Annual Market Salary Review for a 482 Visa: The Yearly Process

What the Annual Market Salary Review is

The Annual Market Salary Review (AMSR) is a mandatory obligation for a subclass 482 sponsor. As part of the sponsor obligations, a business must periodically review the nominee’s salary to ensure two things:

1. The salary still meets or exceeds the current TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold)
2. The salary is no less than what is paid to an Australian worker doing equivalent work under comparable conditions (market salary rate equivalence)

This is not optional or merely a “should do” — the AMSR is an obligation written into the sponsorship terms. A breach can lead to a warning, cancellation of sponsor status, or a civil penalty.

Why the AMSR is needed

When a business lodges the initial nomination, the committed salary must meet TSMIT at that time. However, TSMIT is adjusted by the Department periodically (usually each year at the start of July). The labour market also changes over time — the salary for equivalently skilled Australian workers may rise.

Without the AMSR, a nominee sponsored in 2023 at a salary just meeting TSMIT might be paid below the new TSMIT in 2025 — without the sponsor noticing or deliberately ignoring it. The AMSR is the mechanism that detects and corrects this.

When to carry out the AMSR

There is no single fixed date for all sponsors. Instead:

• Many businesses tie the AMSR to their internal annual salary review cycle (often at the start of the Australian financial year: 1 July each year)
• Some businesses run it on the anniversary of the nominee’s employment contract
• Whenever TSMIT is adjusted upwards, the sponsor should immediately check whether the nominee’s salary still complies

Best practice is to carry out the AMSR at least every 12 months and as soon as the Department announces a TSMIT adjustment.

The AMSR process

Step 1 — Gather market data: Find evidence of the current market salary for the equivalent position. Common reference sources:

• Salary surveys from Seek, LinkedIn Salary Insights, or RCSA
• Industry reports from professional associations
• Internal data on the salary paid to Australian staff in a similar role

Step 2 — Compare with the current TSMIT: Check the current TSMIT on the Department’s website. Compare it with the nominee’s salary. If the current salary is below the new TSMIT, the salary must be raised immediately.

Step 3 — Compare with equivalent Australian workers: The nominee’s salary must be no less than what is paid to an Australian worker in an equivalent position at the same business or in the market. If the business has raised pay for Australian staff but not for the nominee, that is a breach.

Step 4 — Adjust if needed: If the salary is found to be below standard, raise it and update the employment contract.

Step 5 — Document: Record the whole AMSR process: the date carried out, the source data, the conclusion, and the action taken (if any). This is important evidence when the Department audits.

When salary falls below TSMIT

If the AMSR finds the nominee’s salary is below TSMIT (for example because TSMIT has risen), the sponsor must:

• Raise the salary to the correct TSMIT level (or higher) immediately
• Update the employment contract to reflect the new salary
• Consider whether the Department needs to be notified of the salary change (often not required, but if the change affects a nomination condition then it is)

There is no rule allowing a sponsor a “grace period” — keeping the salary below TSMIT even for a single day after TSMIT is adjusted is a breach of the sponsor obligations.

Records to keep

A business should keep AMSR records including:

• A worksheet comparing the nominee’s salary against TSMIT and the market (a worksheet or internal memo)
• The source data used to assess the market
• The date the review was carried out
• The decision on a salary adjustment (yes or no, with reasons)
• The amended employment contract if salary was raised

These records must be available to provide to the Department in the event of an inspection.

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The AMSR is not technically complex, but it requires consistency and discipline carried out each year. A business with many nominees should set up a standardised AMSR process to ensure no nominee is missed.