A Geelong manufacturer offered its new maintenance planner a salary just under the threshold, plus a ute and fuel card. The occupation was on the list, the role was real and the advertising was clean. The nomination still failed. The car did not count, and the base salary sat below the Core Skills Income Threshold for 2026-27. That gap of a few thousand dollars cost the business a nomination charge, a levy and four months.
Salary is the quiet killer of 482 nominations. Employers focus on the occupation and the advertising, then treat pay as a formality. In fact, the salary has to pass three separate tests, and each one is measured differently.
Short answer: For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold is $79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is $146,576. The role must also pay the market rate for an equivalent Australian worker, and only assured cash earnings count.
Test one: the stream threshold
Every 482 nomination sits in a stream, and each stream carries its own floor. The figure that applies is the one in force on the day the nomination is lodged. That timing point matters, because the thresholds move every July.
The Core Skills Income Threshold, or CSIT, is $79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. This is the stream most sponsored workers use. The same figure applies to subclass 186 nominations, so it follows a worker from the temporary visa to the permanent one. Our 482 visa page sets out the occupation list that pairs with this stream.
The Specialist Skills Income Threshold, or SSIT, is $146,576 for the same period. This stream has no occupation list, although trades workers, machinery operators, drivers and labourers cannot use it. Because the bar is high, most nominations still run through Core Skills. Labour market testing applies to both streams, so the higher salary buys speed rather than fewer steps.
Test two: the annual market salary rate
Clearing the threshold is only the entry ticket. The employer must also show that the worker will earn at least what an equivalent Australian earns for the same work in the same place. This is the annual market salary rate, usually shortened to AMSR.
The test runs in a set order. If an Australian already does equivalent work in the business, that person’s pay sets the benchmark. Otherwise, the employer builds the rate from the award, an enterprise agreement, salary surveys or advertised roles with stated pay. Generic national averages rarely survive a case officer’s questions, because they do not fit the actual role.
Both numbers must then be checked against the stream threshold. In other words, a market rate below $79,423 does not lower the floor. The higher of the two figures always wins.
Test three: what counts as earnings
The Geelong example failed here. The thresholds are measured against the cash the worker is assured of receiving each year. Base salary is the core of it. Regular allowances written into the contract can also count, provided they are fixed rather than conditional.
Which items do not count towards the threshold?
Superannuation sits outside the figure. So do vehicles, housing, laptops and phones, even where they have real value. Discretionary bonuses, roster-dependent overtime and commissions with no floor are all excluded, because none of them is assured. If the business wants to offer those extras, it must offer them on top of a qualifying salary.
The contract, the nomination form and the payslips should all state the same figure. Inconsistent numbers across documents are one of the most common reasons we see for refusals and requests for information.
The 2026-27 figures side by side
| Item | Applies to | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Core Skills Income Threshold | 482 Core Skills stream and 186 nominations | $79,423 |
| Specialist Skills Income Threshold | 482 Specialist Skills stream | $146,576 |
| Nomination charge | Employer, per 482 nomination | $330 |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy | Employer, per year of the nomination | $1,200 (turnover under $10m) or $1,800 |
| Visa application charge | Main applicant | $4,015 |
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing and the current income threshold instrument as at 1 July 2026.
Why July is the month to watch
Both thresholds are indexed each year in line with average weekly ordinary time earnings. The new figures apply from 1 July. As a result, a nomination that slips from June into July can face a higher floor than the one the employer budgeted for.
This has a second consequence. A salary that scrapes over the line today may sit below the threshold when the worker reaches the permanent stage. The CSIT applies to 186 nominations as well, so employers should build a pay path that stays above the line for the whole journey. Our guide to the three dates that decide a 482 to 186 transition explains where salary re-enters the picture.
Salary planning checklist for sponsors
Before you advertise a sponsored role, run through these points. Tick each item as you go, and your browser will remember your progress.
How salary interacts with the rest of the nomination
Salary does not sit alone. The advertising used for labour market testing must be consistent with the pay in the nomination. Where the advertised salary and the contract disagree, the case officer will ask which one is true.
The occupation choice also feeds back into pay. Some ANZSCO codes carry award classifications with clear rates, which makes the market rate easy to prove. Others are broad, and the evidence needs more work. We address both issues together when we prepare a nomination, because fixing one after lodgement usually disturbs the other. The employer page explains how we structure that work.
What happens when the salary is short
If the nomination is refused on salary, the levy is generally not refundable and the nomination charge is lost. The employer can lodge again with a corrected package, but the labour market testing window keeps running. Therefore, a refusal in month three can force a fresh round of advertising as well as a fresh fee.
A review to the Administrative Review Tribunal costs $3,727 and takes time the worker often does not have. For most employers, a compliant re-lodgement is faster than a review. We assess both options before recommending a path, and our fees and process page sets out what that involves.
Frequently asked questions
Does the threshold include superannuation?
No. Superannuation is paid on top of the qualifying salary. The threshold is measured against assured cash earnings only, so a package that only reaches $79,423 once super is added will fall short.
Can an employer pay a lower salary if the market rate is lower?
No. The market rate and the stream threshold are separate tests, and the higher figure controls. A market rate below $79,423 means the employer must still pay at least $79,423 in the Core Skills stream.
My nomination was prepared in June. Which threshold applies?
The threshold in force on the day the nomination is lodged, not the day it was prepared. If lodgement happens on or after 1 July 2026, the 2026-27 figures of $79,423 and $146,576 apply.
Can a part-time role meet the threshold?
The threshold is an annual figure for the nominated position, and the position must be full-time. A part-time role that would clear the threshold on a full-time equivalent basis does not meet the requirement as drafted.
Do salary sacrifice arrangements reduce the assessed earnings?
Generally no, provided the sacrificed amount was part of the assured salary and the worker chose the arrangement. The gross figure before sacrifice is the relevant number, but the paperwork must make that election clear.
This article is general information about Australian migration law as at 2 September 2026. It is not legal advice. Income thresholds and charges change each July, and every nomination turns on its own facts, so obtain advice before acting.