Skilled visa dependants
Secondary applicants on skilled visas, 189, 190, 491 pathways.
Condition 8502 · Arrival Order for Secondary Applicants
You and your family were granted visas together. Your flights are booked different dates.
The grant notice shows 8502. What does 8502 actually require? Missing this detail has caused visa cancellations at the airport.
Quick answer
Secondary applicants must not enter before the primary applicant.
Arriving first, even by a day, breaches the condition and creates cancellation grounds.
Who 8502 affects
Secondary applicants.
The primary applicant's grant notice usually does not have 8502. Only secondary applicants are bound.
Student dependants
Dependent children and spouses on student visas.
Employer sponsored and partner
Spouses and dependants on employer-sponsored visas. Some family members on partner visa pathways.
How to comply
Together or after. Never before.
Simultaneous arrival is not required. Later is fine. Earlier is not.
Same flight is fineTravelling together on the same flight is compliant.
Primary first, then secondaryPrimary can arrive days, weeks, or months before secondary. Any later secondary arrival is fine.
If primary cannot travelSecondary must not enter until primary does. Waivers possible in exceptional circumstances but require formal request.
Flight delays are usually forgivenIf the primary is delayed by an unscheduled flight issue, documented and unintentional, it is usually treated leniently.
Airline systems now check 8502 at boarding.
Secondary applicants attempting to board without evidence that the primary has already arrived or is travelling together are sometimes denied boarding. Carry evidence of primary's Australian arrival (entry stamp, email confirmation) when secondary travels separately.
Frequently asked
Condition 8502 questions.
If condition 8502 affects your visa, book a consultation with Sourabh Aggarwal.
Can we arrive on the same flight?
Yes. Travelling together is compliant.
What if the primary arrives later due to a flight delay?
If the delay is documented and unintentional, it is usually treated leniently. Keep evidence.
Can the secondary arrive alone if the primary has already been to Australia?
Only if the primary is currently in Australia or arriving on the same flight as the secondary.
Is 8502 on all family visas?
Not all. Some family visa grants have it, others do not. Check each family member's grant notice.
Some information on this page has been sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and has been interpreted and approved by Principal Migration Agent Sourabh Aggarwal (MARN 1462159). Last reviewed: May 2026.