Australia Skilled Migration 2026: Salary Rules and PR Pathways

Plenty of websites promise that skilled migrants in Australia "earn AUD 90,000 or more." That number isn't an official rule, and it can mislead you in both directions. Some sponsored jobs pay less, many pay more, and what matters for your visa is the threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs.

This guide explains the real 2026–27 salary rules, how the points-tested visas work, which routes lead to permanent residence (PR) and what the move will cost you. Rules and thresholds change, often on 1 July, so check Home Affairs before you apply.

How Australian skilled migration works

Australia's skilled visas fall into two broad groups.

• Employer-sponsored visas: an approved Australian business nominates you for a job. The main temporary visa is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482).
• Points-tested visas: you score points for age, English, experience and qualifications, then wait for an invitation. These are the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visas.

For 2026–27, the government set the Permanent Migration Program at 185,000 places, with 132,240 in the Skilled Migration Program. Home Affairs says the program prioritises people already living in Australia, with 129,590 places allocated to onshore migrants.

The shift is worth noticing. Employer-sponsored places rose sharply for 2026–27, while regional places fell. That could affect how competitive each route is.

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

The Skills in Demand (SID) visa lets an approved employer sponsor you when it can't find a suitable Australian worker. It has three streams: Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement.

For the Core Skills stream, Home Affairs says you must:

• be nominated for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
• be paid the annual market salary rate for the job and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold
• have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the occupation or a related field
• have a skills assessment, if your occupation requires one
• meet English language requirements, unless you're exempt

The visa lets you work in Australia for up to 4 years (5 years for Hong Kong passport holders). If you lose your job, you have up to 180 days to find a new sponsor or make arrangements to leave.

The Specialist Skills stream

The Specialist Skills stream is for highly paid roles. There's no occupation list in the usual sense. Instead, the job must be in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 and pay at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.

In plain terms, those groups cover managers, professionals, community and personal service workers, clerical and administrative workers, and sales workers. Technicians and trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers (Major Groups 3, 7 and 8) aren't covered by this stream, so tradespeople usually look at the Core Skills stream instead.

In both streams, the employer must also carry out labour market testing, meaning it must show it couldn't find a suitable Australian citizen or permanent resident for the job.

The real 2026–27 salary thresholds

Thresholds are indexed every year on 1 July. The one that applies depends on when your employer lodges the nomination.

So if an equivalent Australian worker in your role earns AUD 95,000, that's what you should be paid, not AUD 79,423. If they earn less than the threshold, the job can't be sponsored in that stream at that pay.

From 482 to permanent residence

Home Affairs says your employer may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). The CSIT also applies to 186 nominations. Ask your employer early whether they plan to support PR, and get that plan in writing if you can.

The points-tested visas: 189, 190 and 491

Points-tested visas don't need an employer. They do need an invitation.

For all three, Home Affairs says you must:

• be under 45 when you're invited
• have a suitable skills assessment for your occupation
• score at least 65 points
• be invited to apply after submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect

How points add up

These are selected factors from the official points table.

Other points are available for things like a Professional Year in Australia, a credentialled community language, study in regional Australia and partner skills. Use the Home Affairs points calculator to check your own score.

State and territory nomination

Each state and territory runs its own nomination program for the 190 and 491, with its own occupation needs, residence or work requirements and application windows. These settings change often, sometimes within a program year.

Before you apply, read the official migration website for the state or territory you're targeting. Only apply where you'd genuinely live and work, because nominations usually come with a commitment to settle there.

With 35,500 state and territory nominated places and 14,110 regional places planned for 2026–27, competition for regional nominations may be tighter than in recent years.

The 491 route to permanent residence

The 491 lets you live, work and study in a designated regional area for 5 years. After holding a 491 or 494 visa for at least 3 years, you may apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

For the 191, Home Affairs says there is no minimum income requirement, but you must provide Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for 3 income years and have complied with your visa conditions.

Costs and money matters

Bringing your family

Most skilled visas let you include your partner and dependent children in your application. If your family doesn't apply with you on a 482, Home Affairs says they may be able to apply later for their own Skills in Demand visa as subsequent entrants.

Remember that each family member adds visa charges, health checks and relocation costs, so include them in your budget from the start.

Visa and application costs

Home Affairs doesn't publish a single fee on its visa pages. Use its Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact visa and family size. On top of the visa charge, budget for:

• skills assessment fees, which each assessing authority sets
• English tests
• health examinations and police certificates
• translations and certified copies
• state nomination fees, where a state charges one

Your employer must pay its own sponsorship and nomination costs.

Living costs, tax and health cover

Salaries in Sydney and Melbourne are often higher, but so is rent. Regional areas can be cheaper to live in and are the only option on a 491.

When you arrive, apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) from the Australian Taxation Office and open a bank account. Your employer will also pay superannuation, Australia's compulsory retirement savings, into a fund for you.

Permanent residents can generally enrol in Medicare, the public health system. Most temporary visa holders can't, so check your visa conditions and arrange private health insurance before you travel. If you send money home, compare total fees and exchange rates across providers.

Step by step: your route to Australia

1. Find your occupation. Search the Home Affairs skilled occupation list for your job, its ANZSCO code (the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) and the visas it can be used for.
2. Choose your route. Decide between employer sponsorship and the points-tested visas, or pursue both.
3. Get a skills assessment. Apply to the assessing authority for your occupation.
4. Take an English test. Aim for the highest band you can reach.
5. Submit an EOI in SkillSelect, and apply for state nomination if you're targeting a 190 or 491.
6. Or secure a sponsored job. Check the offered salary against the current threshold and the market rate.
7. Lodge your visa application once invited or nominated, with health checks and police certificates.
8. Plan your PR step, whether that's a 186 nomination or the 191 after a 491.

Common mistakes

• Trusting salary headlines. Use the official threshold and market rate instead.
• Using an old threshold. The figure depends on when the nomination is lodged.
• Turning 45 while waiting. If you turn 45 before an invitation, you won't be invited.
• Claiming points you can't prove. Home Affairs checks the evidence after invitation.
• Picking the wrong occupation code. Match your real duties, not the job title you'd prefer.

Scam warning

Sponsorship fraud targets people desperate for a job offer. Walk away from anyone who:

• asks you to pay for sponsorship, a nomination or a job offer
• promises a guaranteed visa, invitation or PR
• offers to "sell" you points, fake experience letters or a fake skills assessment
• asks you to pay the employer's own sponsorship costs

Your checklist

• Look up your occupation, ANZSCO code and eligible visas on the Home Affairs list.
• Check the current CSIT and SSIT against any salary you're offered.
• Estimate your points with the official calculator.
• Start your skills assessment and English test early.
• Use the Visa Pricing Estimator to budget for fees.
• Never pay anyone for sponsorship.

If you're also considering the Tasman option, see our guide to working in New Zealand. Tradespeople can compare options in our guide to high-paying trade jobs for immigrants, and health workers may want to read about healthcare worker shortages.