More than 333,000 people were on Bridging Visa in Australia by the end of the 2019/20 financial year - 127,900 more than the previous year.
Highlights:
- There were 333,516 people on bridging visa in Australia at the end of previous financial year.
- The number of bridging visa holders has increased by a 117,375 in the last six months.
- A total of 2,029,721 temporary entrants were there in Australia at the end of this financial year, which is lowest in three years.
The number of bridging visa holders has increased by 117,375 in the last six months of the previous financial year.
A Bridging visa is a temporary visa that allows an applicant to stay in Australia after their current substantive visa ceases and while their substantive visa application is being processed.
By December 2019 the number of people on Bridging visas had increased to 216,000; then a new record of 281,000 was set in March 2020, and later at the end of June 2020 another record of 333,000 people in Australia on bridging visas was reached. 
"The number of bridging visa holders for the last 15 years has gone up tremendously," says Abul Rizvi.
Former immigration deputy secretary Abul Rizvi says Morrison's plan to reduce Australia's migration intake will have minimal impact on congestion. Source: SBS
"It used to be in the 50,000s. I used to get into trouble when it approached anything about 30,000," says Mr Rizvi, who has previously worked as a Deputy Secretary with the Department of Home Affairs.
He suggests there are some serious shortcomings within the Department of Home Affairs in terms of its ability to process visas.
"Either there is a lack of resources, there is a training issue with the staff, or there is a policy problem, or it could be all three, but 333,000 people on bridging visas in Australia is an indication of a system in serious trouble."
Mr Rizvi believes that this situation is "not good for honest people who are trying to do the right thing."
Gold Coast Source: AAP
"It surprises me that the government is not taking action to reduce that number so that people on substantive visas and are not stuck on bridging visas. People being stuck on bridging visas is not good for honest people who are trying to do the right thing.
"It is good for unscrupulous people trying to do the wrong thing."
Temporary entrants to Australia lowest in three years
A total of 2,029,721 temporary entrants were in Australia at the end of the financial year, the lowest in three years.
Since March 2020 a little over 140,000 temporary entrants have left Australia, compared to around 2.4 million at the end of December 2019.
The number of people on a visitor's visa has gone down significantly.
At the end of the financial year, there were 93,494 people on a visitor's visa in Australia, down from 206,025 in March this year.
Most of the people on visitor visas would have departed Australia quite quickly, and that's understandable but, it will have serious implications.
Abul Rizvi says there are implications for Australia's economy.
"It means that if you are a business in Australia or an employer in Australia reliant on international tourism - so I think of places like Tasmania or Queensland - those sorts of places are going to be in serious trouble because they do not have the revenue coming in from international visitors."
'Visas continue to be processed'
Department of Home Affairs says the current COVID-19 pandemic has meant overall numbers have recently risen above the expected seasonal increases.
A spokesperson from the Department of Home Affairs told SBS Hindi, "People unable to depart Australia due to COVID-19 are applying for new substantive visas to remain in Australia. While these applications are being decided, the applicant will often be granted a BV to keep the applicant lawful in Australia."
"Visas continue to be processed during the coronavirus crisis, though some applications may take longer as international shutdowns have made it difficult to source supplementary information like health and character checks," says the department.
