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CSIT 2026–27: does the salary in your job offer meet the right comparison?

Visa guide · 2026-10-28 · 7 min read

A job offer may present one attractive package figure while the migration rules ask a more precise question about pay. For nominations in the 2026–27 period, understanding the Core Skills Income Threshold means looking at the relevant stream, the lodgement date and the components of the offer. It is not enough to recognise a number in an advertisement.

This guide describes the rules for 28 October 2026. It explains the current thresholds and the separate annual market salary rate requirement, without suggesting a salary for any occupation. Keep your employment conditions, minimum workplace entitlements and migration nomination requirements visible as related but distinct checks.

The threshold amounts for this nomination period

The Home Affairs salary requirements page gives the thresholds for nominations lodged on and between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Its verified record was last updated on 21 September 2026.

These amounts do not tell you that a particular occupation qualifies for a stream or that an employer has an approved position. Check the route first. A salary can satisfy one numerical comparison while other nomination or applicant requirements remain unresolved.

Why the year beside the number matters

The thresholds are indexed each 1 July. In 2025–26, CSIT and TSMIT were AUD76,515 and SSIT was AUD141,210. The earlier 2024–25 figures were AUD73,150 and AUD135,000 respectively. Those older values are history, not the numbers to copy into a new 2026–27 comparison.

If discussions with an employer cross a July boundary, ask which nomination lodgement period is relevant. Do not assume the figure from an early conversation remains the applicable one when the nomination is lodged. Equally, do not apply a later period’s amount backwards without checking the actual rule.

Our archive article on interpreting workforce and salary information helps distinguish a dated labour-market observation from a current legal threshold. Keep the source date attached to both.

The annual market salary rate is a separate test

For a nominated salary under AUD250,000, the employer must show the annual market salary rate is correct and that the worker will not be paid less than an Australian worker would be paid. Both the annual market salary rate and the worker’s pay, excluding non-monetary benefits, must be at least the relevant threshold.

That means the threshold is not permission to pay every role at the same amount. A position’s market salary can be higher. From the worker’s side, ask how the proposed duties and conditions relate to the salary assessment rather than asking only whether the headline figure is above the threshold.

The 482 guide gives the broader route context. Keep the salary question alongside the actual occupation, responsibilities and employer process instead of treating it as a shortcut through the rest of the application.

Read the components of an offer carefully

Ask for a written explanation of monetary pay and non-monetary benefits. Accommodation, a vehicle or another benefit may have practical value to you, but non-monetary benefits do not count towards the threshold comparison described above. A package label alone does not show which components are being used.

Also clarify duties, working hours, location and any proposed deductions. Do not convert an annual package into a take-home amount without understanding tax and the actual conditions. This article supplies no personal tax calculation or occupation salary estimate.

Where the job title sounds senior but the responsibilities are unclear, the archive discussion of titles and actual authority is relevant. The real work matters when you and the employer discuss the position and its conditions.

Why AUD96,400 is a different figure

The advertising rule described in the verified labour market testing facts requires salary to be shown when annual earnings are below AUD96,400. The same amount also appears in a specified English exemption involving employment by an overseas business. Those are distinct rules with their own conditions.

Do not rename AUD96,400 as the CSIT or assume that reaching it creates a general English exemption. The official advertising guidance and the 482 stream information need to be read for their separate purposes.

Keep a short note beside every figure you record: the amount, its purpose, its date and the conditions attached. That simple habit prevents a number found in one checklist from being transferred into another requirement.

A sequence for reviewing a proposed salary

1. Identify the actual stream and proposed nominated position.
2. Confirm the nomination lodgement period and the applicable threshold.
3. Separate monetary pay from non-monetary benefits in the written offer.
4. Ask about the annual market salary rate and consistency with the duties and conditions.
5. Check the remaining immigration and workplace requirements before making commitments.

Compare the duties in current vacancies, but do not treat an advertised salary as official confirmation that a nomination qualifies. The visa guides can help you identify the right questions for the route.

Common mistakes with threshold figures

Using last year’s amount, counting a non-cash benefit as salary, or assuming every above-threshold offer qualifies are three different mistakes. So is assuming the minimum threshold must be the market rate for your occupation. Keep the employer’s evidence and your own understanding of the offer aligned.

The archive article on employer recruitment planning shows why timing and consistency matter. If the proposed conditions change during recruitment, ask for an updated written explanation rather than carrying forward an old package comparison.

Before acting, write down which details are confirmed and which remain assumptions. Ask for clarification on the specific unresolved point, and retain the response with your planning records so a later change does not get lost.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CSIT for the 2026–27 nomination period?

For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027, the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423. The relevant period is the nomination lodgement period, not simply the date you first discussed a job.

Is the SSIT the same amount?

No. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD146,576 for that period. The relevant stream and all its requirements need to be identified before comparing a proposed salary with a threshold.

Does meeting the threshold settle the salary requirement?

No. For the nominated-salary setting described here, the annual market salary rate also has to be correct and both the market rate and worker’s pay must meet the relevant threshold, excluding non-monetary benefits.

Can accommodation make up a shortfall?

Do not count non-monetary benefits towards the threshold comparison described here. Ask for a clear breakdown of monetary pay and other benefits rather than relying on a package headline.

Why does AUD96,400 appear in other rules?

It has different specified uses, including the advertising salary-disclosure rule and an overseas-business English exemption. It is not a replacement name or amount for CSIT, SSIT or TSMIT.

Last checked: 9 November 2026 against the official sources linked above. This archival article describes the position on 28 October 2026.

Every case is different — book a consultation and our partner registered migration agents (MARA) can help you consider the rules and evidence that apply to your circumstances.

Key takeaways

• CSIT and TSMIT are AUD79,423 and SSIT is AUD146,576 for the stated 2026–27 nomination period.
• The market salary rate requirement remains separate and non-monetary benefits are excluded from the threshold comparison.
• Attach a purpose and date to every salary-related figure.

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