TSMIT for Visa 482: The Minimum Salary Threshold
TSMIT — the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold — is the minimum salary threshold that a 482 position must meet to be approved. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood requirements in the entire visa 482 process.
What TSMIT is
TSMIT is the minimum annual income that a sponsor must pay a 482 worker. If the salary proposed in the nomination is lower than TSMIT, the nomination will be refused — regardless of whether that salary is higher than the industry minimum (the Award wage) or not.
TSMIT is adjusted periodically by the Department of Home Affairs. Check the current figure on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before planning a nomination — the number changes, and using an old one can lead to a refusal.
TSMIT and the market salary rate — two different concepts
Many people confuse TSMIT with the “market salary rate”. These are two separate requirements, and both must be met:
TSMIT: an absolute floor threshold — the salary must be at least equal to TSMIT.
Market Salary Rate: the salary must be equal to or higher than the market rate for that position, that region, that company size. The market salary rate can be considerably higher than TSMIT depending on the occupation.
If the actual market salary rate for an occupation is $90,000 but TSMIT is $76,000, the company must pay at least $90,000. The company cannot pay exactly TSMIT and ignore the market rate.
What TSMIT is calculated on
TSMIT is calculated on base salary + guaranteed annual earnings — that is:
- Base salary
- Guaranteed annual allowances
- NOT including superannuation (9.5–11% employer contribution)
- NOT including non-guaranteed amounts such as a performance bonus or non-fixed overtime
Example: base salary $74,000 + guaranteed allowance $5,000 = $79,000 — if TSMIT is $76,515, this case meets the threshold.
An occupation may meet TSMIT but the market rate must still be checked
Some occupations have a market salary rate lower than TSMIT (especially lower-skilled occupations). In that case, TSMIT is the limiting factor — the employer must pay at least TSMIT, even though the market rate is lower.
Conversely, occupations with a market rate higher than TSMIT (such as engineers, IT, specialist medicine) — TSMIT is not the issue, but the salary must not be lower than the market rate.
When TSMIT does not apply
TSMIT does not apply to the Labour Agreement stream — the salary conditions in the LA stream are set separately in each agreement.
The effect on workers
From the worker’s perspective: you do not have to prove TSMIT directly — that is the employer’s responsibility when lodging the nomination. However, you should be aware of it so you can:
- Check whether the company’s proposed salary is reasonable
- Not accept an offer lower than TSMIT (which would lead to a nomination refusal)
- Understand why some small companies cannot sponsor certain occupations