Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold Raised to $70,000

Joint media release between The Hon Clare O’Neil MP, Minister for Home Affairs, and The Hon Andrew Giles MP

The Albanese Government will increase the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) from $53,900 to $70,000 from July 1. 

Frozen since 2013, around 90% of all full-time jobs in Australia are now paid more than the current TSMIT, undermining Australia’s skilled migration system.

The new $70,000 income threshold is approximately where the TSMIT should have been if it had been properly indexed over the previous 10 years.

This is the Government’s first action in response to the independent Review of the Migration System led by Dr Martin Parkinson, which found that Australia’s migration system is broken.

The Albanese Government is also announcing that by the end of 2023, Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) short stream visa holders will have a pathway to permanent residency within our existing capped permanent program.

This will provide employers and migrants with more certainty, and will help increase the skill level in our permanent skilled program.

Together, these two measures announced fulfil important election commitments to increase the TSMIT and expand pathways to permanent residence.