How Long Do I Have to Enter Australia on a Subclass 115 Visa in 2026?
On a Subclass 115 visa, the first entry date is generally 12 months from the date of grant — here is what that date does and does not control.
On a Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 115), you must enter Australia before the date specified in your grant letter, and that first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date the visa is granted. This is the position set out on the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 115) official page, as at July 2026. The 12 months is the department's usual setting, not a period you calculate yourself — the date that binds you is the one written in your own grant letter.
What is the first entry date actually asking you to do?
It asks for one thing: your first arrival in Australia. It is not a deadline to relocate, start work, or settle your affairs. The Subclass 115 is a permanent visa, so once you have made that first entry you can stay indefinitely; the obligation is satisfied by arriving, not by staying for any minimum period.
The obligation sits in the "obligations" section of the official visa page alongside a broader requirement that you and any family members who hold the visa meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the visa is also subject to a requirement that the holder enter Australia before the date specified by the Minister, with the possibility of further conditions being attached at grant — the current official text should be treated as the authority on how those clauses read today.
Where does the 12 months start, and when does it stop mattering?
The clock runs from the date of grant, not from the day you receive or read the grant letter, and not from any date printed on a passport. The department digitally links the visa to your passport rather than issuing a visa label, so the grant letter — not a stamp — is where you find the relevant dates.
The date stops mattering the moment you have entered Australia. After that first arrival, the operative deadline becomes the end of your travel validity, described below.
Is the first entry date the same as the 5-year travel facility?
No, and this is the distinction most applicants get wrong. The first entry date governs your first arrival. Separately, the visa allows you to travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date of grant, until that travel validity expires.
The two clocks are independent. Entering Australia in month three does not shorten your travel facility, and waiting until month eleven does not extend it — the 5-year period runs from the date of grant regardless of when you first arrive. Once the travel validity ends, you need a Resident Return visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, or you may instead consider Australian citizenship, after which you would travel on an Australian passport rather than a visa.
| Date | What it controls | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Date of grant | The start of the 5-year travel facility, and the usual reference point for the first entry date | Grant letter |
| First entry date | The deadline for your first arrival in Australia | Specified in the grant letter; generally 12 months after grant |
| End of travel validity | The last date you can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident without a Resident Return visa | 5 years from the date of grant; confirm in VEVO |
| Visa duration itself | No expiry — the visa lets you stay indefinitely | Grant letter and VEVO |
Why the date carries weight beyond the flight booking
Three consequences follow from the first entry date, and two of them are easy to overlook.
First, the obligation is a visa obligation. Failing to enter by the date is not the same as the visa ceasing to exist, but the official page is explicit that a visa may still be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border.
Second, the entry is what starts your status as a permanent resident for citizenship purposes in the ordinary case. You become a permanent resident for that purpose when you enter Australia on this visa; the alternative applies only if you were previously present in Australia and held a permanent visa immediately before you last left, in which case the relevant point is the grant itself. Delaying first entry can therefore push back the point from which later residence is counted toward eligibility for Australian citizenship.
Third, conditions may be attached at grant. Some Subclass 115 grants carry conditions about marriage or de facto relationships either before or after entry. Check the conditions recorded against your own grant rather than assuming none apply, because those conditions bind you from the time the visa takes effect.
What if the 12 months have already passed?
The visa does not automatically end. The official page states that if you do not travel before the first entry date, you can still travel to Australia with an expired first entry arrival date if your visa is still valid — but the visa may still be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border. In other words, an expired first entry date is a risk to manage, not an automatic bar on boarding.
Because the visa is permanent, the practical question is whether the visa itself remains in effect. That is what VEVO shows, and it is also where you confirm the end of your travel validity and your conditions.
How to read your own dates
Your grant letter specifies the first entry date, so treat it as the controlling document; the 12-month figure is the general setting the department applies, not a substitute for the date you were given. VEVO is the system for confirming that the visa is still valid, when the travel facility ends, and what conditions apply.
Assume an applicant whose visa was granted in March 2026: their first entry date would generally fall in March 2027, and their travel validity would run to March 2031. If they first arrive in October 2026, the travel facility still ends in March 2031 — arriving earlier did not buy extra travel time.
This article is general information about how the published rules work and is not personalised advice about your circumstances; the dates and conditions that bind you are the ones in your own grant letter and the current official requirements, and anything here should be checked against those or with a qualified practitioner before you rely on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the first entry date always exactly 12 months from the date of grant?
No. The official page says the first entry date is generally set at 12 months from the date of visa grant, which is a usual setting rather than a guarantee. The date in your grant letter is the one you must meet, whatever interval it reflects.
Do I have to move to Australia permanently before the first entry date?
No. The obligation is to enter Australia before that date, not to relocate by then. Once you have entered, the permanent visa lets you stay indefinitely, and the 5-year travel facility allows you to come and go during that period.
Does entering Australia early shorten my 5-year travel period?
No. The travel facility runs for 5 years from the date the visa was granted, regardless of when you first arrive. Entering in the first month or the eleventh month leaves the end date unchanged.
What happens if I never enter before the first entry date?
The visa does not automatically cease. You can still travel to Australia with an expired first entry arrival date if the visa is still valid, but the visa may be subject to cancellation before arrival or at the border, so the risk should not be treated as nominal.
When do I become a permanent resident for citizenship purposes?
Generally when you enter Australia on this visa. If you were previously present in Australia and held a permanent visa immediately before you last left, the relevant point is when the visa is granted instead.
Can the first entry date be extended?
The official page describes the obligation and the general 12-month setting without describing any process to extend the date, so plan around the date stated in your grant letter. Treat any other suggestion about changing it as unverified unless it appears in current official material.