the first time时态,有have to吗

This is not the first time we've had to wait for her.
the first time，以前一直见到的是过去式。the first time I saw her.是不是根据语态，什么时态都能用？
had to，不得不，我学英语十几年，英文虽然不太好，但没见过have to，曾记得我某个老师说没有have to。到底有没有have to

跟过去式时应该是the first time作时间状语的情况，比如：The first time he saw her,he fell in love with her.而this/it is (not) the first time这个结构是与完成时一块用的，后跟have+过去分词，这是固定用法。have to比较特殊，虽然也具有情态动词的功能，但却与其他的情态动词不同，它有人称、数和时态的变化。

have to 不得不的意思，情态动词，与must同意为必须的意思，不同的是，must为主观“必须”，就是自己认为要“必须”做的，例如，I must go home today： 相反have to 为客观，就是受条件限制不得不做的，例如，It's nine,i have to go home.

the first time第一次、首次，名词词组用作连词可引导句子，如： ① i remember the first time i saw you. i did most of talking. ② he fell in love with it the first time he got to guilin. ③ this is the first time that i have been to america.

It / This is the first / second time that +从句（现在完成时） 这是一个句型，译：这是第一/ 二次某人做某事 This is not the first time we've had to wait for her. 该句中谓语中心词是have to wait for her，该短语用现在完成时（have/ has+ done）表达变成了： we have had to wait for her