Unpaid Debts to the Australian Government and Subclass 115 in 2026
How the subclass 115 rule on money owed to the Australian Government works in 2026, including when an approved repayment arrangement is enough.
Owing money to the Australian Government does not by itself end a Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115) application in 2026. As at the October 2026 version of the Department of Home Affairs' Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115) official page, the criterion is met if the money has been paid back or if there is an approved arrangement to pay it back — and it reaches your family members, not only you. This is general information about the published criteria rather than an assessment of any individual case; your own position depends on the requirements in force when the application is decided and, where the stakes are high, on advice from a qualified professional.
How does the subclass 115 debt requirement actually read?
The eligibility page states the rule in one sentence: if you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have an approved arrangement to pay it back. There are therefore two ways to satisfy it — repayment, or an arrangement that has been approved.
The page does not go further. It does not set a minimum or maximum amount, name the kinds of debt covered, identify which body must approve the arrangement, or give a deadline by which repayment must finish. Those details are not published on the subclass 115 page, so treat any specific figure or timeframe you see elsewhere as something to verify against the official material currently in force.
What the page does make clear is the structure: this is one of several criteria, and the introduction to the eligibility section says you must meet all of them.
Whose debts count — does "family members" include people who are not applying?
The wording matters here, because the page is not consistent across criteria.
- Health: you and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet the requirement, and the department might also ask other family members to meet it.
- Character: the same structure applies, and the page expressly refers to other non-migrating family members being asked to meet the requirement.
- Debt: the condition is expressed as "you or any family members" without the "who apply for the visa with you" qualifier used in the health and character criteria.
The page does not define "family members" for the debt criterion, and it does not state how far the scope runs. What can be said from the published text is that the debt wording is broader on its face than the health and character wording, and that the page separately contemplates the department looking at non-migrating family members. Assume an applicant whose sibling is not included in the application and who has an outstanding government debt: on the wording of the page, that debt falls within the words used, and it should be resolved or covered by an approved arrangement rather than assumed to be outside the criterion.
The partner question is different again. The "near relative" criterion is written as "you or your partner", but the debt criterion says "you or any family members". The page does not reconcile the two, so the conservative reading is to treat a partner's debt as a matter to be resolved in the same way.
How does this criterion sit alongside the rest of subclass 115 eligibility?
The debt condition is one of nine published criteria. The table below summarises who each one reaches, according to the eligibility page.
| Criterion | Who it covers, per the page |
|---|---|
| Debt to the Australian Government | You or any family members; must be repaid or covered by an approved arrangement |
| Sponsor | You must be sponsored by an eligible parent or step-parent, sibling or step-sibling, or an eligible partner of your relative, and the sponsorship must be approved |
| No other near relatives | You or your partner must not have a near relative usually living outside Australia, or living in Australia on a temporary visa (including bridging visas) or unlawfully, unless an eligible New Zealand citizen |
| Assurance of support | You, and any family members who come to Australia with you on this visa |
| Health | You and family members applying with you; other family members may also be asked |
| Character | You and family members applying with you; other non-migrating family members may also be asked |
| Immigration history | Your history is considered, including any cancelled visa or refused application |
| Australian values statement | Applicants aged 18 or over must have read, or had explained, the Life in Australia booklet and sign the statement |
| Best interests of the child | Applies where an applicant is under 18 |
The assurance of support is frequently confused with the debt rule, but the two are separate. An assurance of support is a promise that you and any family members coming with you will not have to rely on government assistance after you enter Australia; the department tells you when it needs to be provided. The debt criterion is about money already owed, and it is not satisfied by an assurance of support.
What if the debt is still unpaid and there is no arrangement?
The eligibility page says you must meet all of the listed criteria to be eligible. It describes no waiver, no exception, no minimum amount below which a debt is ignored, and no grace period for an arrangement that has been requested but not yet approved.
That is the whole of what the page publishes on the point. It does not describe how a decision-maker weighs an arrangement made after lodgement, or what happens if an arrangement is approved and then falls behind. Those are matters on which the subclass 115 page is silent, and they should be checked against the official requirements in force at the time.
What should you check before lodging, and in what order?
- List every amount owed to the Australian Government by you and by your family members.
- Mark each one as either fully repaid or still outstanding.
- For each outstanding amount, confirm whether an approved arrangement to pay it back is in place.
- Resolve any amount that is neither repaid nor covered by an approved arrangement.
- Hold documentary evidence of each repayment and of each approved arrangement.
- Review the other criteria in the table above, because the debt condition is only one of them.
- Provide the assurance of support when the department asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get subclass 115 in 2026 if I still owe the Australian Government money?
Yes, if the money has been paid back or there is an approved arrangement to pay it back. As at the October 2026 version of the Department of Home Affairs' subclass 115 official page, either limb satisfies the criterion. The condition applies to you and to any family members.
What counts as an "approved arrangement to pay it back"?
The subclass 115 page uses the phrase without defining it, and does not say who must approve the arrangement or what form it must take. It also sets no minimum amount and no maximum repayment period. The requirement is simply that an arrangement exists and has been approved.
Do my family members' debts matter if they are not migrating with me?
The debt wording covers "you or any family members" without limiting it to those applying with you, unlike the health and character criteria on the same page. The page separately says the department might ask non-migrating family members to meet the character requirement. The page does not define the outer boundary of "family members" for debt purposes.
Is the debt rule the same thing as the assurance of support?
No. An assurance of support is about not relying on government assistance after you enter Australia, and it covers you and family members who come with you on the visa. The debt criterion concerns money already owed to the Australian Government and is met by repayment or an approved arrangement.
Does an unpaid debt affect the health or character requirements?
The page lists health, character and debt as separate criteria, and does not state that one affects the others. Health and character apply to applicants and may extend to other family members. Each criterion has to be met on its own terms.
Is there a waiver for a small debt?
The subclass 115 page describes no waiver, no exception and no threshold amount. It states that all of the listed eligibility criteria must be met. Specific thresholds or exemptions are not published on that page, so the official requirements in force are the reference point.