Section 48 Bar
If you have had a visa cancelled or refused since last arriving in Australia and you are either do not hold a visa (you are unlawful) or you hold a bridging visa, you will likely be ‘section 48 barred’.
If you are ‘section 48 barred’ you aren’t eligible to lodge most other visa applications while you are in Australia (there are some very limited exceptions). This usually means that you need to leave Australia before applying for another visa.
Becoming unlawful in Australia or overstaying your visa is likely to negatively affect your future visa applications (including citizenship).
Section 48 Bar Update
On 28 October 2021, the section 48 Bar (S48 Bar) was updated to include additional visa subclasses.
From 13 November 2021, an S48 Bar waiver is available for skilled visa applicants for the following subclasses:
This means that applicants with a Section 48 bar can apply for a 190, 491 or 494 visa without leaving Australia from November 13th.
If you have a Section 48 Bar, book an appointment to speak to one of our migration agents about a 190, 491 or 494 visa or take one of our free online eligibility assessments to find out if you can apply.
