:

Applied through ImmiAccount: apply for the BVC through ImmiAccount, and attach documents there.
Applied by paper: complete and submit Form 1005 by webform.
Applied for review of a decision on your substantive visa application: complete and submit Form 1005 by webform.

You and anyone included in the application must be in Australia both when the BVC application is submitted and when it is decided. If you lodge by webform, every document has to be attached before you submit, because you cannot add documents afterwards; through ImmiAccount you can attach missing documents as soon as possible after applying. The Department does not provide updates on application processing times, and it advises submitting early so there is enough time for the bridging visa to be processed.

What happens to a BVC after a decision on your PR application?

For a BVC granted on or after 19 November 2016, the official page sets these cease periods:

Event	When the BVC ceases
Refusal decision, or a decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, on the associated substantive visa application	35 calendar days after
Determination that the substantive visa application or an AAT review application is invalid	35 calendar days after
You withdraw the substantive visa application or the AAT review application	35 calendar days after
A judicial review body upholds the decision to refuse your substantive visa application	28 calendar days after
You withdraw a related judicial review application	28 calendar days after

A BVC also 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 for the same substantive visa application, or if the Department cancels your BVC or the substantive visa you held when the BVC was granted. BVCs granted before 19 November 2016 cease 28 days after the listed notification or withdrawal events.

Two travel points matter for PR applicants. A BVC does not support return travel: leaving Australia while it is in effect means you cannot return on it, and as a BVC holder you cannot be granted a Bridging visa B to travel. And a BVC cannot be extended — staying longer requires applying for a new visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Bridging visa C automatic with a subclass 189 or 190 application?

Yes. The Department states that nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of applying for a substantive visa, and a BVC may be granted where you have made a valid application in Australia and do not already hold a substantive visa. You do not lodge a separate BVC to stay lawful while a 189 or 190 application is processed.

Can I work on the automatic BVC that comes with a skilled PR application?

That depends on the subclass. The initial BVC lets you work where the visa applied for is one of the listed subclasses, which includes 189, 190, 491, 186, 494, 187, 132, 188, 888 and 489. For any other subclass the initial BVC will not let you work, and you would need to apply for another BVC and demonstrate financial hardship.

Does it cost anything to apply for a Bridging visa C?

No. The Department lists the cost of a BVC as free. The requirement is that you and anyone included in the application are in Australia when it is submitted and when it is decided.

Can I travel overseas on a BVC and come back?

No. A BVC that is in effect ceases when you depart Australia, and it does not support return travel. You also cannot be granted a Bridging visa B while you hold a BVC, so returning requires being granted another visa that allows travel.

How long do I have to stay after my PR application is refused?

For a BVC granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision, an invalidity determination, or your withdrawal of the substantive or AAT review application. VEVO shows the exact date once you have been notified of the outcome.

Can I include my family in a separate BVC application?

Yes, if they are included in your substantive visa application. The Department assesses each member of the family unit and decides which bridging visa they can be granted, so family members may not all receive the same outcome.