Quick Answer
The minimum salary for the Skills in Demand Core Skills Stream is the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): AUD $76,515 from 1 July 2025. The Specialist Skills Stream requires a salary above AUD $135,000. Meeting the threshold alone is not enough — salary must also match market rates for the occupation.
One of the most practical questions in any Skills in Demand visa application is whether the salary stacks up. There are two questions the Department of Home Affairs asks: is the salary above the minimum threshold, and is it at market rate for the role? Both must be satisfied.
I’m Umar Ashraf, MARA-registered migration agent at Magpie Consultants in Epping.
What Is the CSIT and How Does It Replace the TSMIT?
Under the old Subclass 482 TSS visa, the minimum salary floor was called the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT). When the SID visa replaced the 482 in December 2024, the threshold was renamed the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) to reflect the new visa structure. It is not just a name change — the CSIT is indexed annually, meaning it adjusts with changes in Australian wages.
Current figures:
- TSMIT (old 482 era): $73,150 per annum from July 2023
- CSIT (SID visa, Core Skills Stream): $76,515 per annum from 1 July 2025
The CSIT applies to nominations in the Core Skills Stream. It represents the absolute minimum base salary that can be paid to a sponsored worker in that stream — the salary cannot go below this figure regardless of what industry award rates suggest.
Specialist Skills Stream — The $135,000 Threshold
The Specialist Skills Stream has a different and significantly higher income threshold: AUD $135,000 per annum (the Specialist Skills Income Threshold). Workers who will earn above this figure are assessed under the Specialist Skills Stream rather than the Core Skills Stream.
The Specialist Skills Stream has no occupation list restriction — there is no requirement for the position to appear on the CSOL. This reflects the policy rationale that highly paid roles carry lower migration risk: the employer is paying a premium, the worker has demonstrably high market value, and the risk of labour market displacement for Australian workers is reduced at that salary level.
Specialist Skills Stream applications also tend to process more quickly for the same reason.
The Market Salary Requirement — Why the Floor Is Not Enough
Meeting the CSIT is a threshold, not a target. The Department also assesses whether the salary offered genuinely reflects what an equivalent Australian worker would be paid for the same role at the same level. This is called the market salary requirement.
In practice, this means:
- If the going market rate for a registered nurse in Melbourne is $90,000–$95,000 per annum, nominating at the CSIT floor of $76,515 will raise questions about whether the position is genuine
- If the salary offered is materially below what Australian workers in the same occupation and location typically earn, the nomination can be refused on the basis that the visa is being used to source cheap labour rather than fill a genuine skills shortage
- Evidence of market rates — award rates, industry salary surveys, comparable job advertisements — should be kept by the employer to support the nomination
The CSIT ensures sponsored workers are not exploited by underpayment. The market salary requirement ensures they are paid on par with their Australian colleagues.
What Counts Toward the Salary Figure?
The salary assessed against the CSIT and the market salary test is the base salary (guaranteed earnings). Components that are generally not counted toward the threshold include:
- Superannuation contributions (employer super is on top of, not included in, the guaranteed salary)
- Non-guaranteed commissions or performance bonuses
- Allowances that are not part of guaranteed remuneration (e.g., overtime, travel allowances paid on actuals)
Components that are counted include:
- Base salary
- Guaranteed loadings (e.g., a guaranteed industry-standard shift allowance built into the remuneration package)
- Any other guaranteed component that forms part of the employee’s regular earnings
If there is any ambiguity in the remuneration package structure, address it explicitly in the nomination rather than leaving it for the assessor to interpret.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does superannuation count toward the CSIT?
No. The CSIT and market salary comparisons are assessed on the base salary — the guaranteed cash remuneration the worker actually receives. Superannuation contributions are a statutory obligation on top of the salary and do not form part of the salary for CSIT comparison purposes. The sponsored worker must receive at least $76,515 in salary before super.
Is the CSIT the same for all occupations?
The CSIT ($76,515 from 1 July 2025) is a single floor that applies across all Core Skills Stream occupations. There is no occupation-specific minimum above this floor set by the CSIT mechanism itself, though market salary requirements will vary significantly by occupation and will be higher for many. The CSIT is reviewed and updated annually — check the Department of Home Affairs website before lodging any nomination.
What happens if the salary offered is below the CSIT?
The nomination will be refused. The CSIT is a hard minimum — there are no partial concessions or case-by-case discretions for salary below the floor. If the role cannot be paid at or above the CSIT, the Core Skills Stream is not available for that position. The only alternative would be to assess whether the role meets the Specialist Skills Stream threshold, or whether a labour agreement arrangement is appropriate.
Has the CSIT figure changed for 2026?
The CSIT from 1 July 2025 is $76,515. It is reviewed annually in line with wage growth data. The next adjustment will apply from 1 July 2026. Always verify the current figure on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodging, as nominations using an outdated threshold can create compliance issues.
If you need help confirming whether your salary package satisfies the CSIT and market salary requirements, I can help. Book a consultation at Magpie Consultants, Epping, Melbourne. Call 0424 260 655. Consultations in English, Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi.
For the broader SID visa framework, see our Skills in Demand employer sponsorship service page and our detailed SID visa overview. For changes from the 482 era, see Migration Services.
Official Sources
- Department of Home Affairs — Core Skills Income Threshold
- Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand Visa
Umar Ashraf
MARA Registered Migration Agent & Education Consultant | MARA #2619222 | Epping, Melbourne VIC
Umar Ashraf is a MARA-registered migration agent specialising in complex cases, visa cancellations, ART tribunal appeals, and employer sponsorship. He provides consultations in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi.
