Raising the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold
From 1 July 2023, the TSMIT will increase from $53,900 to $70,000. New nomination applications from this date will need to meet the new TSMIT of $70,000 or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher.
This change will not affect existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2023.
Expanded pathways to permanent residence
By the end of 2023, the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa will be available for all Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa holders whose employers wish to sponsor them.
Applicants will need to continue to work in the occupation nominated for their TSS visa(s). However, occupations will not be limited to the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). We will reduce eligibility for the TRT stream from three years to two years employment with the sponsoring employer. Applicants will need to meet all other nomination and visa requirements for the TRT stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme visa.
To facilitate these pathways, the Government is also removing limits on the number of Short-term stream TSS visa applications that visa holders can make in Australia. This is an interim measure to assist those currently onshore who would normally need to go offshore to make further visa applications.
These changes are in line with the Government’s commitment at the Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022 to expand pathways to permanent residence for temporary skilled sponsored workers. The changes will provide more equitable access to permanent residence. They will also provide more certainty to TSS visa holders and their employers about the permanent residence pathways available. Employers will be able to alleviate skills shortages by ensuring a permanent employer sponsored pathway is available for a wider range of occupations.
