Australia Announces Salary Foreigners Must Earn to Apply for Core Skills Visa in 2026/2027

• Australia's Department of Home Affairs has published the updated Core Skills Income Threshold for the 2026/2027 financial year
• The threshold applies to the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
• The minimum salary requirement has risen each year since the CSIT was introduced in December 2024

Australia has officially set the minimum salary that foreign workers must earn to qualify for its Core Skills visa pathway, with the benchmark rising again for the 2026/2027 financial year.

According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 is now set at AUD79,423 (N73.33 million). This figure applies to both the Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482, Core Skills stream) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186).

What core skills income threshold covers

The CSIT is the minimum annual salary an employer must agree to pay a sponsored overseas worker for a nomination to be approved.

- The federal government first introduced it for ENS nominations on 7 December 2024, setting the threshold at AUD73,150 (N67,543,612.46) for applications lodged up to 30 June 2025.

- For the 2025/2026 financial year, the figure increased to AUD76,515 (N70,638,649.36).

- The latest adjustment to AUD79,423 (N73,319,120.16) for 2026/2027 marks the second consecutive annual rise, reflecting the Australian government's commitment to keeping the threshold aligned with prevailing wage conditions.

Employers nominating overseas workers under either the SID Core Skills stream or the ENS must ensure the offered salary meets or exceeds the CSIT applicable at the time of lodgement. The threshold works alongside other salary requirements, so employers cannot meet the CSIT floor and bypass other obligations tied to the nominated occupation.

What this means for foreign visa applicants

For skilled migrants seeking employer-sponsored work visas in Australia, the rising threshold narrows the pool of eligible occupations and roles that can support a nomination. Workers whose offered salaries fall below the applicable CSIT when their employer lodges a nomination will not meet the requirements, regardless of their qualifications or the occupation involved.

The annual adjustment means applicants and sponsoring employers must confirm which financial year's threshold applies to their situation, as the nomination submission date, not the visa application lodgement date, determines the relevant figure.

Detailed information on salary requirements for each stream is available through the Department of Home Affairs salary requirements page.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that the UK announced four approved English test providers for foreigners seeking a visa.

UK publishes salary for skilled worker visa

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK announced the minimum salary requirements for foreigners applying for a Skilled Worker visa, including who may qualify for a lower threshold.

Some applicants must earn at least £41,700 a year or meet the higher going rate for their job. But certain visa extensions, job changes, and prison officer roles may have a lower salary requirement.