Changes to Employer Sponsored Visas & Increased Fees from 1 July 2025
- mandevillemigratio
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
What is the income threshold?
When a business wants to sponsor someone for a visa, one of the key requirements is that the salary offered must meet or exceed a minimum income threshold. In some cases, applicants will need to be paid even more than the minimum if the market salary rate for the role is higher than the threshold.
The idea behind this rule is to ensure that overseas workers are not paid less than Australian workers performing the same job.
What are the changes?
From 1 July 2025, the following thresholds will increase:
Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): Increasing from AUD73,150 to AUD76,515. This impacts nomination applications for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186).
Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): Increasing from AUD135,000 to AUD141,210. This affects nomination applications for the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482).
Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT): Increasing from AUD73,150 to AUD76,515.This impacts the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (subclass 187).
Who does this apply to?
It applies to: Any nomination applications lodged on or after 1 July 2025.
It does not apply to:
Nominations lodged on or before 30 June 2025.
People who already hold an employer-sponsored visa.
In short, if your nomination application is submitted before 1 July 2025, the new salary thresholds will not affect you.
To apply before the change
Important: To be able to apply for an employer-sponsored visa, your employer usually needs to advertise the position for at least 4 weeks before you can apply. This means that if you want to apply before the new income thresholds come into effect, you should start the process by the end of May 2025 at the latest. Starting early allows enough time for the required advertising period and preparing your nomination and visa application.
Increased visa application fees
Each year, the Government usually increases visa application fees on 1 July. This increase is typically a small percentage based on inflation or policy changes. If you lodge your application on or after 1 July 2025, you will have to pay the new updated fee.Applications lodged before 30 June 2025 will be charged the current fee.
Final thoughts
If you are planning to apply for an employer-sponsored visa, timing is critical. You should start preparing well in advance to ensure you can lodge before the salary and fee increases take effect. It is also recommended to get professional immigration advice to ensure your application meets all requirements.
If you have questions or need help, feel free to book a free consultation.
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