BVA (010)
Inherited from substantive visa. Automatic. Nothing extra required. See BVA guide.
Form 1005 · Condition 8101 · Hardship Evidence
18 months on bridging visas. Rent climbing. Savings falling. You need work rights.
Your employer says they need you on the payroll. Your bridging visa says condition 8101. This page walks through every work-rights scenario on every bridging visa type, and shows you how to apply for rights when you do not have them.
Work rights by bridging visa type
Five visas. Three default positions.
BVA and BVB rights inherit from the substantive visa. BVC and BVE need Form 1005. BVD has no pathway.
Form 1005 step by step
Four steps to apply for work rights.
Form 1005 is for BVC and BVE holders. BVA and BVB holders do not use it.
Step 1: Confirm eligibilityCheck your grant notice for the subclass number. Form 1005 is only for BVC and BVE. Wrong subclass = application refused.
Step 2: Gather financial evidenceBank statements 6 months. Rental agreement and receipts. Utility bills. Medical bills. Evidence of dependents. Family statements on inability to support.
Step 3: Write a hardship statementFactual, first-person. Current living situation. What essentials you cannot afford. Risk of eviction or loss of services. How work would resolve hardship.
Step 4: Lodge and waitImmiAccount or paper. 4 to 8 weeks standard. Urgent cases (eviction, medical) can be expedited with evidence.
What hardship means
A real test, not a checkbox.
The Department applies a no reasonable means of support test. Hardship means genuine inability to meet basic costs.
What counts
Demonstrated inability to pay essentials: food, rent, utilities, medical care. Bank balance below approximately 8 weeks of basic expenses. No alternative income sources.
What does NOT count
Inconvenience, lifestyle reduction, reluctance to rely on family. A bank balance of $20,000 does not meet hardship. Spouse earning sufficient Australian income does not meet hardship.
Effect of grant
Work rights are not backdated. They apply from the grant date forward. Employer should verify via VEVO before you start.
The Department cross-references Single Touch Payroll, superannuation, Medicare, ATO returns, and community tips.
The belief that cash-in-hand work goes undetected is outdated. Tax office data-matching has flagged breaches from more than 5 years prior in appeals we have represented. Condition 8101 breaches trigger cancellation, 3-year re-entry bans, and PIC 4020 scrutiny on future applications.
Common questions
The questions we hear most.
For Form 1005 applications, book with Sourabh Aggarwal.
Can I start working the day after Form 1005 is granted?
Yes. Work rights apply from the grant date. Your employer should verify via VEVO.
Can I work for Uber or DoorDash on a BVC with Form 1005 work rights?
Yes, contractor work counts as work and is permitted once work rights are granted.
Do my work rights end when my substantive application is decided?
Yes. New visa, new work rights (or no rights, depending on the visa).
My employer asked for my BVC grant notice with work rights. What do I show them?
Show both the bridging visa grant notice and the Form 1005 approval notice, plus a current VEVO check.
Some information on this page has been sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and has been interpreted and approved by Principal Migration Agent Sourabh Aggarwal (MARN 1462159). Last reviewed: May 2026.