# Bridging visa B - need advice please :)



## shell_32000 (Jul 23, 2013)

Hey everyone,

I am applying for the 820/801 partner visa early December this year and would ideally love to go visit my family in the UK early 2014 (i'm thinking as soon as I have enough money for a flight) and for Christmas 2014. I have been told that the bridging visa B allows you to leave Australia for travel and I just have a few questions...sorry to be a pain!

How would I go about getting a bridging visa B?
Do I need to apply for it before I send off my partner visa or before I want to travel?
Can I leave Australia more than once on a bridging visa B?
How long can I go to the UK on the bridging visa B?
And also how much does it cost?

Any advice would be appreciated 

Shell.


----------



## GBP (Jun 1, 2013)

shell_32000 said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am applying for the 820/801 partner visa early December this year and would ideally love to go visit my family in the UK early 2014 (i'm thinking as soon as I have enough money for a flight) and for Christmas 2014. I have been told that the bridging visa B allows you to leave Australia for travel and I just have a few questions...sorry to be a pain!
> 
> ...


1. See: Bridging visa B - BVB - (subclass 020)

2. You only apply BV B while you are on another BV. In your case would be BV A. So, you apply before you want to travel. I think you only apply when it is very close to your departure date (3 weeks, I heard).

3. One BV B can only be used once, not a multiple entry visa. You need to apply for another one if you want to travel again.

4. I think the standard is 3 months, but you can ask for longer if you have a good reason.

5. See link above.

DIBP website is a good source of info. Use the search function on the top right hand corner.


----------



## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

shell_32000 said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am applying for the 820/801 partner visa early December this year and would ideally love to go visit my family in the UK early 2014 (i'm thinking as soon as I have enough money for a flight) and for Christmas 2014. I have been told that the bridging visa B allows you to leave Australia for travel and I just have a few questions...sorry to be a pain!
> 
> How would I go about getting a bridging visa B?


You either apply via post or (preferable, if you're close enough) go in person to the nearest Processing Centre to you in Australia.

More info: Bridging visa B - BVB - (subclass 020)



> Do I need to apply for it before I send off my partner visa or before I want to travel?


You do not apply for it until AFTER your Bridging Visa A has kicked in (so after you have applied onshore for your 820/801) and before your travel (they suggest two weeks to three months before you travel).



> Can I leave Australia more than once on a bridging visa B?


No.



> How long can I go to the UK on the bridging visa B?


Generally, they grant them for up to three months stay outside Australia.



> And also how much does it cost?


 $140.

And you are never a pain!


----------



## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

Dang it, GBP and I were typing at the same time again. lol


----------



## danegirl (Sep 15, 2013)

I have a quick enquiry about the BVB: 

My partner is on a student visa until March 2014 and we will be applying for 820/801 in November 2013. We have tickets booked to go to Europe to spend Xmas/New Years with his family in Dec/Jan. 

My question is - does he need to apply for a BVB, despite the fact that he will still be allowed to enter and leave the country on his student visa until March 2014? Because I read (however can't remember where) that if he leaves the country, his BVA will automatically be cancelled despite the fact that it doesn't officially come into force until March 2014, and we don't want him to be here illegally after that with no bridging visa at all.

Or is there some way that he can apply for the reinstatement of his BVA if it is automatically cancelled after he leaves the country in December and returns in January? 

Or am I remembering wrong, and leaving the country does not cancel the later existence of the BVA?


----------



## GBP (Jun 1, 2013)

danegirl said:


> My question is - does he need to apply for a BVB, despite the fact that he will still be allowed to enter and leave the country on his student visa until March 2014? Because I read (however can't remember where) that if he leaves the country, his BVA will automatically be cancelled despite the fact that it doesn't officially come into force until March 2014, and we don't want him to be here illegally after that with no bridging visa at all.


I believe this is correct and he need to apply for a BV B. But I'm not 100% sure.


----------



## speedyetz (Jul 29, 2013)

shell_32000 said:


> Hey everyone,
> How would I go about getting a bridging visa B?
> Do I need to apply for it before I send off my partner visa or before I want to travel?
> Can I leave Australia more than once on a bridging visa B?
> ...


Hi Shell, all the others are correct on the above. However, I think you can leave Australia more than once on a Bridging Visa B. My partner applied for and got a BVB in August this year. His is multiple entry until February 2014 (ie for 6 months). They approved it on the spot without any issue, he cited family visit and Christmas trip as reasons for his travel.


----------



## speedyetz (Jul 29, 2013)

danegirl said:


> I have a quick enquiry about the BVB:
> 
> My partner is on a student visa until March 2014 and we will be applying for 820/801 in November 2013. We have tickets booked to go to Europe to spend Xmas/New Years with his family in Dec/Jan.
> 
> ...


Hi, my understanding is that he can leave and return on his student visa without the need of a BVB. Upon his return, he will have to apply for reinstatement of his BVA (because his BVA, even though it is not "active" yet, will be cancelled automatically upon him leaving). Applying for a reinstatement of a BVA is free.

Provided there is plenty of time between your partner's return and the expiry of his student visa, you will not need to apply for a BVB, because he can just get a new BVA upon his return. He will not be here illegally because his student visa will remain in place until March 2014. As long as he gets a new BVA between his return and the expiry of his student visa, he will be fine.

And you will save $140


----------



## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

speedyetz said:


> Hi Shell, all the others are correct on the above. However, I think you can leave Australia more than once on a Bridging Visa B. My partner applied for and got a BVB in August this year. His is multiple entry until February 2014 (ie for 6 months). They approved it on the spot without any issue, he cited family visit and Christmas trip as reasons for his travel.


Speedy, the BVB your partner got is very unusual. Most people don't get multiple entry BVBs, nor BVBs that last for more than three months.


----------



## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

danegirl said:


> I have a quick enquiry about the BVB:
> 
> My partner is on a student visa until March 2014 and we will be applying for 820/801 in November 2013. We have tickets booked to go to Europe to spend Xmas/New Years with his family in Dec/Jan.
> 
> ...


I would check with immigration or a migration agent on this one.


----------



## speedyetz (Jul 29, 2013)

Danegirl, our case was similar to yours - my partner was on a student visa and wanted to go to visit family in Europe before his student visa expired. We checked extensively with immigration and the consistent response was that my partner would be able to travel (and return) on this student visa. Provided he was re-granted a BVA after his return and before his student visa expired, there would be no issue. 

In our case however there was only a matter of days between his return and the expiry of his student visa. We weren't really comfortable with the idea of only having 4 days to get a new BVA so he got a BVB before he left. We applied in person at immigration in Sydney and the guy behind the desk didn't hesitate to give him a 6 month BVB. It might be that our case is very unusual, but I thought I'd share our experience anyway.


----------



## danegirl (Sep 15, 2013)

speedyetz said:


> Danegirl, our case was similar to yours - my partner was on a student visa and wanted to go to visit family in Europe before his student visa expired. We checked extensively with immigration and the consistent response was that my partner would be able to travel (and return) on this student visa. Provided he was re-granted a BVA after his return and before his student visa expired, there would be no issue.
> 
> In our case however there was only a matter of days between his return and the expiry of his student visa. We weren't really comfortable with the idea of only having 4 days to get a new BVA so he got a BVB before he left. We applied in person at immigration in Sydney and the guy behind the desk didn't hesitate to give him a 6 month BVB. It might be that our case is very unusual, but I thought I'd share our experience anyway.


Fantastic, thank you! We get back mid-January and his visa expires in March, so plenty of time to get it reinstated.

How do we go about this, by the way? Apply in person at DIBP or do is there a form for him to fill out and send away?


----------



## speedyetz (Jul 29, 2013)

danegirl said:


> Fantastic, thank you! We get back mid-January and his visa expires in March, so plenty of time to get it reinstated.
> 
> How do we go about this, by the way? Apply in person at DIBP or do is there a form for him to fill out and send away?


Hi, this is the form: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1005.pdf

You will be applying "to replace a ceased bridging visa". Looks like you can lodge in person or by post.


----------



## shell_32000 (Jul 23, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your help  I want to go visit my family in the UK asap after the New Year and it's reassuring to know that you can apply for the bridging visa b. How long does it generally take for them to get back to you with a decision after you have sent an application for the bridging visa b? 

Also what happens when I come back to Australia? Will my bridging visa A automatically take effect again and replace bridging visa B? My concern is that if I go back home for a few weeks then come back to Melbourne and they refuse my entry..I would hate for that to happen!


----------



## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

I'm not sure how long it takes them to let you know your BVB has been granted - if there's an office near you, I know you can do it in person. so if you're close, that might be preferable. They won't refuse you entry when you come back. When you're back onshore, just give immigration a call and your BVA will be reinstated.


----------



## shell_32000 (Jul 23, 2013)

CollegeGirl said:


> I'm not sure how long it takes them to let you know your BVB has been granted - if there's an office near you, I know you can do it in person. so if you're close, that might be preferable. They won't refuse you entry when you come back. When you're back onshore, just give immigration a call and your BVA will be reinstated.


Thanks CollegeGirl for getting back to me  I live about 30 minutes away from Melbourne city by train and i'm pretty sure there's an immigration office there. Would I need to book an appointment to see someone about getting the bridging visa granted? And also, I want to visit home early next year (maybe March or April time) and I also want to go home for Christmas next year too, is it possible to apply for another bridging visa near December time? I wasn't sure if there's a limit on how many bridging visas you can apply for in a year.


----------



## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

I'm not aware of any limit. And I don't *think* you need an appointment - but you could always call and ask.


----------



## shell_32000 (Jul 23, 2013)

I looked on the immigration website about the bridging visa and it doesn't say if you can apply for more than one bridging visa in the same year, as for the time period to apply for one, it states the following:

"You should apply for your BVB no more than three months, and not less than two weeks, before the date on which you want to travel.

Some visas can only be granted while you are in Australia. If you apply for a BVB too far in advance of your travel, it may be difficult for the department to assess whether your substantive visa will be ready for decision.

If you leave it until the last minute to apply for a BVB, you risk not being granted a BVB before you are due to leave Australia. If this happens, you might not hold a visa that allows you to return to Australia. You would then have to apply for and be granted a substantive visa before you could return to Australia. There is no guarantee that you would be granted a visa.

It sounds to me like they try to pull you along on a piece of string! Why can't they be more specific about how early/late to apply for a bridging visa?! Three months is very vast while two weeks is no time at all. I'm not sure what to do about what dates to request to travel...do I book flights so I can let Immigration know my dates of travel? Or do I apply early and then hope that I can get a flight on those specific dates? It's a bit confusing. I mean what if I request certain dates on the form and then I can't get a flight on those dates?

Has anyone on here applied for a bridging visa B to visit family back home after they sent off their Partner 820 application? And if so what did you do in terms of booking flights etc? Any advice would be welcome


----------

