Onshore · Bridging visas
Bridging Visa A (BVA) — Class WA, Subclass 010
If you applied for a new visa from inside Australia while your current visa was still in effect, you were probably granted a Bridging visa A at the same time. It does nothing until your current visa ends, then it keeps you lawful while the Department decides your application. What it does not do is let you travel.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Shown in VEVO as
- WA-010
- Comes into effect
- When your current visa ends
- Travel
- Not allowed — leaving ends it
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What a BVA is
A Bridging visa A (class WA, subclass 010) is a temporary visa granted automatically, in most cases, when you lodge a valid application for a substantive visa (such as a partner, skilled, employer-sponsored or graduate visa) from inside Australia while you hold a substantive visa. There is no separate application and no charge for it. VEVO and your grant notice show it as “WA-010”.
When it starts and ends
- It sits in the background while your current visa is still in effect. You keep the conditions of your current visa during that time.
- It comes into effect the day your current visa ends, and keeps you lawful while your application is being decided.
- It ends when you are granted the new visa, or a set period after a refusal (usually 35 days) unless you apply for review in time, in which case it usually continues during the review.
- It ends if you leave Australia, unless you hold a Bridging visa B when you depart.
Work and study conditions
A BVA does not have one fixed set of work rights. The conditions depend on the visa you applied for and the visa you held before. Many BVAs carry the same work conditions as your previous visa; some applications, such as partner visas, usually come with full work rights. Read the conditions on your bridging visa grant notice and check VEVO, not the conditions of the visa you held before.
If your BVA does not allow work and you are in financial hardship, you may be able to apply for a further BVA with permission to work. The Department decides these on the evidence of genuine need.
Travelling on a BVA
You cannot leave and return on a BVA. If you leave Australia while it is in effect, it ends, and you may be unable to come back while your application is decided. To travel, apply for a Bridging visa B before you book anything, and wait for it to be granted. A BVB is not guaranteed, and it is granted for a set travel period.
Leaving Australia on a BVA without a BVB is one of the most common avoidable mistakes we see. Depending on the visa you applied for, it can end your bridging visa and leave you unable to return to Australia while the application is decided.
If your application is refused
A refusal starts a short clock. Your BVA usually continues for a set period after the decision, and longer if you lodge a valid review application with the Administrative Review Tribunal within the deadline. Review deadlines are strict and cannot be extended. If you do nothing and the BVA ends, you become unlawful. See visa ending soon: options.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the conditions of your old visa apply after it ends, when the BVA has different ones.
- Booking travel before a BVB is granted.
- Missing the review deadline after a refusal.
- Lodging an application that turns out to be invalid, which does not give a bridging visa at all.
General information only, current at October 2026; not advice on your own case. Outcomes depend on the Department’s assessment of each application; no registered migration agent can guarantee a result (Code of Conduct, Migration Agents Regulations). Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
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What does WA-010 mean on VEVO?
It is a Bridging visa A: class WA, subclass 010. It was granted when you lodged a visa application from inside Australia while you held a substantive visa.
Can I work on a bridging visa A?
It depends on the conditions on your grant notice. Many BVAs carry the work conditions of your previous visa, and some applications give full work rights. Check VEVO.
Can I travel overseas on a bridging visa A?
No. Leaving ends the BVA. Apply for a Bridging visa B and wait for the grant before you travel.
How long does a bridging visa A last?
Until your application is decided, plus a set period after a refusal. If you lodge a review application in time, it usually continues during the review.
Does a bridging visa A cost anything?
No. It is granted with your substantive visa application at no extra charge.
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