Bridging Visa Delays: What Employers Need To Know

“Over the past 6 months, we have seen a growing number of onshore visa applications where the Bridging Visa A has not issued shortly after lodgement. In most cases, the issue has been resolved within 5 to 10 days, but we have also seen one outlier matter take approximately 6 weeks.”

Jackson Taylor

Principal Lawyer, Roam Migration Law

Bridging visa delays in Australia are creating new timing pressure for employers and visa holders. Roam Migration Law has recently seen an increase in cases where a Bridging Visa A (BVA) has not issued shortly after lodgement of an onshore visa application. This is an issue for visa holders. It is also a workforce planning issue for employers.

For many businesses, visa renewals are managed around expected timelines. The usual assumption is that once a valid onshore visa application is lodged, the applicant receives a BVA shortly afterwards. That bridging visa then helps preserve lawful status in Australia once the current substantive visa expires.

The Department of Home Affairs describes the BVA as a visa that lets a person stay lawfully in Australia until their substantive visa application is finally determined, or until related review processes are finalised, where relevant. DHA also states that a bridging visa comes into effect when the current substantive visa expires.

What Roam is seeing

The issue we are now seeing is timing. In some recent matters, the BVA has not issued immediately after lodgement. In many cases, the issue has been resolved within 5 to 10 days. In one outlier matter, it took approximately 6 weeks.

This appears to reflect broader pressure within DHA processing systems. At this stage, there is usually limited scope to escalate or force a faster outcome.

For employers, the safest response is earlier planning.

The business impact

A delayed BVA grant is not just an administrative inconvenience. It creates uncertainty for:

• visa expiry management
• work rights checks
• VEVO monitoring
• employee communications
• internal HR escalation
• workforce continuity
• renewal planning

For organisations with large temporary visa holder populations, this creates avoidable pressure. A renewal that is left too close to visa expiry has less room for system delays, document requests, lodgement issues or unexpected DHA processing backlogs. This is especially relevant for employers managing sponsored workers, critical roles or recurring visa renewals across multiple sites.

What employers should do now

Employers should review their internal visa renewal timelines. If your current process starts close to visa expiry, it is worth building in a larger buffer. Earlier lodgement is now one of the simplest ways to reduce unnecessary risk.

Employers should also make sure they have a clear internal process for:

• identifying upcoming visa expiries
• starting renewal discussions early
• checking whether a person needs to remain onshore
• confirming work rights through VEVO
• keeping records of lodgement and visa grants
• communicating clearly with affected employees
• escalating internally before the issue becomes urgent

The key point is simple. Do not rely on the BVA issuing instantly. Most matters still resolve within a reasonable timeframe, but recent experience shows that delays are possible. Where the person is important to business continuity, that risk should be built into the renewal process.

A reminder for visa holders

Visa holders should not assume their bridging visa has been granted until they receive the actual grant notification. They should also avoid making travel plans without advice. A Bridging Visa A does not permit travel outside Australia and return.

A separate Bridging Visa B is usually required for travel while a substantive visa application is being processed.

Planning ahead reduces pressure

This issue does not mean every onshore visa renewal is at risk. It does mean employers and visa holders should plan with more care.
Where a business depends on temporary visa holders, visa renewal timing should be treated as a workforce planning issue. Leaving renewals late creates unnecessary stress for the employee, the HR team and the business.

Roam is advising clients to start renewal planning earlier, especially where the employee is in a critical role or where the business needs certainty around ongoing work rights.

If your organisation manages a sponsored workforce or large temporary visa holder population, now is a good time to review your renewal process and build in more lead time.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.