September 2, 2026
Migration News
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Recent updates from the Department of Home Affairs provide some important information for visa applicants, including more detailed skilled visa processing information and new guidance around when to apply for a Bridging Visa B (BVB)
Waiting for a visa decision can be one of the most uncertain parts of the Australian migration journey.
How long will it take? Where is the Department currently up to? And if you need to leave Australia while your application is still being processed, what happens to your Bridging Visa?
Recent updates provide some useful guidance for applicants.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Department of Home Affairs has updated the information available for individual skilled visas, giving applicants another way to understand where processing may currently be up to.
Until now, many applicants have relied heavily on the Global Visa Processing Times page.
While this remains a useful resource, global processing times provide a broad indication based on recently decided applications. They do not guarantee that an individual application will be decided within the published timeframe.
This distinction is particularly important for skilled visas because applications are not necessarily processed simply in the order they were lodged.
There are many factors that can affect how quickly an Australian skilled visa application is processed.
These can include:
Skilled visa processing is also affected by government processing priorities.
Ministerial Direction 119, which came into effect on 25 July 2026, sets processing priorities for certain skilled visa nomination and visa applications. You can read more here below.
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This means that two applicants who lodged around the same time may not necessarily have their applications assessed at the same time.
Individual skilled visa pages can provide additional information about the applications currently being allocated for processing. Rather than looking only at a broad global processing timeframe, applicants may therefore be able to get a better indication of where processing currently stands for their particular visa.
This can be especially useful for people who have been waiting for a decision and are trying to understand whether the Department has started allocating applications lodged around a similar period.
However, it is important to remember that this information is still a guide.
It does not mean that your application will automatically be assessed or decided once the Department reaches a particular lodgement period.Every application is different, and processing times can change.
There is another important update for applicants currently in Australia who may need to travel overseas while waiting for their substantive visa application to be decided.
If you hold a Bridging Visa A (BVA), you generally cannot simply leave Australia and return using that visa.
If your BVA is in effect when you leave Australia, it will cease upon your departure.
If you need to travel overseas and return to Australia while your substantive visa application is being processed, you may need to be granted a Bridging Visa B (BVB) before leaving Australia.
A Bridging Visa B – Subclass 020 is a temporary visa that can provide an eligible applicant with a travel facility.
In simple terms, it can allow you to leave Australia temporarily and return during the travel period specified on your BVB while your substantive visa application continues to be processed.
This is an important difference between a BVA and BVB.
A Bridging Visa A (BVA) generally allows an eligible person to remain lawfully in Australia while their substantive visa application is being processed, but it does not provide the same travel facility.
A Bridging Visa B (BVB) can allow an eligible person to leave and return to Australia within an approved travel period.
This is why anyone on a Bridging Visa who is considering overseas travel should check their visa status and conditions before booking or departing.
At the MIA and Department stakeholder meeting held on 6 August 2026, the Department advised that BVB applications should be lodged at least four weeks before the applicant’s intended travel date.
This is particularly important for anyone considering applying only a few days before a scheduled flight.
The team assessing the substantive visa application is also responsible for assessing the associated BVB application and needs adequate time to complete that assessment.
Applicants therefore should not assume that lodging a BVB application shortly before travelling means it will be granted before their departure.
Unless compelling and compassionate circumstances apply, applicants should not expect a BVB to be granted within only a few days of lodgement.
If you’re waiting for another Australian visa and know that you may need to travel overseas, don’t leave your Bridging Visa arrangements until the week of your flight.
Ideally:
Know your travel dates → check your current visa → understand your travel rights → apply for a BVB early if required.
The Department’s recommendation to allow at least four weeks makes forward planning particularly important.
Leaving Australia without the appropriate visa or travel facility can have significant consequences for your ability to return.
Both updates highlight something we regularly remind our clients: visa processing involves more than simply counting the months since you lodged your application.
For skilled visa applicants, processing priorities and individual circumstances can affect when an application is allocated and decided.
For Bridging Visa holders, waiting for another visa does not necessarily mean you are free to leave and return to Australia whenever you choose.
Having access to better processing information is useful, but understanding how that information applies to your individual circumstances is even more important.
If you are currently waiting for a skilled visa, planning overseas travel while on a Bridging Visa, or are unsure about your current visa conditions, the Green Wings Migration team can help you understand your options and plan your next steps.
Planning to travel or have questions about your pending visa application?
Schedule a consultation with Green Wings Migration to discuss your circumstances.
