Minimum Salary Increase from 1 July 2026

Minimum Salary Increase from 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, the minimum salary for sponsored work visas (subclasses 482 and 186) will be,

• $79,499 for “Core Skills” cases (job list)
• $146,717 for “Specialist Skills” case (jobs list exempt)

It is not realistic to simply pay the ‘minimum salary’. You must pay a non-Australian what you would pay an equivalent Australian worker. Immigration conduct an evidence-based assessment. They normally require:

• Copies of the evidence you used to determine a fair market salary for the role
• A letter explaining how the evidence lead you to the conclusion reached

Be aware that:

• The government only considers remuneration the employee is guaranteed to receive and can be calculated in advance (so things like performance bonuses, commissions, and overtime that isn’t guaranteed do not count).
• Compulsory superannuation contributions are not included
• Immigration may compare the remuneration you offer to other cases they have handled (by other employers). You will not be privy to this.

We routinely handle these issues when helping clients with their Nomination.

If you need help, please touch base.