Skilled Visa Salary Thresholds in 2026–27: What Employers Need to Know About CSIT, SSIT and TSMIT

For nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the CSIT is:

$79,423

The CSIT also applies to Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) nominations lodged under the current salary framework.

This means an employer considering a 482 Core Skills nomination or a relevant 186 nomination needs to consider both the CSIT and the market salary for the position.

For nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the SSIT is:

$146,576

The Specialist Skills stream has a substantially higher income threshold than the Core Skills stream.

Employers should not choose a stream based on salary alone. The position and applicant must satisfy the other requirements of the relevant 482 stream.

For nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the TSMIT is:

$79,423

From 1 July 2026, the TSMIT is defined in the Migration Regulations and aligned with the annual indexation framework that applies to CSIT and SSIT.

Its next indexation under that framework can occur from 1 July 2027.

• 482 Skills in Demand — Core Skills stream: CSIT — $79,423
• 482 Skills in Demand — Specialist Skills stream: SSIT — $146,576
• 186 Employer Nomination Scheme: CSIT — $79,423
• 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional: TSMIT — $79,423
• 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme: TSMIT — $79,423

Labour agreements can contain different or concessional arrangements, so employers using a labour agreement should check the terms that apply to that agreement rather than relying only on the standard thresholds above.

The income threshold is a minimum floor within the sponsorship framework. It is not automatically the correct salary for every nominated position.

For nominations where the relevant salary rules apply, employers also need to determine the Annual Market Salary Rate.

The AMSR is intended to reflect what an Australian citizen or permanent resident earns, or would earn, for equivalent full-time work at the same workplace and location.

If the applicable market salary is higher than the relevant income threshold, simply offering the threshold amount will not be enough.

For example, if a position is subject to a $79,423 threshold but the properly determined AMSR is $92,000, the employer cannot use $79,423 as the nominated worker's salary simply because it meets the threshold.

The market salary requirement still matters.

If there is an equivalent Australian worker performing equivalent work at the same workplace and location, their employment arrangements can be relevant to determining the market rate.

Depending on the circumstances, employers may also need to consider:

• applicable awards or other industrial instruments
• employment records for an equivalent Australian worker
• relevant occupation and industry information
• suitable job advertisements
• reputable remuneration surveys
• advice from employer associations or unions

Generic salary data alone may not always be sufficient.

The evidence should support the salary for the actual position being nominated.

The relevant income-threshold tests look to monetary earnings and exclude non-monetary benefits for these purposes.

For example, accommodation or a vehicle cannot simply be counted as part of the cash amount needed to satisfy the relevant threshold.

Those benefits may form part of the broader employment package, but they do not replace the required monetary earnings.

This does not mean that an employer paying $250,000 or more can ignore all sponsorship, employment or visa requirements.

It means the specific salary-assessment framework needs to be considered in light of the rules that apply at that earnings level.

Employers dealing with high-income nominations should check the applicable nomination requirements rather than assuming that crossing $250,000 removes every salary-related obligation.

The 2026–27 amounts apply to relevant nomination applications lodged from 1 July 2026.

Income thresholds are indexed annually, with changes applying from 1 July.

This means an employer preparing a nomination around the end of a financial year should check the threshold that applies on the actual date of lodgement.

Do not rely on a figure used for an earlier nomination or an older sponsorship application.

It does not simply rewrite every existing employment contract because the threshold has increased.

However, sponsors continue to have employment and sponsorship obligations. For standard business sponsors, this includes ensuring that sponsored employees receive the annual earnings stated in the approved nomination and employment conditions that are no less favourable than those provided to an equivalent Australian worker, where the relevant obligation applies.

Employers should therefore distinguish between:

• the threshold applying to a new nomination, and
• their continuing obligations to an existing sponsored employee.

For 1 July 2026, the increase was 3.8%, reflecting changes in annual Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings.

The purpose of indexation is to keep skilled migration salary settings aligned with Australian wage movements and reduce the risk that employer-sponsored migration is used to undercut Australian workers.

• which visa and stream you are using
• which income threshold applies
• the threshold in force on the intended lodgement date
• the correct Annual Market Salary Rate
• whether the proposed worker's monetary earnings meet the required amount
• whether non-monetary benefits have been treated correctly
• what evidence supports the market salary
• whether a labour agreement or other specific arrangement changes the standard requirements

The salary should be checked before the nomination is lodged, not after a threshold or market-rate problem is identified during processing.

Hans Immigration Services can review the proposed role, visa pathway and salary settings before lodgement and help you understand which sponsorship requirements apply.

Book a consultation with Hans Immigration Services to discuss your sponsorship options.