Starting 1 July 2025, key income thresholds for skilled migration visas have officially increased by 4.6% in line with national wage growth, as measured by the Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE). This change is part of the Australian Government’s ongoing commitment to fair and sustainable migration under the Migration Strategy, ensuring that skilled migration complements local employment.
What’s Changing
The new thresholds are now in effect for all new skilled visa nominations submitted from today. These include:
- Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): Raised from $73,150 to $76,515
- Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): Increased from $135,000 to $141,210
- Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT): Also now set at $76,515, aligning with the CSIT
These thresholds apply to nomination applications across key visa streams, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494), among others.
Why It Matters for Our Region
For the Murray region, which continues to grapple with workforce shortages across key sectors, this indexation has direct implications. It reinforces the need for competitive wages and robust workforce planning to attract skilled talent.
RDA Murray has identified workforce development as one of the top regional priorities, and visa settings like these play a crucial role.
Looking Ahead
Employers across our region planning to sponsor skilled workers will now need to ensure their nomination applications reflect the updated thresholds or meet the prevailing market salary—whichever is higher. Existing visa holders and applications lodged before 1 July 2025 are not affected by these changes.
At RDA Murray, we continue to support regional employers navigating skilled migration through advocacy, information-sharing, and partnerships. These adjustments are a timely reminder of the importance of aligning local employment strategies with national policy settings.
To connect with our Visa processing and workforce settlement initiatives, including The Welcome Experience, contact our team at [email protected] or call (02) 6060 2491.
