First Entry Deadlines and Conditions 8502/8515 on a Subclass 115 Visa in 2026
How the Subclass 115 first entry deadline works, and what visa conditions 8502 and 8515 mean for marrying or a de facto relationship.
On a Subclass 115 (Remaining Relative) visa, you must enter Australia before the first entry date in your grant letter — generally 12 months from the date of visa grant — and you may also face condition 8502 or 8515, which restrict marrying or entering a de facto relationship either before or after you arrive. Based on the Australian Department of Home Affairs page “Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 115)”, missing the first entry date does not automatically end the visa: you can still travel if the visa remains valid, but the visa may be cancelled before arrival or at the border. The Migration Regulations 1994 provide that condition 8502 prohibits marrying or entering a de facto relationship before entering Australia, while condition 8515 imposes the same restriction after entry. This article is general information only and not personalised professional advice, so for your specific circumstances rely on the official information or a professional adviser.
What is the first entry deadline on a Subclass 115 visa?
Your grant letter specifies the date by which you must enter Australia. The official page states that the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date the visa is granted, and clause 115.611 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires entry before the date the Minister specifies.
Entering on this visa also has a citizenship consequence: for citizenship purposes, you become a permanent resident when you enter Australia on this visa, unless you were previously in Australia and held a permanent visa immediately before last leaving, in which case residency starts at grant.
What happens if I miss the first entry date?
If you do not travel before the first entry date, the official page says you can still travel to Australia with an expired first entry arrival date if your visa is still valid. The risk is that your visa may still be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border.
To see whether the visa is still valid, use VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online), which the Department identifies as the way to check visa validity and conditions.
What are conditions 8502 and 8515?
Clause 115.612 of the Migration Regulations 1994, reflected in the Department’s PAM3 guidelines, allows a visa officer to attach condition 8502 or condition 8515 to a Subclass 115 visa. Condition 8502 means you must not marry or enter into a de facto relationship before entering Australia. Condition 8515 means you must not marry or enter into a de facto relationship after entering Australia.
These are not automatic: they are conditions that may be attached, so the grant letter and VEVO are the places to confirm whether they apply to you.
How do conditions 8502 and 8515 affect marrying or a de facto relationship?
The conditions target the timing of the relationship, not the relationship itself in the abstract. Assume an applicant is granted the visa with condition 8502 attached: the restriction applies up to the point they enter Australia, so marrying or entering a de facto relationship before that first entry would breach the condition.
Assume instead that condition 8515 is attached: the restriction applies after entry, so marrying or entering a de facto relationship once the applicant is in Australia would breach the condition. The official page requires you and your family members to meet all visa conditions, so a breach means you have not met an obligation of the visa.
What if I breach condition 8502 or 8515, or miss the first entry date?
For the first entry date, the official page is explicit: travelling after that date can lead to cancellation before arrival or at the border. For conditions 8502 and 8515, the official Subclass 115 page requires all visa conditions to be met but does not set out a specific cancellation outcome for breaching these particular conditions.
As a general matter, not meeting a visa condition is a failure to comply with the visa’s obligations and can place the visa at risk, but no outcome is promised here. If you are unsure whether a planned marriage or de facto relationship would breach an attached condition, that is exactly the kind of individual question where the official information or a professional adviser matters.
How do I check my first entry date and visa conditions?
The Department’s official page directs holders to check their visa details and conditions through VEVO, and to use the visa conditions check for this visa. Your grant letter records the first entry date and any attached conditions, while VEVO shows whether the visa is still valid and what conditions are recorded.
Because migration rules and individual circumstances vary, confirm your own position in your grant letter, VEVO and, if needed, professional advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must I enter Australia on a Subclass 115 visa?
You must enter before the date specified in your grant letter, which the official page says is generally 12 months from the date of visa grant. Clause 115.611 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires entry before the Minister’s specified date. Entering late does not necessarily end the visa, but it carries a cancellation risk at the border.
Can I still enter Australia if my first entry date has passed?
Yes, if the visa is still valid you can travel with an expired first entry arrival date, according to the official page. However, the visa may still be cancelled before arrival or at the border. Use VEVO to confirm the visa remains valid before you book travel.
What is condition 8502 on a Subclass 115 visa?
Condition 8502 is a condition that may be attached under clause 115.612 and the PAM3 guidelines, and it prohibits marrying or entering a de facto relationship before entering Australia. It is not attached to every Subclass 115 visa, so check your grant letter or VEVO.
What is condition 8515 and when does it apply?
Condition 8515 is the companion condition that may be attached under the same clause, and it prohibits marrying or entering a de facto relationship after entering Australia. It applies from the point you are in Australia, based on the Migration Regulations 1994. As with 8502, confirm the condition’s presence in your grant letter or VEVO.
What happens if I do not meet an attached condition?
The official page requires visa holders to meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws, so a breach means the condition’s obligation has not been met. The page does not detail a specific cancellation result for breaching 8502 or 8515, and this article does not promise any outcome. Where the first entry date has passed, however, the official page warns the visa may be cancelled before arrival or at the border.
Does the first entry date affect permanent residency for citizenship?
Yes. For citizenship purposes, you become a permanent resident when you enter Australia on this visa, according to the official page. If you were previously present in Australia and held a permanent visa immediately before last leaving, residency starts at the time of grant instead. Delaying your first entry can therefore delay when that residency start is taken to occur.