What Is the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR)?

The AMSR is the salary an equivalent Australian worker would receive for doing the same job, in the same location.

Meeting the income threshold alone is not enough. If the AMSR for the role is higher than the CSIT or SSIT, the employer must pay the higher amount.

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The AMSR is determined by assessing:

• What an equivalent Australian worker in the same business is paid

• Enterprise agreements or industrial awards that apply to the role

• Jobs and Skills Australia occupation and industry profiles

• Job advertisements for equivalent positions in the same location over the last 6 months

• Remuneration surveys or written advice from unions or employer associations

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How Employers Determine the AMSR

Where there is an equivalent Australian worker

The AMSR is what the employer is already paying that worker.

• If based on an enterprise agreement or industrial award: provide the name of the agreement or award as recorded by the Fair Work Commission, and the salary level or occupation group that applies

• If paying above the award rate or no award applies: provide copies of employment contracts and payslips for the equivalent Australian worker

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Important: An Australian worker who is more or less experienced than the nominee and does similar work at a different pay grade is not an equivalent worker. If the overseas worker will be paid less than the equivalent Australian worker, the nomination will be refused.

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Where there is no equivalent Australian worker but an enterprise agreement or industrial award applies

Provide the name of the agreement or award as recorded by the Fair Work Commission, and the salary level or occupation group that applies.

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Where there is no equivalent worker, agreement or award

The employer must determine the AMSR using at least two of the following:

• Jobs and Skills Australia occupation and industry profiles

• Job advertisements from the last 6 months for equivalent positions in the same location

• Remuneration surveys completed by a reputable organisation

• Written advice from unions or employer associations

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Providing only generic market salary data or salary surveys will result in the nomination being refused.

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Evidence You Need

Where market evidence is required (no internal equivalent worker, or no binding instrument), the Department expects at least two independent sources from the following:

• Jobs and Skills Australia occupation and industry profiles

• Job advertisements for equivalent positions in the same location, dated within the last six months

• Independent remuneration surveys or salary benchmarking data

• Written advice from relevant unions or employer associations

Providing only one source, or vague and unlabelled salary data without explanation, is generally treated as not meeting the requirement. If the market rate you've determined is a range, you need to explain and justify why you selected that specific figure within the range.

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Common Mistakes That Lead to Refusal

• Using international or global salary data instead of Australian-specific evidence

• Counting non-monetary benefits (accommodation, a company car, meals) toward the AMSR

• Using outdated job ads or salary data older than six months

• Not matching evidence to the actual work location (a Sydney CBD salary benchmark doesn't work for a regional WA role)

• Offering a salary below what an existing equivalent Australian worker in the business earns

• Failing to explain how the AMSR figure was determined, especially when using a range

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Where AMSR Sits Against the Income Threshold

Regardless of how the AMSR is determined, it must still clear the relevant income threshold. For Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream nominations, the AMSR must be no less than the CSIT or SSIT that applies. If the AMSR you've correctly determined is still below the relevant threshold, the nomination is refused — the income threshold acts as an absolute floor beneath the market rate test.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the minimum salary for a 482 visa in 2026?

For the Core Skills stream, the minimum is AUD 79,423 per year for nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026. For the Specialist Skills stream, the minimum is AUD 146,576 per year for the same period. You must also meet the AMSR — if the market rate is higher, the market rate applies.

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What is the CSIT?

The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is the minimum salary for the Core Skills stream of the 482 visa and for subclass 186 nominations lodged on or after 7 December 2024. It is currently AUD 79,423 per year (from 1 July 2026) and is indexed annually from 1 July.

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What is the SSIT?

The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) is the minimum salary for the Specialist Skills stream of the 482 visa. It is currently AUD 146,576 per year for nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026, and is indexed annually alongside the CSIT under the same regulation.

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What is the AMSR?

The Annual Market Salary Rate is the salary an equivalent Australian worker earns in the same role and location. Unlike the CSIT and SSIT, it has no fixed dollar figure — your employer must determine it individually for your occupation and location, and pay you no less than that amount, even if it exceeds the income threshold.

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Does superannuation count toward the threshold?

No. The income threshold applies to guaranteed annual earnings excluding non-monetary benefits. Superannuation, accommodation, car allowances and similar benefits do not count toward the CSIT or SSIT. Employers must pay these on top of the threshold amount.

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What happens if the salary doesn't meet the threshold?

The nomination will be refused. The Department will also refuse if the overseas worker will be paid less than an equivalent Australian worker, or if the employer provides fewer than two independent, specific evidence sources for how the AMSR was determined.

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When do salary thresholds change?

Thresholds are indexed annually from 1 July each year. The threshold that applies is determined by when the nomination is lodged. If you lodge on or after 1 July, the new financial year's threshold applies.

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Which threshold applies if my nomination is still pending on 1 July 2026?

The threshold that applied when the nomination was lodged still applies, even if the Department decides it after 1 July 2026. You don't need to re-lodge or provide updated salary evidence for the new figures.

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Does the CSIT apply to the 186 visa?

Yes. The CSIT applies to Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) nominations lodged on or after 7 December 2024.

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What is the TSMIT and does it apply to the 482 visa?

The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) applies to the subclass 494 and subclass 187 visas — not to the 482 visa directly. The 482 visa uses the CSIT (Core Skills stream) or SSIT (Specialist Skills stream) instead.

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How many sources of evidence do I need for the AMSR?

At least two independent sources when there's no internal equivalent Australian worker or binding award. Acceptable sources include job ads from the last six months, Jobs and Skills Australia data, independent remuneration surveys, or written advice from a union or employer association.

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Can I use overseas salary data for the AMSR?

No. The Department only accepts Australian labour market evidence specific to the work location — job ads, awards, or remuneration data must reflect the Australian market where the worker will actually be employed, not international salary benchmarks.

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What changed with the AMSR rules in 2026?

From 25 March 2026, the Migration Legislation Amendment (Annual Market Salary Rate) Instrument 2026 gave employers more flexibility. Where a Fair Work instrument previously had to be used as the sole basis for the AMSR, employers can now rely on alternative evidence instead, provided the resulting salary is at least equal to the instrument's rate.

What Is the 482 Visa Salary Requirement?

Your 482 visa nomination must clear two separate tests at the same time. The first is a fixed income threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs — CSIT for Core Skills, SSIT for Specialist Skills. The second is the Australian Market Salary Rate (AMSR), which reflects what an Australian worker doing the same job in the same location actually earns. Whichever figure is higher becomes your salary floor. If your nominated salary sits below either test, the nomination fails.

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Key Terms: TSMIT, CSIT, SSIT and AMSR

TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold) is the older name for the 482 salary floor, used before the visa restructure on 7 December 2024. You'll still see it in some legacy Department documents, Labour Agreement instruments, and Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) references — the dollar figures track alongside CSIT in practice.

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CSIT (Core Skills Income Threshold) is the current minimum salary for the Core Skills stream of the 482 visa, and also applies to the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme.

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SSIT (Specialist Skills Income Threshold) is the separate, higher minimum for the Specialist Skills stream, covering senior or highly-paid technical roles.

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AMSR (Annual Market Salary Rate) is not a fixed dollar figure — it's the going rate for your specific occupation, seniority, and location, benchmarked against industry awards, enterprise agreements, and market salary data. It changes case by case, and you must meet it in addition to CSIT or SSIT.

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The Two Conditions Every Nomination Must Meet

Condition 1 — Income Threshold. Your nominated salary must be no less than the CSIT or SSIT for your stream.

Condition 2 — Annual Market Salary Rate. Your nominated salary must also match what an equivalent Australian worker earns in the same role, at the same location. If the AMSR is higher than the income threshold, the AMSR applies.

If the salary offered is less than AUD 250,000 a year, the employer must demonstrate both: that the AMSR was determined correctly, and that the worker's guaranteed pay (excluding non-monetary benefits) meets both the AMSR and the relevant income threshold.​

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