Which Visa Subclasses Does CSIT Apply To?

The Core Skills Income Threshold applies to nominations lodged under:

• Subclass 482 Skills in Demand – Core Skills stream

• Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme – Direct Entry stream

• Subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream

• Subclass 482 and 186 Labour Agreement stream (unless the agreement states otherwise)

​

For Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional and Subclass 187 TRT, employers should confirm whether TSMIT or CSIT applies at the time of nomination.

​

CSIT and the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)

The Core Skills Income Threshold links directly to occupations listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

​

If an occupation appears on the CSOL and an employer nominates it under the Core Skills stream, the offered salary must meet or exceed the CSIT.

​

Meeting the CSIT forms a critical requirement for nomination approval.

​

Difference Between CSIT and Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)

Australia operates two indexed income thresholds for employer sponsored visas: the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT). Both are updated annually under Regulation 5.42A based on Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) data, but they apply to different visa streams and occupation types.

​

Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)

• Applies to the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482), the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186), and certain Labour Agreement pathways

• Requires the nominated occupation to appear on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)

• Effective from 1 July 2026, the CSIT is $79,423 per year (up from $76,515 in 2025–26)

​

Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)

• Applies to the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482)

• Designed for highly paid, highly skilled workers — there is no requirement to be on an occupation list for this stream

• Effective from 1 July 2026, the SSIT is $146,576 per year (up from $141,210 in 2025–26)

Key takeaway: if a role is nominated under the Core Skills stream, the offered salary must meet or exceed the CSIT. If it's nominated under the Specialist Skills stream, it must meet or exceed the significantly higher SSIT instead. In both cases, employers must also pay at least the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) if that figure is higher than the applicable threshold.

​