Thousands of asylum seeker families remain stuck in a bridging visa limbo as new laws, old backlogs, and slow renewals keep people in uncertainty across the country. As of March 31, 2025, Department of Home Affairs figures show about 7,417 people living in the community on Bridging Visa E (BVE), including roughly 800 children. A further 1,565 people hold expired BVEs awaiting renewal, which means their work rights and Medicare access are suspended until a new visa is granted. Advocates say the mix of paused rights and long waits is pushing families into poverty and risk.
The numbers sit within a broader “Legacy Caseload” of 32,198 people as of May 2025. Of that group:
- 1,887 still await a final decision on a protection application.
- 6,373 are in the community without a valid visa because it has expired, been cancelled, or refused.
Many of these asylum seekers arrived by boat after July 19, 2013, and cannot apply for permanent protection under current policy.
In late 2024, Parliament passed three migration laws that reshaped the system for people on temporary visas and in detention: the Migration Amendment Act, the Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Act, and the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention) Act. Rights groups argue these laws have made life harder for people on BVEs and raised new risks for those who fear harm if sent elsewhere.
Policy changes and new powers
Under the new laws, the government may pay third countries to accept noncitizens, including people already found to be refugees, without requiring those countries to follow the Refugee Convention or similar safeguards. Advocates warn this could lead to refoulement—the forced return of a person to danger.
Key powers introduced or expanded include:
- The ability to pay third countries for returns, without guaranteed refugee safeguards.
- Power to impose prison terms of one to five years on people who refuse to cooperate with deportation efforts.
- Ministerial power to reverse certain immigration decisions and strip recognized refugee status, increasing removal risk.
- Capacity to impose travel bans on entire countries, blocking visa applications from those nationals with narrow exceptions.
- New detention powers allowing officers to search detainees and seize phones, raising privacy and rights concerns.
The Albanese government says these steps are designed to strengthen border control and improve removals, while declining to outline in detail how the new powers will be used. Human Rights Watch, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and other groups have condemned the changes, saying they breach international standards and worsen harm for people already fragile in the community.
Administrative review changes
Another major shift came in October 2024, when the Administrative Review Tribunal replaced the Immigration Assessment Authority and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The stated goal was a fairer and faster review system. Processing times, however, remain long. Many applicants spend years waiting for results, their future hinging on an email or letter that may not arrive for months more.
Human impact and daily realities
For families on BVEs, daily life is tight. BVEs are temporary and must be renewed. When a BVE expires and a renewal is delayed, work and Medicare rights stop. The immediate consequences are severe:
- Parents with casual jobs lose income at once.
- People skip medicine and essential care.
- Rent falls into arrears and housing becomes unstable.
- Children experience stress at school and missed learning days.
Community groups fill some gaps, but help is uneven and short-term. Officials can renew a BVE at their discretion, and that discretion leaves many people unsure about the next week, let alone the next year.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this uncertainty—paired with suspended rights during lapses—keeps families in a cycle of debt, short leases, and food bank lines that is hard to escape.
Children and education
Children are at special risk. Around 800 minors are on BVEs, with clusters in Victoria and New South Wales. Families report:
- Unstable housing.
- Patchy health care.
- Missed school days due to unaffordable fares or uniforms.
Case workers say fear of removal also affects learning and behaviour.
Typical pathway experienced by people in the system
People caught in this system describe a predictable path:
- Arrival and initial release on a Bridging Visa E (BVE) if not kept in detention.
- Restricted access to protection visas for those who came by boat after July 19, 2013.
- Repeated BVE renewals governed by ministerial discretion; delays cause loss of work and Medicare while expired.
- Prolonged processing in the primary and review stages, with years spent on temporary status.
- Greater exposure to removal, including possible transfer to a third country under the 2024 laws; refusal to cooperate may bring criminal charges.
Official information and advocacy responses
The Department of Home Affairs publishes official program details and policy settings for people seeking protection. The agency’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program page offers current guidance, forms, and contact channels for updates and service links: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/refugee-and-humanitarian-program/about-the-program.
Advocacy organisations have urged the government to:
- Restore basic supports for those in the community.
- Build clearer renewal rules so people do not fall into gaps.
Human Rights Watch warns that paying third countries to take noncitizens, including recognized refugees, without clear safeguards risks sending people back to harm. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre argues that detention search powers and phone seizures erode dignity and make it harder for people to reach lawyers and family.
The government maintains that strong borders and fair processes can sit together, and says the new tribunal will reduce bias and improve decision quality over time. For now, though, the lived picture is steady pressure:
- Parents cannot plan work.
- Children miss routine care.
- Landlords often refuse short-term tenants with fragile income.
- Doctors report interrupted treatment when Medicare switches on and off between renewals.
- Employers hesitate to hire when visa checks show a pending BVE extension.
Community response and broader effects
These stresses ripple beyond those directly affected:
- Schools adjust attendance plans.
- Local clinics run payment plans.
- Small charities stretch budgets to keep food and transport vouchers available.
- Faith groups organise meal trains and homework clubs.
In suburbs with large BVE populations, these safety nets blunt the worst harm but cannot replace stable status.
The test as the year advances remains simple: reduce delays, renew BVEs on time, and keep asylum seekers safe while claims proceed.
Critical warnings and deadlines:
– Renewals that lapse cause immediate suspension of work rights and Medicare—a pressing and ongoing risk.
– Policies enacted in late 2024 and changes in October 2024 continue to shape processing and removal powers.
For policy detail and administrative guidance, refer to the Department’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/refugee-and-humanitarian-program/about-the-program.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Article in a Nutshell
Thousands on Bridging Visa E face stalled renewals, suspended work and Medicare, and legal changes from late 2024. Families—about 7,417 people, including 800 children—experience poverty, housing instability, interrupted care and education. Advocates urge timely renewals, clearer rules, and restored supports to prevent further harm and potential refoulement risks.
