Skilled Visa Income Thresholds 2026-27: CSIT, SSIT and TSMIT

Australia's skilled visa income thresholds rose by 3.8 per cent on 1 July 2026, in line with Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings. For nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the figures are AUD79,423 for the Core Skills Income Threshold, AUD146,576 for the Specialist Skills Income Threshold, and AUD79,423 for the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold.

These are not budgeting guides. A nominated salary that falls below the applicable threshold at the time the nomination is lodged will not be approved, and the charge is not refunded. If you priced a role before 1 July and have not yet lodged, the package needs rechecking.

The 2026-27 thresholds

• Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): AUD79,423. Applies to Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Core Skills stream nominations, and to Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) nominations lodged on or after 7 December 2024.

• Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): AUD146,576. Applies to Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Specialist Skills stream nominations.

• Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT): AUD79,423. Applies to Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) nominations.

How the thresholds have moved

The trend matters for anyone planning more than one nomination, or budgeting for a renewal:

• CSIT: AUD73,150 from 7 December 2024, AUD76,515 from 1 July 2025, AUD79,423 from 1 July 2026.

• SSIT: AUD135,000 from 7 December 2024, AUD141,210 from 1 July 2025, AUD146,576 from 1 July 2026.

• TSMIT: frozen at AUD53,900 from 2013 to 2023, then AUD70,000, AUD73,150, AUD76,515 and now AUD79,423.

Indexation now happens every 1 July. A salary set at the threshold this year will be below it next year, so build headroom into offers for roles you expect to nominate again.

The lodgement date is what counts

The threshold that applies is the one in force when the nomination is lodged, not when the offer was made, the contract signed or the visa decided. A nomination lodged on 30 June 2026 is assessed against AUD76,515; the same nomination lodged on 1 July 2026 must meet AUD79,423.

This is the single most common way employers get caught. A recruitment process that started in May, with a package built around last year's figure, will fail if the nomination slips past 30 June. Where a package is close to the line, either lodge before the change or reprice the role.

The threshold is only half the salary test

Meeting the income threshold does not satisfy the salary requirements on its own. Where the nominated salary is below AUD250,000, an employer must show that:

• the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) has been determined correctly for the occupation;

• the overseas worker will not be paid less than an equivalent Australian worker; and

• both the AMSR and the worker's guaranteed annual earnings, excluding non-monetary benefits, are at or above the relevant income threshold.

If the intention is to pay the nominated worker less than an equivalent Australian worker, the Department will refuse the nomination. That is stated plainly in the Department's guidance and it is not a discretionary matter.

How the AMSR is determined

The AMSR is what an Australian citizen or permanent resident earns, or would earn, for equivalent full-time work for one year at the same workplace and location. How you evidence it depends on two questions: whether there is an equivalent Australian worker at that workplace, and whether a Fair Work or state industrial instrument applies.

• Where an industrial instrument applies, the AMSR is set by that instrument, or by employment documents if they show a higher amount.

• Where there is an equivalent Australian worker but no instrument, the AMSR comes from that worker's employment documents, such as payslips or contracts.

• Where there is neither, you rely on relevant market information: Jobs and Skills Australia occupation and industry profiles, dated job advertisements from national recruitment sites or print media that specify salary, reputable remuneration surveys, or written advice from a union or employer association.

A warning from the Department's own guidance: generic market salary data or surveys, submitted on their own, may result in refusal. The evidence has to be specific to the occupation, the location and the seniority of the actual role.

Note also that an Australian worker doing similar work at a different pay grade, with more or less experience than the nominee, is not an equivalent worker for this purpose.

Non-monetary benefits do not count

Accommodation, a vehicle, relocation assistance and similar benefits are excluded from the calculation. They cannot be used to bridge a gap to the threshold, and where they form part of a package they must be provided in addition to the required salary. This trips up regional and hospitality employers in particular, where accommodation is often bundled into an offer.

Which visa does each threshold apply to?

• Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Core Skills stream: CSIT. Requires an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List, at least 1 year of relevant work experience, and payment of both the AMSR and the CSIT. The visa allows up to 4 years, or 5 for Hong Kong passport holders, and costs from AUD4,015.

• Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Specialist Skills stream: SSIT, at AUD146,576.

• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186): CSIT for nominations lodged on or after 7 December 2024. Permanent, from AUD6,140. The Temporary Residence Transition stream generally requires two years of full-time sponsored employment with the nominating employer.

• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) and RSMS (subclass 187): TSMIT, at AUD79,423.

How long employer-sponsored applications are taking

Timing matters as much as the salary figure when planning a start date. Current indicative processing times are:

• Subclass 482 nomination: 50 per cent decided in 5 days, 90 per cent in 9 months.

• Subclass 482 Core Skills visa: 50 per cent in 69 days, 90 per cent in 10 months.

The permanent stage is slower and heavily influenced by where the applicant was when they applied. Subclass 186 applications are processed under Ministerial Direction No. 119, which prioritises onshore applicants and, within those, construction, healthcare and teaching occupations. As at the date this article was checked, the Department was working on subclass 186 applications lodged in August 2025 for priority occupations onshore, November 2024 for other onshore applications, and July 2024 for offshore applications.

For an employer, that means the realistic sequence is a relatively quick 482 to get someone working, followed by a much longer wait for permanent residence.

The 2026-27 program has shifted toward employer sponsorship

The threshold increase lands alongside the 2026-27 permanent Migration Program, set at 185,000 places with 132,240 in the Skilled Migration Program. The composition changed significantly from 2025-26:

• Employer Sponsored: 58,040 places, up from 44,000.

• Skilled Independent: 21,090 places, up from 16,900.

• State and Territory Nominated: 35,500 places, up from 33,000.

• Regional: 14,110 places, down sharply from 33,000.

Across the whole permanent program, 129,590 places are allocated to migrants already living in Australia. The direction of travel is clear: more employer-sponsored permanent places, far fewer regional places, and a strong onshore preference. For businesses, employer sponsorship is a more viable permanent pathway this year than it was last year. For regional employers, the reduced allocation is worth factoring into planning.

Planning levels are not visa guarantees or processing-time promises. Eligibility, nomination criteria, occupation lists and the evidence in each application still decide the outcome.

Checklist before lodging a nomination

• Confirm the stream. Core Skills or Specialist Skills under the 482, ENS, 494 or another pathway, since the threshold follows the stream.

• Check the lodgement date. Use the threshold in force on the day the nomination will actually be lodged, with a margin if the date could slip.

• Document the AMSR properly. Name the instrument or the equivalent worker, or assemble specific market evidence. Generic surveys alone are a refusal risk.

• Strip out non-monetary benefits before testing the salary against the threshold.

• Check the occupation and the applicant. Salary alone does not establish eligibility. Occupation lists, skills assessments, the one-year work experience requirement, English and licensing all apply.

• Align the paperwork. The employment contract, nomination form, position description, payroll records and market evidence should tell one consistent story.

• Build in headroom. Thresholds index every 1 July, so a salary set exactly at the line will be below it next year.

Who should review their plans now

This change is most relevant to employers preparing a new nomination, workers expecting to be nominated for a Skills in Demand visa, anyone considering an ENS Direct Entry application, regional employers planning a 494 or 187 nomination, and any business that built a salary package before 1 July 2026 but has not yet lodged.

If the points-tested route is also on the table, see our guide to skilled migration through the 189, 190 and 491 visas. For help with an employer-sponsored nomination, see our employer sponsored visa services or book an appointment with Possible Migration.

Official sources

• Department of Home Affairs: Salary requirements to nominate a worker

• Department of Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

• Department of Home Affairs: Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)

• Department of Home Affairs: Permanent Migration Program planning levels

• Department of Home Affairs: Visa processing times guide

Information checked 2 September 2026. Income thresholds index on 1 July each year and processing times change, so confirm current figures with the Department before you rely on them. This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice.