Using a Bridging Visa between a Student Visa and a Partner Visa.
Some Student Visa holders, such as the subclass 500 visa holders, end up in a relationship with someone in Australia, and decide to apply for a Partner visa.
Some people, in a relationship with someone in Australia, decide to apply for a Student Visa, so they can stay in Australia, before they apply for a Partner Visa.
Both of these will end up being granted a Bridging Visa, after they apply for the Partner Visa.
Unfortunately, many of these applicants end up confused when they find out what the REAL situation is with the Bridging Visa.
Some of these applicants think that they can stop studying and start working full time, as soon as they get a Bridging Visa. Some think they can immediately stop paying for University fees etc.
However, that is NOT the case, you must maintain your course obligations until the Student Visa expires, OR, the date that the temporary Partner Visa is granted.
The Bridging Visa (normally a BVA) is attached to the student visa, but is not activated until that Student Visa expires.
Therefore they must continue to adhere to the Student Visa conditions until that visa expires. They cannot just cancel the Student Visa, as that would cancel the Bridging visa before it is even activated, and the student would have to leave Australia.
The applicant will normally go through three basic visa stages, between getting the Student Visa, and getting the Partner Visa grant (subclass 820). These are:
- They are legally in Australia on the Student Visa, until that Visa expires.
- They are legally in Australia on the Bridging Visa, from the date that the student visa expires, until the date the Partner Visa is granted.
- They are legally in Australia on the Partner Visa, from the date it is granted.
During the first stage, the visa holder MUST adhere to the Student Visa conditions until that visa expires. If they do not, then the student visa and the attached bridging visa can be cancelled, and the holder must normally leave Australia.
During the second stage, the visa holder MUST adhere to the Bridging Visa conditions that are stated on that visa. Sometimes this second stage never happens, and this is the reason: If the Temporary Partner Visa is granted BEFORE the Student Visa expires, then the Bridging Visa is never actually activated.
During the third stage, the applicant will be under the conditions for the Temporary Partner Visa that they had applied for.
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