Thanks Previs for your sharing. I guess I need to get more insights from migration agents. This transition is stressing me ^^

Hi Miri, did you get the acknowledgement letter of BVA telling you that you can work without restricted number of hours? I read somewhere here, people can only work on BVA with the same number of hours with the previous visa held. Hopefully it s not so.

Inkhearted - thanks for your reply. I guess we just keep our fingers patiently crossed. Let's hope the next email we get is good news

I'm not a migration agent, but...

As stated, your BVA does not come into effect until after your 457 expires naturally. What happens if you cancel your 457 (or you breach the work conditions, getting it cancelled) before it expires, is that you LOSE the Bridging Visa A and end up on a Bridging Visa E, which has NO work rights and NO travel rights. Hardly a good way to go.

If you do find yourself on a BVE, you can apply for work rights based on hardship if you can prove financial hardship, but approval is not guaranteed. And you won't be able to get travel rights, so you can't travel outside Australia or you risk not being allowed back in again -- and an 820 can only be granted if you are actually in Australia.

So you'll be dealing with all these restrictions during the entirety of the 820 application process, which can take over a year. Obviously it's a much better solution to not cancel your 457 in the first place.

Partner visa applicants get unrestricted work rights with a BVA. But see my post above re: 457 cancellation and BVE.

Thank you very much for your prompt reply Collegegirl. :)

In addition, if you lose your job (or quit I suppose) and then apply for an 820/801 during the 90 day period, you will have met the obligations of the visa and it won't be cancelled. Or at least it's very unlikely that it would be cancelled. But it might as well be, because the restrictions on working will remain in place, and you'll have to wait around until the 457 expires naturally before the BVA comes into effect. The only real difference is you won't have to worry about the BVE and you will at least know that if the 820 takes a very long time, you will eventually switch to a BVA. Hope that all makes sense.

The best thing is to try and remain in the work for which you are being sponsored on 457, or find a new sponsor, until a decision is made on the 820.

Thanks Previs. The company may close down in few months. So, it is hard time for me now thinking forward

Hi Miri, did you get the acknowledgement letter of BVA telling you that you can work without restricted number of hours? I read somewhere here, people can only work on BVA with the same number of hours with the previous visa held. Hopefully it s not so.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, just saw your question :)
Yes, it said once your BVA comes into effect you will have full work rights, without any restrictions!
At the time I applied my student visa was still valid a couple of days.. Now "enjoying" to work full time and finally be able to start saving some money and not struggling to pay the VISA fee and tuition fees anymore :D

Hey guys, nice to belong to this waiting room.

I sent our 820 application stuff this past friday (11.04.14). Now the waiting game continues. Hopefully they send me the acknowledgement of receipt soon.

Any updates? Anyone granted lately? Heard they were up to June 2013? Anyone can confirm that?