Australia Prioritises Onshore Workers As Skilled Migration Salary Minimum Move Up

• Australia's Department of Home Affairs raised minimum income thresholds for skilled worker visas, with the Core Skills Income Threshold climbing to AUD $79,423
• Visa application fees increased by an average of 25%, with the Bridging Visa B fee rising by more than 200%
• The Australian Border Force launched a national crackdown on training visas, conducting over 100 site visits in the first month alone

Australia has raised the bar for skilled migration. The Department of Home Affairs introduced a sweeping set of immigration changes effective 1 July 2026, affecting income requirements, visa fees, processing timelines, and compliance enforcement.

Salary thresholds rise across skilled visa Categories

Workers seeking sponsorship in Australia under the Subclass 482 Core Skills Stream or the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme must now meet a Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of AUD $79,423 (around R915,288.13), up from AUD $76,515 (around R881,715.25). For those applying under the Subclass 482 Specialist Skills Stream, the new minimum sits at AUD $146,576 (around R1,688,936.62), compared to the previous AUD $141,210 (around R1,627,106.30).

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At the top end, the Fair Work High Income Threshold for certain Subclass 186 age exemptions is now AUD $190,100 (around R2,190,444.36). These thresholds apply only to new nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 onwards. Holders of existing visas and pending nominations submitted before that date are not affected.

In South African rand terms, the Core Skills threshold alone equates to roughly R915,000 annually, placing these roles firmly out of reach for most entry-level applicants.

Visa fees and processing times both climb

The cost of lodging visa applications also increased significantly. The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) now costs AUD $6,140 (around R70,748.58) for the main applicant, up from AUD $4,910 (R56,575.82). The Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482) rose to AUD $4,015 (around R46,255.29) from AUD $3,210 (around R36,981.19). The most dramatic increase affected the Bridging Visa B (Subclass 020), which jumped from AUD $190 to AUD $575, a rise of more than 200%.

Processing times remain lengthy. The Subclass 186 permanent residency pathway can take up to 14 months, while the Core Skills Stream of the Subclass 482 visa may take up to 10 months. Specialist Skills Stream applications under Subclass 482 are being processed in up to 57 days.

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ABF targets fraudulent training visa arrangements

According to reports, the Australian Border Force launched a national compliance operation focused on the Training Visa (Subclass 407). In just the first month, officers conducted more than 100 site visits and uncovered fraudulent training plans and unapproved workplace duties. A further 200 regional site visits are scheduled as the operation continues.

Separately, the Department closed its Seoul immigration processing office in South Korea, following earlier closures in Washington D.C., Dubai, and Singapore. Subclass 400 applications from South Korea are now being rerouted through other international hubs, which could result in longer wait times for affected applicants.

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Source: Briefly News