Bridging Visa A (Subclass 010) for Australian Business and Investor Visa Applicants: Work and Travel in 2026
For applicants in the Business Talent (subclass 132), Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) and Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) stream, a Bridging visa A (BVA, subclass 010) is normally granted without conditions — meaning there is no no-work condition attached and you can keep working while the substantive application is decided. It does not, however, carry any travel facility: a BVA that is in effect stops the moment you leave Australia, so any overseas trip to run your business requires a Bridging visa B (subclass 020) granted before departure. This follows the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Bridging visa A (subclass 010) official page as of the August 2026 version of that page, read with the Department's PAM3 policy guidance and the Migration Regulations 1994. Everything below is general information rather than advice on any individual case; your binding position is what your grant notification and VEVO record show, and where your circumstances are unusual, go by the current official page and a qualified professional.
What is a Bridging visa A (subclass 010)?
A BVA is a temporary visa that lets a non-citizen stay lawfully in Australia while a substantive visa application is finally determined, or, where it is granted in connection with judicial proceedings, until those proceedings finish. Nearly all bridging visas are applied for automatically as part of lodging a substantive visa application, and the Department tells you if that has happened; VEVO is where you confirm whether you already hold one.
A separate BVA application may be needed where your substantive visa application did not also constitute an application for a BVA, where a previously granted BVA or BVB has ceased and you now meet the requirements for another BVA, where you are seeking a further BVA without work restrictions, or where you have applied for judicial review.
Two limits are worth stating early. A bridging visa cannot be used while you wait for a citizenship application to be decided. And you cannot extend a BVA to stay longer — staying longer requires applying for a new visa.
The visa itself is free, and you and anyone included in the application must be in Australia both when the BVA application is submitted and when it is granted.
When does the BVA start, and what does "in effect" mean?
A BVA comes into effect when it is granted (if your substantive visa has already ceased since you applied for the BVA, or if the BVA is more beneficial than your current bridging visa), when your current substantive visa ceases, or when another bridging visa that is more beneficial than your current one ceases.
That timing matters for compliance. If you still hold a substantive visa when the BVA is granted, you must keep complying with the substantive visa's conditions; only once the substantive visa ceases do the BVA's conditions apply to you. The Department notifies you of the conditions that apply, and VEVO shows them.
Do 132, 188 and 888 applicants keep full work rights?
In the usual case, yes. Conditions on a BVA are set under clause 010.611 of the Migration Regulations 1994 and depend on the applicant's circumstances, and the Department's PAM3 policy guidance lists subclass 132 (Business Talent), subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment — provisional) and subclass 888 (Business Innovation and Investment — permanent) among the categories whose holders are granted a BVA with no conditions. In practical terms that means the no-work condition 8101 is not imposed, so continuing to work and manage an Australian business during processing is not blocked by the bridging visa itself.
The contrast is clearest with the conditions that do appear elsewhere: 8101 (no work), 8107 and 8607 (work limitations), and 8501 (maintain health insurance). Parent visa categories such as subclass 103 and 143 attract 8501, and former subclass 457 or 482 holders carry forward the 8107 or 8501 condition from their last substantive visa. Business and investor categories are not in that group in the current policy guidance.
Because conditions are applied case by case and policy is updated, treat the category-level position as the starting point and confirm the actual conditions on your own grant letter and VEVO; where a policy summary and the current Home Affairs page differ, the official page governs.
What if my BVA does carry a no-work condition?
If your BVA does not permit work, or permits it only with restrictions, you can apply for another BVA that lets you work. To be considered, you will usually have to demonstrate financial hardship — bank statements, debts and household expenses are the kind of evidence the policy guidance associates with that assessment — and the Department assesses your circumstances against the claim that you need to work. If you do not meet the work requirement but are still eligible for a BVA, you are granted a new BVA carrying the same work prevention or restriction condition as before.
There are two hard exclusions. You cannot be granted a new BVA that lets you work if your current BVA prevents or restricts work and either your current BVA was granted because you applied for judicial review of the decision on your substantive visa application, or you have applied for a protection visa. Under the regulations, a separate pathway exists where the Minister is satisfied there is a compelling need to work, but that is a discretionary judgement, not an entitlement.
Can I travel overseas and come back on a BVA?
No. The BVA does not support return travel to Australia. A BVA that is in effect ceases upon departure, and you cannot return on it. The official page is unambiguous: if you want to travel and return while your substantive visa application is being processed, you must have been granted a BVB before you leave.
Consider a hypothetical applicant: a subclass 188 holder whose substantive visa has ceased and whose BVA is therefore in effect, planning a two-week trip to inspect an overseas facility. Flying out on the BVA ends the BVA immediately and leaves no visa to return on. Applying for and being granted a BVB first is what preserves both lawful status in Australia and the ability to come back.
Note also that a BVA ends immediately if you are granted another bridging visa, such as a BVB, in relation to the same substantive visa application — the BVB takes over rather than sitting alongside it.
When does a BVA end?
A BVA will end immediately if you leave Australia while it is in effect, if you are granted the substantive visa you applied for, 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.
For BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, the visa ceases 35 calendar days after a refusal decision or an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decision on the associated substantive visa application, after a determination that the substantive application or AAT review application is invalid, or after you withdraw the substantive application or AAT review application. It ceases 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal decision, or after you withdraw a related judicial review application. For BVA granted before 19 November 2016, the general period is 28 days after notification of invalidity, refusal, withdrawal, a merits review tribunal upholding the refusal or declining jurisdiction, or a judicial review body upholding the refusal. VEVO shows the exact date once you have been notified of an outcome.
If a merits review tribunal upholds a refusal and you apply for judicial review, you must apply for a bridging visa to remain lawful during those proceedings — and at that point a bridging visa can only be applied for by webform.
Family members, cost and obligations
If you applied together with your family for a substantive visa in Australia, you may also have applied together for a BVA; VEVO will show whether family members already hold one. If you apply separately for a BVA, you can include members of the family unit who are included in your substantive visa application. The Department assesses each family member's application and decides which bridging visa that person can be granted, so family members do not necessarily all end up on the same bridging visa.
The BVA is free. Everyone included must be in Australia at application and grant. Obligations are to comply with all Australian laws, with the conditions of the current visa, and with the conditions of the BVA once it comes into effect. Changes to phone number, email, address or passport, the birth of a child, and a decision to withdraw the application all need to be reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a BVA let a subclass 188 or 888 applicant keep working?
In the usual case, yes. The Department's PAM3 policy guidance lists subclass 132, 188 and 888 among the categories whose BVA is granted with no conditions, so the no-work condition 8101 is not attached. Confirm the actual conditions on your grant letter and in VEVO, since conditions are applied case by case.
Do I need a BVB for a short overseas business trip?
Yes, if you intend to return. A BVA in effect ceases the moment you depart Australia and cannot be used to re-enter. You must be granted a Bridging visa B (subclass 020) before you leave if you want to travel and come back while your substantive application is being processed.
How long can I stay after my business visa application is refused?
For a BVA granted on or after 19 November 2016, it ceases 35 calendar days after the refusal decision or an AAT decision on the associated substantive application. It ceases 28 calendar days after a judicial review body upholds the refusal, or after you withdraw a related judicial review application. VEVO gives the exact date.
Can I get work rights if my BVA says I cannot work?
You can apply for a further BVA that lets you work, and you will usually need to demonstrate financial hardship. If you do not meet the work requirement but remain eligible, you receive a new BVA with the same work restriction. You cannot obtain a work-permitting BVA where your current one was granted because of a judicial review application, or where you have applied for a protection visa.
Is the BVA free, and can my family be included?
The BVA is free of charge. You can include members of the family unit in a separate BVA application if they are included in your substantive visa application, and the Department decides which bridging visa each family member can be granted.
Can I use a BVA while my citizenship application is decided?
No. A bridging visa cannot be used while you are waiting for a citizenship application to be decided, and a BVA cannot be extended — staying longer requires applying for a new visa.