Illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs)

This page contains information for illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs) living temporarily in the Australian community, in community detention or on a bridging visa, while they wait to be invited to apply for a protection visa or for their application to be decided. It also describes some of the services IMAs might receive and the behaviour expected of them.

Waiting to be invited to apply

You can find out the date range of people who are currently being invited to apply for a visa and what you can do while you wait.

You can also learn more about the protection visa application process.

This information is not for people who are attempting to travel to Australia illegally by boat after 1 January 2014.

Bridging visas for illegal maritime arrivals

A bridging visa is a temporary visa that lets holders remain in the community while their immigration status remains unresolved. The type of bridging visa that is granted to an IMA while they are waiting for their protection claims to be assessed is a Bridging visa E (BVE).

If you are living in the Australian community on a BVE, you should engage with us before your BVE expires. In some cases, you may need to come to an immigration office to be granted another BVE.

It is important for you to keep your contact details current with us. This includes the address where you live and your phone number so we can contact you with important information about your immigration status. Remember, this is also a condition of holding a bridging visa and being able to live in the community.

To update your contact details, call with your name, date of birth, boat identification number, home address and contact phone number.

IMAs living in the community on a BVE while they wait to apply for a protection visa are generally permitted to work. If you are unsure whether you have permission to work, check your most recent visa grant notice. You will be allowed to work if your BVE does not have a ‘no work’ condition (condition 8101).

Can I stay on a BVE instead of applying for a protection visa?

No. As part of being granted a BVE, you signed the Code of Behaviour. Part of the Code of Behaviour is agreeing to cooperate with Australian Government agencies. Applying for a protection visa when you are invited to do so is part of cooperating with us.

If you have been invited to apply for a protection visa but are unable to lodge your application before your current BVE expires, you might be able to be granted another BVE for a short period of time to allow you to complete and lodge your application. You will need to stay in contact with us and let us know if you need more time, so that you do not become unlawful.

When you apply for a TPV or a SHEV, you will be granted a BVE that will be valid until your application has been decided. You will have permission to work and access to Medicare and other services.

Code of Behaviour

A code of behaviour applies to all adult IMAs who are considered for the grant of a BVE by the Minister.

The code describes how people are expected to behave while they are living in the Australian community on a bridging visa. It also describes behaviour that is not tolerated in Australia.

The code of behaviour must be signed and witnessed. You will need to signForm 1443—Code of Behaviour for Subclass 050 Bridging (General) (316KB PDF).

If you need help with this form, send an email to[email protected] or talk to your service provider.

You can also read form 1444i—Code of Behaviour for Subclass 050 Bridging (General) visa holders Supporting Information, which is available in the following languages:

• العربية | Arabic (372KB PDF)
• বাংলা | Bengali (402KB PDF)
• دری | Dari (368KB PDF)
• English (317KB PDF)
• فارسی | Farsi (Persian) (361KB PDF)
• Kurdî (Kurmancî) | Kurdish (Kurmanji) (342KB PDF)
• کوردی) سۆرانی) | Kurdish (Sorani) (360KB PDF)
• Myanmar Language (Burmese) (367KB PDF)
• پــښـتو | Pashto (360KB PDF)
• සිංහල | Sinhalese (372KB PDF)
• தமிழ்மொழி | Tamil (361kb)
• اردو | Urdu (370KB PDF)
• Tiếng Việt | Vietnamese (354KB PDF)

Family safety

Information about family safety for people who are new to Australia is available. This information explains Australia’s laws about domestic and family violence, sexual assault and forced marriage, in many community languages.

Status Resolution Support Services

Some IMAs are eligible to receive Status Resolution Support Services(SRSS). These services provide support to people while they work towards resolving their immigration status in the community.

Voluntary returns

You can choose to return home or to your country of lawful permanent residence at any time. If you are thinking about returning home, you might be able to get assistance from the International Organization for Migration(IOM). The type of assistance is based on your individual circumstances.