Skills in Demand (482) income thresholds rise on 1 July 2026

What changed

Income thresholds are indexed every year and change on 1 July, so a nomination lodged on or after that date must meet the threshold for the new year. Home Affairs lists these amounts for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.

• Core Skills Income Threshold: AUD 79,423, for Skills in Demand Core Skills stream and Employer Nomination Scheme (186) nominations. It was AUD 76,515 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and AUD 73,150 from 7 December 2024 to 30 June 2025.
• Specialist Skills Income Threshold: AUD 146,576, for Skills in Demand Specialist Skills stream nominations. It was AUD 141,210 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and AUD 135,000 from 7 December 2024 to 30 June 2025.
• Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold: AUD 79,423, for 494 and 187 nominations, up from AUD 76,515.

The threshold that applies is fixed by the date the nomination is lodged. The 2026 increase does not reach nominations lodged earlier.

Indexation uses a factor based on average weekly ordinary time earnings, worked to three decimal places. For 2026 the factor is 1.038: AUD 76,515 x 1.038 rounds to AUD 79,423, and AUD 141,210 x 1.038 rounds to AUD 146,576.

The compiled Migration Regulations still print the original December 2024 amounts of AUD 73,150 and AUD 135,000, so use the Home Affairs notices for the amounts in force.

Processing order since 19 September 2026

Ministerial Direction 121 took effect on 19 September 2026 and replaced the processing priorities under Direction 119 for temporary skilled visas. Applications go first to priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence), then to the Specialist Skills stream, then to applicants who were in Australia when they lodged.

Costs

Home Affairs lists the current sponsorship costs as AUD 420 to become an approved sponsor under the Skills in Demand program, AUD 330 per Skills in Demand nomination and AUD 540 per 186 nomination, which varies by stream and location.

Who it affects

Employers nominating workers for the Skills in Demand (482), Employer Nomination Scheme (186), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494) and 187 visas, and the workers they nominate.

What to check

• The date the nomination is lodged: it decides which year’s threshold applies.
• Which stream the nomination falls in, because Core Skills and Specialist Skills have different thresholds.
• The Home Affairs salary requirements page for the amounts in force. For your own case, ask a registered migration agent (MARA) or an Australian legal practitioner.