Australia's 482 Visa Floor Jumps to $79,499 on 1 July 2026

$79,499. From 1 July 2026, that is the minimum base salary an employer has to pay to sponsor someone on a subclass 482 VISA under the Core Skills stream. The old floor was $76,515. The gap is about $3,000, and for a lot of offers sitting right on the line, $3,000 can be the difference between a sponsorship that goes through and one that quietly falls apart.

If you are a 485 VISA graduate about to be sponsored onto a 482, or you are holding a job offer near the old minimum, this deadline is yours. This post covers what the new number is, the one timing detail that can still save an offer near the line, and exactly what to do about it before July 1.

Why this matters

This is not a slow policy drift. It is a hard date. From 1 July 2026 any new nomination has to meet the higher floor, and the offers that sit between the old and new numbers are the ones that quietly break. A $77,000 offer that looked safe in May is a $2,500 problem in July. The employer either finds the extra money or the nomination fails, and most people only spot the gap once it is too late to fix before the deadline.

Who this is for

This is for you if:

• You are on a 485 VISA and about to be sponsored onto a subclass 482 for the first time.
• You are holding a graduate-level job offer with a base salary near the old $76,515 minimum.
• You are an employer or HR contact sponsoring someone whose base sits under $79,499.
• You have a 482 nomination in progress, or about to be lodged, as 1 July approaches.

What is actually changing

Every year the Department indexes the income thresholds for skilled visas. This year the Core Skills Income Threshold moves from $76,515 to $79,499, indexed by about 3.8%. Both Baker McKenzie and BDO have published the same confirmed figure.

One quick correction before you read anything else. An earlier preliminary number of $79,423 was floating around. Ignore it. The confirmed indexed figure is $79,499.

There is a second threshold most students will never touch. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold, used for higher-paid roles, rises from $141,210 to $146,717. If your offer is anywhere near the Core Skills floor, that one is not your problem. The $79,499 line is.

The detail that saves an offer: it locks at the nomination

Here is the part that matters. According to both Baker McKenzie and BDO, the new $79,499 threshold applies to nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026. Not the visa grant. The nomination.

That means the date your employer lodges the nomination is the date that decides which floor applies. A nomination lodged before 1 July is generally assessed against the current $76,515. A nomination lodged on or after 1 July has to clear $79,499. The grant can land weeks later and it does not change which floor you were locked into.

So if your offer sits between $76,515 and $79,499, the lodgement date is what matters most. A nomination lodged before July 1 may still be assessed against the current floor, and one lodged on or after July 1 may have to clear the new one. A registered migration agent is the only person who can confirm how this applies to your case.

What you can do about it

Step 1: Find your actual base salary

Check the base salary on your contract, not the total package. Superannuation, bonuses and allowances usually do not count toward the threshold. If your written base is under $79,499, you are exposed from July 1.

Step 2: If you are close, the date is everything

If your base sits between the old and new floors, lodging the nomination before 1 July 2026 may keep the current threshold in play. That is an employer action, not yours, so the conversation has to happen now, not in the last week of June. Ask your employer, or the migration agent handling it, where the nomination is in the queue. Only a registered migration agent can confirm the timing and eligibility for your specific case.

Step 3: If you cannot beat the date, the salary has to move

If the nomination is going in after July 1, the offer has to clear $79,499. For the employer that is roughly $3,000 more in base pay. Some will do it without blinking. Some will not. It is far better to know which one you are dealing with in June than to find out when the nomination bounces. If the employer cannot meet the new floor, it is worth discussing openly, and weighing what it means for you with proper advice.

Sources and further reading

📊 Baker McKenzie, Australia Skilled Visa Income Threshold Indexation 2026-27. Confirms the Core Skills threshold rising from $76,515 to $79,499 and the Specialist threshold from $141,210 to $146,717, applied to nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026.

📋 BDO, Updated Income Thresholds for Skilled Visas. Confirms the new $79,499 Core Skills figure and that it applies at the nomination stage for employer-sponsored visas including the subclass 482.

This is general information based on public 2026 advisory updates, not personal migration, legal or financial advice. Thresholds and timing rules change. A registered migration agent is the only person who can confirm what applies to your specific nomination.