The Skills in Demand visa, formerly the Subclass 482, is subject to a regular salary indexation tied to Australian Bureau of Statistics Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings data. The next adjustment takes effect on 1 July 2026.
From that date, the Core Skills Income Threshold rises from AUD $76,515 to $79,499, and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold rises from $141,210 to $146,717. The thresholds are prescribed under the Migration Regulations 1994 and apply automatically; no separate legislative instrument is required.
For nominations currently under preparation, the practical implication is one of timing. A nomination lodged on or before 30 June 2026 is assessed against the present thresholds; one lodged on or after 1 July is assessed against the new figures. Where the offered salary sits between the two figures, the date of lodgement may determine eligibility under the Core Skills stream or, separately, the allocation between Core Skills and Specialist Skills.
Stream allocation has consequences beyond initial eligibility. The Specialist Skills stream typically attracts shorter processing and a more direct pathway to permanent residency under the Subclass 186 Direct Entry stream than Core Skills does. The choice of stream is therefore relevant to longer-term planning, not only to the temporary visa under which the applicant first enters the workforce.
Salary is one of several thresholds a nomination must satisfy. Occupation listing, sponsor approval status, evidence of skills, and the applicant's English meet other gating requirements that operate independently of the income test, and any of them may be determinative in a particular matter.