When a Bridging Visa B “expires”, does it automatically revert to Bridging Visa A? Could you accidentally become an “unlawful non-citizen”?

The “P” in PR stands for Permanent, but as everyone knows, PR only has a 5-year “validity period” (a Subclass 155 visa may be granted for 1 year or less, which this article won’t discuss further), and PR must be renewed every 5 years. That seems odd: if it’s clearly “permanent”, why say it only lasts 5 years?

The answer is:

This so-called 5-year “validity period” is, in fact, only your “travel facility” — within those 5 years you can return to Australia at any time. Beyond 5 years, if you are offshore, you of course cannot return to Australia (you would need to apply for a Subclass 155 visa to come back).

The “permanent” validity, on the other hand, means that once you enter Australia, as long as you don’t leave, your PR remains valid indefinitely and you can stay in Australia permanently.

Taking the Subclass 190 visa as an example, the original wording of the migration law is as follows:

The Department of Home Affairs website also describes it as follows:

If you still find the meaning of PR hard to grasp, you can read my other article, “How do you renew PR after 5 years? Can you get your PR back after years away from Australia?“, which gives a clearer description of the definition of PR.

Having explained PR’s so-called “5-year validity period”, you should now immediately understand that the so-called 3-month or 1-year validity of Bridging Visa B, just like PR’s 5-year validity, is likewise only a “travel facility”.

Therefore, as long as you return to Australia before the travel facility expires, the Bridging Visa B itself remains valid, and you can keep holding this BVB in Australia while waiting for your visa outcome. This Bridging Visa B simply becomes a Bridging Visa B without travel facility; it does not lapse and turn you into an unlawful non-citizen, nor does it automatically revert to Bridging Visa A.The Department of Home Affairs website describes Bridging Visa B as follows:

Likewise, just as PR can apply for PR again after the 5-year validity period (a Subclass 155 visa is also a form of PR) to obtain travel facility, Bridging Visa B can also, once its 3-month or 1-year “validity period” expires, apply for Bridging Visa B again to regain travel facility.

【Can I wait in China for my visa after lodging onshore?】

After lodging onshore, can I return to China to wait for the grant? A detailed explanation of migration law clause xxx.411!

【Refused onshore? What can you do?】

Can you still apply for migration? A detailed explanation of Section 48, AAT appeals and strategies for rescuing a refused application!

【Can a bridging visa take effect immediately after lodging?】

Can a bridging visa take effect immediately after lodging? A detailed explanation of bridging visa priority!

2023