Alongside higher visa fees, the Government has indexed the wage floors that underpin Australia’s employer-sponsored migration programme. From 1 July 2026 the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) and the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) both rise from AUD 76,515 to AUD 79,423, while the Specialist Skills Income Threshold increases to AUD 146,576. The new figures apply to all nominations lodged on or after 1 July under the Skills-in-Demand (Subclass 482) visa, the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Subclass 494) visa and the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) permanent-residence pathway. Existing visa holders and applications filed before 1 July are grandfathered under the old thresholds.
![Minimum salary for sponsored skilled visas rises to AUD 79,423]()
Companies seeking practical help to navigate these updates can lean on VisaHQ’s Australian visa specialists, who offer end-to-end support with sponsorship applications, document gathering and deadline tracking—learn more at https://www.visahq.com/australia/
For employers the impact is two-fold. First, any new sponsorship must now meet the higher base salary or the Australian market-rate test, whichever is greater. Second, budgets for regional assignments may need to stretch further, because the TSMIT sets the floor not just for base salary but for assessing total-remuneration packages. Migration advisers say the AUD 2,908 jump keeps salary settings broadly in line with wage growth and helps guard against the under-payment of migrants, but warn that SMEs in hospitality, aged care and agribusiness will feel the pressure most sharply. HR teams are advised to audit any pipeline nominations, update employment contracts and factor the new figures into long-term workforce plans. The Fair Work High Income Threshold also moved to AUD 190,100, affecting age-exemption rules for some permanent visas. Companies structuring global mobility programmes for the 2026-27 year should therefore review both salary and fee changes together.
Companies seeking practical help to navigate these updates can lean on VisaHQ’s Australian visa specialists, who offer end-to-end support with sponsorship applications, document gathering and deadline tracking—learn more at https://www.visahq.com/australia/
For employers the impact is two-fold. First, any new sponsorship must now meet the higher base salary or the Australian market-rate test, whichever is greater. Second, budgets for regional assignments may need to stretch further, because the TSMIT sets the floor not just for base salary but for assessing total-remuneration packages. Migration advisers say the AUD 2,908 jump keeps salary settings broadly in line with wage growth and helps guard against the under-payment of migrants, but warn that SMEs in hospitality, aged care and agribusiness will feel the pressure most sharply. HR teams are advised to audit any pipeline nominations, update employment contracts and factor the new figures into long-term workforce plans. The Fair Work High Income Threshold also moved to AUD 190,100, affecting age-exemption rules for some permanent visas. Companies structuring global mobility programmes for the 2026-27 year should therefore review both salary and fee changes together.
