December is when many people waiting on a partner, graduate, or skilled visa decision want to fly home to see family. If you are in Australia on a bridging visa, the question comes up every year: can I travel on a bridging visa and still come back? The answer depends on which bridging visa you hold, and a Bridging visa B application is the usual way to make that trip possible. In this guide, we explain who can apply, how the application is lodged through ImmiAccount or with Form 1006, how the Department sets your travel period, and the new rule that has applied to Protection visa applicants since 1 November 2026.
A bridging visa generally keeps you lawful in Australia while the Department decides your substantive visa application. Not every bridging visa allows travel, though. The Department of Home Affairs states on its travel while your visa is being processed page that only a Bridging visa B (BVB) will let you leave and re-enter Australia while you wait for a decision.
The consequence of leaving on the wrong bridging visa is serious. As the Department puts it:
"If you depart Australia with another type of bridging visa in effect, then that visa will cease." (Department of Home Affairs, Travel while your visa is being processed)
In practical terms, if you hold a Bridging visa A connected to your partner or skilled application and you board a flight without first being granted a BVB, your bridging visa ends when you depart. Before booking anything, check which visa you currently hold and its conditions. Our guide to checking your visa conditions with VEVO walks through how to do this.
The Department's Bridging A, B, C visa application online page, last updated 04/11/2026, sets out the starting point: to be eligible for a BVA, BVB or BVC, you must be in Australia but not in immigration clearance.
Form 1006, the Application for a Bridging visa B, adds further requirements. They include that:
The explanatory statement discussed below also confirms that a BVB is applied for in association with a valid application for a substantive visa. The "substantial reasons" requirement is assessed by the Department on your individual circumstances. The form does not list reasons that will automatically be accepted, so your application should explain clearly and honestly why you need to travel and attach supporting evidence. Applicants who may be eligible include many people with a pending onshore partner (subclass 820/801), graduate or skilled application, subject to meeting all criteria.
The Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 changed who can access a BVB. The explanatory statement published on the Federal Register of Legislation states that the relevant part commences on the day after the instrument was registered, and that from then a non-citizen may only access the BVB in association with a valid application for a substantive visa other than a Protection (Class XA) visa.
The Department's application page now states that to be eligible for a BVB you must not have a Protection visa application that is awaiting a decision or outcome. People who have applied for a Protection visa are directed to a separate bridging visa application for Protection visa applicants. The explanatory statement also confirms the amendments do not operate retrospectively.
It is important to be clear about who this affects. The change is aimed at people with a pending Protection visa application or review. Because the explanatory statement ties BVB access to a valid application for a substantive visa other than a Protection visa, partner, skilled, graduate or student applicants who otherwise meet the criteria are not excluded by this change. If you are unsure which category you fall into, get advice before lodging.
How you apply depends on how you lodged your substantive visa. The Department states that if you applied for your substantive visa through ImmiAccount and have not applied for review, you must submit your bridging visa application through ImmiAccount.
If the online webform is the right channel for you, the Department sets out several firm rules:
For a BVB, you must complete and attach Form 1006, Application for a Bridging visa B.
Before submitting a BVB application, you must pay for the application in ImmiAccount.
You cannot save the information on the webform and complete it later, so have every document ready before you start.
The webform cannot be used to apply for a Bridging visa E (BVE).
On cost, Form 1006 notes that visa application charges may be subject to adjustment on 1 July each year. Check the current charge on the Department's website at the time you apply rather than relying on a figure from an older article. Small errors, such as attaching the wrong form or not paying first, can delay processing at the time of year when every day matters.
A BVB is not open-ended permission to travel. The Department states that BVBs are granted with a defined travel period. When setting that period, it considers why you want to travel and when it is likely to make a decision on your substantive visa application.
This has two practical consequences for December travel. First, the reason you give for travelling and the dates you nominate should match your supporting evidence, for example a family event or a return booking. Second, your travel period is set by the Department, not by you, so you should plan to depart and return within the period shown on your grant notice and keep a copy of it with your passport.
The Department does not publish a set processing time for Bridging visa B applications on the pages we reviewed, and we have not quoted figures from unofficial sources. The safest approach is to lodge as early as your plans allow and to avoid paying for non-refundable flights until your BVB is granted, where you can.
The Department provides a separate urgent Bridging visa B webform, updated 01/11/2026. It repeats that Form 1006 must be attached and the application paid for in ImmiAccount first. It also warns applicants with processing concerns not to submit another application, because duplicate applications contribute to processing delays.
Before you lodge a Bridging visa B application for travel this December, work through this checklist:
Confirm in VEVO that you currently hold a Bridging visa A or B and that your substantive application is still pending.
Confirm you do not have a Protection visa application or review pending.
Work out whether you must apply through ImmiAccount (if you lodged your substantive visa there and have not applied for review).
Complete Form 1006 and gather evidence of your substantial reasons for travel.
Pay the application charge in ImmiAccount before submitting.
Do not lodge a duplicate application if you are waiting.
Once granted, check the travel period and only travel within it.
If your substantive visa is a partner visa, our article on onshore vs offshore partner visas (820 or 309) explains how onshore applications and bridging visas fit together.
Migration Star is a Brisbane-registered migration practice led by principal agent Rohit Sharma, MARA No. 1797395. We can review your current visa position, confirm whether you may be eligible for a Bridging visa B, and help you prepare a clear, well-evidenced application, subject to Department requirements. You can see the full range of our migration services, call us on 07 3519 5619, or visit us at Level 2, 8 Clunies Ross Court, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113. To plan your December travel, book a 30-minute Migration Consultation ($165) at https://www.migrationstar.com.au/book-a-consultation
Information current as at 12/11/2026. Migration Star is a registered migration practice. Principal agent Rohit Sharma, MARA No. 1797395. Migration outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Visa criteria may change. This article is general information only and does not constitute migration advice. For advice on your specific situation, book a consultation at migrationstar.com.au.
Migration Star | MARA No. 1797395 | migrationstar.com.au | 07 3519 5619