The income thresholds that underpin employer-sponsored skilled migration were indexed again on 1 July 2026, reflecting 3.8% AWOTE growth. For agents running sponsorship matters, the date is the trap: any nomination lodged on or after 1 July 2026 must satisfy the new floors.
The new floors
- Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): rose from A$76,515 to A$79,499 per year.
- Specialist Skills Income Threshold: rose from A$141,210 to A$146,717 per year.
These thresholds are now indexed annually, so this isn’t a one-off — it’s a recurring 1-July checkpoint every year.
Why the lodgement date is everything
A nomination that met the threshold in June can fall short in July if the salary sits near the line. The salary offer doesn’t change on its own — the floor moves underneath it. That makes near-threshold nominations the ones to watch as the financial year turns over.
What this means for your practice
The agents who get caught out are the ones checking salary against a number they memorised last year. The fix is boring but effective: re-verify every near-threshold nomination against the current figure before you lodge, and know which open matters are exposed.
When your sponsorship pipeline is one view — nominations, salaries, lodgement dates — running that check each July is a filter across the caseload, not a file-by-file hunt. Keeping the whole practice in one platform is what makes the annual indexation a non-event.
This is general information, not migration or legal advice. Figures and dates were accurate at publication and are indexed annually — always confirm the current threshold against the primary source before lodging.
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