Coinciding with the new migration program year, Canberra has activated its first automatic indexation of skilled-visa salary thresholds. The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and market-aligned figures for the Employer Nomination Scheme now sit at AUD 79,423—an uplift of 3.75 % on last year. Specialist stream roles must meet AUD 146,576. The change applies to all nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026 for the Skills-in-Demand (482), Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (494) and ENS 186 visas.
![Minimum salary for employer-sponsored visas indexed to AUD 79,423]()
Unsure how the new numbers affect your sponsorship pipeline? VisaHQ’s Australian specialists can clarify the latest TSMIT rules, benchmark proposed salaries and prepare fully compliant 482, 494 or 186 submissions. Get tailored guidance at https://www.visahq.com/australia/
Existing visa holders and nominations already submitted are grandfathered at the old rate, but HR teams planning July filings must re-issue employment contracts before submission. Government officials say annual wage indexation prevents migrant salaries from stagnating below Australian market levels, protecting local workers from wage undercutting. For business, however, every 482 nomination now carries at least AUD 3,000 more in salary cost than the pre-indexation baseline—and that excludes superannuation or allowances. Budgeting inaccuracies risk Department requests for further information or outright refusal. Immigration advisers recommend that employers: (1) audit any offers issued prior to 1 July but not yet lodged; (2) update global mobility cost projections; and (3) brief payroll teams so that onboarding packages align with the new thresholds from day one. Multinationals running high-volume graduate-rotation programs may need to re-tier roles or consider regional visas if head-office salary bands cannot meet TSMIT in metropolitan locations.
Unsure how the new numbers affect your sponsorship pipeline? VisaHQ’s Australian specialists can clarify the latest TSMIT rules, benchmark proposed salaries and prepare fully compliant 482, 494 or 186 submissions. Get tailored guidance at https://www.visahq.com/australia/
Existing visa holders and nominations already submitted are grandfathered at the old rate, but HR teams planning July filings must re-issue employment contracts before submission. Government officials say annual wage indexation prevents migrant salaries from stagnating below Australian market levels, protecting local workers from wage undercutting. For business, however, every 482 nomination now carries at least AUD 3,000 more in salary cost than the pre-indexation baseline—and that excludes superannuation or allowances. Budgeting inaccuracies risk Department requests for further information or outright refusal. Immigration advisers recommend that employers: (1) audit any offers issued prior to 1 July but not yet lodged; (2) update global mobility cost projections; and (3) brief payroll teams so that onboarding packages align with the new thresholds from day one. Multinationals running high-volume graduate-rotation programs may need to re-tier roles or consider regional visas if head-office salary bands cannot meet TSMIT in metropolitan locations.
