$540, nil for regional TRT
Nomination fee
$3,000, paid once
Levy, turnover under $10m
$5,000, paid once
Levy, $10m or more
$79,423
Salary floor
The business itself
- Actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia.
- The position is under the nominator’s direct control. For Direct Entry it must be within the nominator’s own business and not for hire to unrelated businesses.
- A satisfactory record of complying with Commonwealth, state and territory employment laws.
- No adverse information known to Immigration about the nominator or an associated person, unless it is reasonable to disregard it. The same test is applied again when the visa is decided.
- A written certification about the Migration Act rules against asking for or receiving a benefit in return for a sponsorship-related event.
The position
There must be a genuine need for the nominator to employ the worker in the position. The worker must be employed full-time in the position for at least 2 years, the terms must not expressly exclude the possibility of extending the employment, and the nominator must have the capacity to employ the worker for at least 2 years and pay at least the annual market salary rate each year. Where a state or territory makes a licence, registration or membership mandatory for the occupation, the worker must hold it or be eligible to hold it.
Salary
The worker’s earnings must not be less than the annual market salary rate: what an Australian citizen or permanent resident earns or would earn for equivalent full-time work in the same workplace and location. Both that rate and the worker’s earnings, excluding non-monetary benefits, must also be at least the Core Skills Income Threshold, $79,423 for nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026, indexed each 1 July.
Fees and the levy
| Item | Amount | As at |
|---|---|---|
| Employer: nomination fee | $540 (nil for Temporary Residence Transition and Labour Agreement positions in regional Australia) | 1 Jul 2026 |
| Employer: Skilling Australians Fund levy, annual turnover under $10 million | $3,000, paid once | Compilation 16 Nov 2019 |
| Employer: Skilling Australians Fund levy, annual turnover $10 million or more | $5,000, paid once | Compilation 16 Nov 2019 |
Home Affairs does not refund charges because an application or nomination is refused or the applicant changes their mind. The regulations allow a refund of the nomination fee and levy only in limited listed cases.
When the visa is decided, the nomination must still be approved and not withdrawn, the position must still be available, and there must be no unresolved adverse information about the employer. If the job ends before grant, the visa cannot be granted on that nomination.
Everything above was taken on 13 Nov 2026 from the legislation, instruments and official pages listed under Sources below. Rules and amounts change; always check the source, and remember the eligibility score is only the share of applicable published requirements met, never a chance of approval.
- Migration Regulations 1994, Volume 1, Compilation No. 288 (1 July 2026): regulations 1.03, 1.12, 1.13A, 1.15C, 2.72(15), 5.19, 5.37, 5.37A, 5.42A and Schedule 1 item 1114B www.legislation.gov.au/F1996B03551/2026-07-01/2026-07-01/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html
- Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Regulations 2018 (compilation 16 November 2019) www.legislation.gov.au/F2018L01092/2019-11-16/2019-11-16/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html
- Explanatory Statement, Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 (income thresholds and visa application charges from 1 July 2026) www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00874/asmade/2026-06-30/es/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html
- Home Affairs: Salary requirements to nominate a worker (subclass 482, 186 and 187) immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/nominating-a-position/salary-requirements
- Home Affairs: Getting a refund immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/change-in-situation/get-a-refund
General information only, not migration advice. Rules can change at any time; always check the official source.
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General information only. This is not migration advice for your circumstances. Rules change, so always check the official source or speak with a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2518931, MARN 2619448).
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