Commonwealth of Australia
Commonwealth of Australia visa salary thresholds
Australia's Home Affairs sets income thresholds for sponsored visas (including 482, 494 and 186 TRT). The threshold is an absolute floor; applicants must also be paid at or above the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the role.
Last checked 1 July 2026. Every figure is mapped to a primary government source and re-verified over time; recorded changes appear in the changelog.
What salary do you need for a skilled-work visa in Australia?
The main skilled-work salary floor in Commonwealth of Australia is A$79,423 / year (Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT, formerly TSMIT)), effective 1 July 2026. Occupation-specific going rates may bind higher.
Source checked against Home Affairs - salary requirements on 1 July 2026.
Australia skilled-route cost and points layer
Australia skilled points, nomination and Skills in Demand cost answer
Australia salary thresholds only govern sponsor-led routes. This stack keeps CSIT, SSIT and AMSR separate from points-tested 189, 190 and 491 route costs.
Calculator context
A points result does not guarantee an invitation, nomination or visa grant. It only says whether the profile clears the 65-point SkillSelect EOI floor. Skills assessment, occupation demand, state nomination, sponsorship, salary thresholds and post-invitation fees still need separate evidence.
| Australia route | Points or sponsor trigger | Mandatory paid-away baseline | Skills, nomination or salary dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 189 Skilled Independent | Points-tested SkillSelect route. The EOI floor is 65 points; there is no sponsor or state nomination bonus. | A$7,501-A$8,705 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment before the EOI can become usable. No fixed salary floor in the route model; invitation depends on occupation demand and invitation rounds. |
| Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated | Points-tested SkillSelect route plus state or territory nomination. Nomination can add 5 points after the state gate is met. | A$7,506-A$9,010 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment plus A$0-A$300 state or territory fee exposure. No employer sponsor or national salary floor; state criteria can add occupation, residence and funds declarations. |
| Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional | Points-tested regional route. State/territory nomination or eligible-relative sponsorship can add 15 points. | A$7,506-A$9,010 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment plus A$0-A$300 nomination or eligible-relative gate exposure. No upfront national salary floor; later subclass 191 context is income-evidence timing, not an upfront 491 fee. |
| Subclass 482 Skills in Demand | Sponsor-led route. It is not a points-tested SkillSelect invitation route. | A$10,381-A$13,335 | A$0-A$1,200 skills-assessment exposure where required by occupation, nationality or stream. A$420 sponsor fee, A$330 nomination fee and A$4,800-A$7,200 SAF levy are employer-side; A$79,423/yr CSIT or A$146,576/yr SSIT, plus AMSR where the stream requires it. |
| Comparator route | Route type | Paid-away baseline | Do not collapse these lines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore S Pass | Employer-sponsored pass with quota, levy and insurance duties. | SGD 16,405-SGD 18,205 | SGD 15,600 levy and SGD 600-SGD 2,400 insurance stay employer-side; SGD 39,600-SGD 45,600 salary evidence is not a visa fee. |
| New Zealand AEWV | Employer-accredited work route with job-check approval before the worker applies. | NZ$3,060-NZ$4,325 | NZ$775 accreditation and NZ$735 job check are employer-side; variable market-rate job evidence is not paid away. |
| New Zealand SMC | Residence route with points, skilled-employment evidence and post-invitation filing. | NZ$6,810-NZ$8,925 | NZ$0 EOI and NZ$6,450 resident-stage application; NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200 skilled-job pay evidence is not a fee. |
| Austria Red-White-Red Card | Points and employer-declaration route with AMS assessment. | €228-€363 | €218 application fee; €0 points and labour-market gate; €41,580 salary evidence remains a category condition. |
- Australia points calculator
- Subclass 189 guide
- Subclass 190 guide
- Subclass 491 guide
- Skills in Demand guide
- 189 cost-to-complete
- 190 cost-to-complete
- 491 cost-to-complete
- Skills in Demand cost
- Skills in Demand fees
- Singapore S Pass cost
- New Zealand AEWV cost
- New Zealand SMC cost
- Austria RWR cost
- Austria RWR calculator
- Cost-to-complete JSON feed
Source dates: Australia cost and salary data checked 1 July 2026; comparator cost rows checked 1 July 2026. Latest source record in this cluster: 1 July 2026. Compare the local-currency costs with the linked route requirements before deciding which option fits your circumstances.
Threshold table
| Route | Amount | ~USD | In force since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT, formerly TSMIT)# Absolute salary floor for subclass 482 Core Skills, 494 and 186 TRT nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Pay must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role. No changes recorded for this figure since 1 July 2026. | A$79,423 / year | $52,300 | 2026-07-01 | Home Affairs - salary requirements |
Specialist Skills Pathway (482)# Higher-salary stream within the 482 Skills in Demand visa. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, salary must meet SSIT and AMSR. | A$146,576 / year | $96,600 | 2026-07-01 | Home Affairs - salary requirements |
Core Skills Pathway (482)# Standard stream within the 482 Skills in Demand visa for occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Minimum salary is the CSIT, AUD 79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, plus AMSR. | A$79,423 / year | $52,300 | 2026-07-01 | Home Affairs - Core Skills stream |
Employer Nomination Scheme (186) - CSIT and AMSR# ENS nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold of AUD 79,423 and the Annual Market Salary Rate unless a specific agreement or exemption changes the rule. | A$79,423 / year | $52,300 | 2026-07-01 | Home Affairs - salary requirements |
Skilled Independent (189) — no salary floor, points only# Subclass 189 is a points-tested permanent visa with no salary floor, but the Department can consider earnings in assessing "work experience" claims. | No fixed published floor | — | 2012-07-01 | Home Affairs — Subclass 189 |
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Commonwealth of Australia visa salary thresholds", https://visaatlas.org/salary-thresholds/australia. Last checked 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/salary-thresholds
How often this changes
The Core Skills Income Threshold and Specialist Skills Income Threshold are indexed each 1 July. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, CSIT is AUD 79,423 and SSIT is AUD 146,576. The 482 Skills in Demand visa replaced the TSS subclass on 7 December 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum salary to qualify for a work visa in Australia?
Australia's Home Affairs sets income thresholds for sponsored visas (including 482, 494 and 186 TRT). The threshold is an absolute floor; applicants must also be paid at or above the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the role.
How often do Australia salary thresholds change?
The Core Skills Income Threshold and Specialist Skills Income Threshold are indexed each 1 July. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, CSIT is AUD 79,423 and SSIT is AUD 146,576. The 482 Skills in Demand visa replaced the TSS subclass on 7 December 2024.
Does meeting the headline threshold guarantee approval?
No. Headline floors are one of several criteria. Most jurisdictions also apply an occupation-specific going rate, character and health checks, and — for sponsored routes — employer/sponsor compliance. Failing any one of these can lead to refusal even where salary is above the threshold.
Related
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.