Australia Announces Salary Foreign Specialists Must Earn Before Applying for Specialist Skills Visa
- Australia's Department of Home Affairs has published the income requirement foreign specialists must meet to qualify for the Skills in Demand visa Specialist Skills stream
- The Specialist Skills Income Threshold has risen each financial year since the visa category was introduced in December 2024
- Applicants nominating workers between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 must meet the highest threshold yet under the updated requirements
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Australia has officially set the minimum salary that foreign workers must earn to qualify under the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa, with the figure rising again for the 2026–2027 financial year.
The Department of Home Affairs published the updated Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) on its official website, confirming that nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 must meet a salary requirement of AUD146,576 (N135.39 million) per year.
Source: UGC
What is Skills-in-Demand Specialist Skills visa?
The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa and was introduced to attract highly skilled overseas workers to Australia. The Specialist Skills stream is specifically designed for high-earning professionals whose occupations may not appear on a standard skilled occupation list, with salary serving as the primary eligibility filter.
The SSIT is a nomination-level requirement, meaning Australian employers must demonstrate they are offering the qualifying salary before they can sponsor a foreign worker under this stream.
How the threshold has changed each year
Since the visa category launched in December 2024, the income threshold has increased with each new financial year.
- Nominations lodged between 7 December 2024 and 30 June 2025 required a minimum annual salary of AUD135,000 (N124,807,158.59).
- That figure rose to AUD141,210 (N130,548,287.82) for applications submitted between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.
- The current rate of AUD146,576 (NN135.39 million) represents the highest threshold to date and applies to all nomination applications lodged from 1 July 2026 through to 30 June 2027.
The incremental increases reflect Australia's approach to indexing the threshold over time, ensuring that the salary benchmark keeps pace with broader economic conditions.
For Africans on the japa wave considering Australia as a destination, the Specialist Skills stream offers a pathway not tied to a specific occupation list, broadening eligibility. However, the rising salary floor means that only employers willing to offer internationally competitive remuneration can sponsor workers under this route.
Full details of the salary requirements are available on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Australia released a list of four types of parents eligible for Sponsored Parent visas.
Australia announces conditions for Permanent Protection visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia announced its Subclass 866 permanent Protection visa and the nine conditions asylum seekers must meet to qualify.
The visa offers eligible applicants a chance to stay in Australia permanently, but those who arrived without immigration clearance cannot apply.
Source: Legit.ng
