Bridging Visa E (Subclass 050 & 051) Australia
Fee & Eligibility Guide
Last Updated: 27 May 2026
A Bridging Visa E (BVE) is free to apply for and lets you stay lawfully in Australia while you finalise an immigration matter or arrange to leave — but it's really two different visas grouped under one name. Subclass 050 covers people who are unlawful, making arrangements to leave, or awaiting an immigration decision. Subclass 051 is a narrower pathway tied specifically to immigration detention and protection visa claims. Which one applies to you changes almost everything about eligibility and conditions.
See our full Bridging Visas Options in Australia guide for how BVE compares to Bridging Visa A and Bridging Visa C.
What Is a Bridging Visa E?
A BVE keeps you lawfully in Australia while you're finalising an immigration matter — not a long-term migration outcome, and not a path to permanent residency by itself. Home Affairs runs it as two distinct products:
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Subclass 050 — for people who are currently unlawful, hold a BVE (050), or hold a Bridging Visa D (041)
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Subclass 051 — for a specific group of protection visa applicants in immigration detention (see eligibility below — this one is much narrower than it sounds)
A BVE can't be applied for in anticipation of becoming unlawful — you need to already be unlawful, or already hold a BVE 050 or BVD 041, before you can apply.
Bridging Visa E Fee
There is no fee for a Bridging Visa E application — this applies to both subclass 050 and subclass 051.
How Long Does a Bridging Visa E Take to Be Granted?
Unlike Bridging Visas A, B, and C — where Home Affairs states outright that no processing time is available — a BVE is different. Home Affairs directs applicants to the Global Visa Processing Times tool for an indication, based on recently decided applications. It's described as a guide only, not a guarantee for your specific case.
Processing can take longer if your application isn't filled in correctly, you don't include all required documents, or Home Affairs needs more information from you or time to verify what you've provided.
Who Is Eligible for a Bridging Visa E (Subclass 050)?
You must be an unlawful non-citizen, hold a BVE (050), or hold a Bridging Visa D (041) when you apply — and at least one of the following must also apply to you:
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You're making arrangements to depart Australia
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You're applying for a substantive visa
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You're seeking merits or judicial review of a visa or citizenship decision, or seeking ministerial intervention
You can be any age (a minor applies alongside a parent or guardian), and you need to meet the character requirement. If your substantive visa is still valid, look at your other visa options first — a BVE only becomes relevant once that visa has expired.
Who Is Eligible for a Bridging Visa E (Subclass 051)?
This is a much narrower pathway than "any protection visa applicant." You need to meet all of the following:
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You were refused immigration clearance, or bypassed it and came to Home Affairs' notice as an unlawful non-citizen within 45 days of entering Australia
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You're currently in immigration detention
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You've applied for a protection visa that hasn't been finally determined, or you've applied for judicial review of a protection visa refusal
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You meet other specific requirements relating to age, health, or nomination — or you meet the requirements for a further subclass 051 BVE
You'll also need to meet the health requirement (you and any family members applying with you) and the character requirement.
The practical difference: most onshore protection visa applicants who lodge after arriving lawfully and later become unlawful are more likely to hold a BVC or BVE 050 during their claim — subclass 051 is specifically tied to the detention-and-recent-arrival scenario above, not protection visa processing in general.
Can You Work on a Bridging Visa E?
For subclass 050, your grant letter tells you whether you're allowed to work. Most BVE (050) grant letters default to visa condition 8101 — the standard "no work" condition applied across most bridging and temporary visas — unless Home Affairs has specifically granted work rights.
Working when condition 8101 applies can result in your BVE being cancelled, detention, and removal from Australia — so don't assume work rights without checking your grant letter first.
If your BVE carries condition 8101, you can apply for a new BVE without it in limited situations — for example, if you're in financial hardship and can't cover reasonable living costs. Home Affairs assesses this individually, and there are different requirements depending on whether you're in the visa process because of a judicial review or ministerial intervention request, with additional special rules for protection visa applicants.
Note: the immi guidance I reviewed for subclass 051 didn't restate this same work-rights framework — worth confirming directly whether 051 holders (who are in immigration detention) are treated the same way, since that context is materially different from 050.
What Are Your Ongoing Obligations on a Bridging Visa E?
Two obligations apply on top of your work condition, and they're easy to miss:
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Condition 8506 — if it's attached to your BVE, it requires you to notify Home Affairs of any change of address within 2 working days. This is a common condition on bridging visas generally, not unique to BVE, but worth checking your own grant letter for it directly since missing it can affect your case.
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Code of Behaviour (Form 1443) — a signed undertaking to follow Australian law and a specific set of conduct rules, required from a defined group of subclass 050 holders (the exact population isn't fully spelled out on the public-facing pages I could review — check your own grant letter or conditions). There's no equivalent Code of Behaviour requirement for subclass 051. Breaching it can lead to a warning, changed conditions, reduced income support, or visa cancellation.
Neither of these appears on your current live page — both are worth including once you've confirmed the specifics against your own client files or a direct Home Affairs check, since the public documentation is less complete than for the 3-year ban below.
How Long Does a Bridging Visa E Last?
Both subclasses are valid until a specified date, for a specified period, or until a specified event happens. Your BVE ends if:
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You leave Australia
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You're granted a substantive visa
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Your BVE is cancelled
You can't extend a BVE. If you're unable to depart Australia or resolve your immigration matter by the specified time or event, you need to apply for a new BVE or explore other visa options. Home Affairs' Status Resolution Service can help if you're unsure of your options, and its Help to Leave Australia program supports people who can't afford to depart.
Can You Travel Overseas on a Bridging Visa E? (And the 3-Year Re-Entry Ban)
No — and the consequence is more serious than most people expect. A BVE ends immediately if you leave Australia, and unlike some other bridging visas, this isn't just about losing your current status.
Under Public Interest Criterion 4014 of the Migration Regulations 1994, if you leave Australia while holding a Bridging Visa C, Bridging Visa D, or Bridging Visa E — including both BVE subclasses — you can be excluded from being granted most other Australian visas for 3 years from your departure date.
This is a separate, more serious consequence than the visa simply ending: it can block your next visa application entirely, not just the one you're currently pursuing.
Home Affairs can waive this exclusion only in limited circumstances: where it's satisfied there are compelling circumstances affecting Australia's interests, or compassionate or compelling circumstances affecting an Australian citizen or permanent resident. There's also a narrow exception for people who departed within 28 days of their substantive visa expiring, or who held a qualifying bridging visa within specified timeframes.
This doesn't apply to Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B — departing on either of those doesn't trigger PIC 4014, which is one of the real practical differences between the visa groups.
Get migration advice before travelling if you're on a BVE and unsure of your status — this isn't a restriction worth testing.
Can Family Members Be Included?
For subclass 051, yes — you can include members of your family unit in your application. The subclass 050 guidance I reviewed didn't explicitly address family inclusion the same way, so if you're applying with family on a 050 pathway, confirm this directly with Home Affairs or check VEVO for existing family holdings.
How Do You Apply for a Bridging Visa E?
Applying online is the preferred method for both subclasses. You and anyone included in the application must be in Australia when you lodge it, and you can't apply if you already have an undecided BVE application.
If you're applying on paper, you'll need Form 1008, sent by post to your nearest Visa and Citizenship Office — a paper application may also require an interview.
Home Affairs may ask for health examinations and biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) during processing — they'll tell you if either is required. Status updates aren't provided while your application is being processed.
Difference Between Subclass 050 and Subclass 051
The core difference is who each one is for. Subclass 050 covers the broader group of people who are unlawful, departing, or awaiting a decision or review outcome. Subclass 051 is a narrow, detention-linked pathway for protection visa applicants who were refused or bypassed immigration clearance and came to notice within 45 days of arrival.
If you're not in immigration detention, subclass 051 almost certainly doesn't apply to you — you'd be looking at subclass 050 or a different bridging visa entirely.
Both subclasses are equally exposed to the 3-year re-entry ban under PIC 4014 if you leave Australia — that consequence doesn't distinguish between them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Bridging Visa E a permanent visa?
No. It's a temporary visa that keeps you lawfully in Australia while an immigration matter — departure arrangements, a visa decision, or a review — is finalised.
How much does a Bridging Visa E cost?
Nothing. There's no application fee for either subclass 050 or subclass 051.
How long does a Bridging Visa E take to be granted?
Home Affairs doesn't give a fixed figure but directs applicants to its Global Visa Processing Times tool for a guide based on recently decided applications.
Can I work on a Bridging Visa E?
For subclass 050, your grant letter states whether you can work. Most default to condition 8101 (no work) unless Home Affairs has specifically granted work rights. Working without permission risks cancellation, detention, and removal.
Can I travel overseas on a Bridging Visa E?
No. Leaving Australia ends your BVE immediately, and under Public Interest Criterion 4014, it can also exclude you from being granted most other visas for 3 years — a much bigger consequence than just losing the bridging visa itself.
What's the difference between subclass 050 and 051?
Subclass 050 covers unlawful non-citizens generally. Subclass 051 is narrower — it's specifically for protection visa applicants in immigration detention who were refused or bypassed immigration clearance and came to notice within 45 days of arrival.
Can I apply for permanent residency while holding a BVE?
Not directly through the BVE. Any path to permanent residency depends on the substantive visa you're pursuing, not the bridging visa itself.
Related Visa Pathways
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