An announcement by the Albanese government on 27 April 2023 made the 491 visa applicants shudder with fear of the income threshold being increased from $53,900 to $70,000 per year.
Amid the chaos of conflicting and vague interpretations related to the announcement made by the Australian government, the 491 visa seekers have been desperately looking for a clearer insight into the Australian Government media Release, “The Albanese Government will increase the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) from $53,900 to $70,000 from July 1.”
While the 491 applicants are reeling under the fear that the minimum income level they will need to now achieve will be $70,000 annually in order to become eligible for a 191 visa, the announcement was in no way directed at the 491 applicants at all.
To put it unambiguously, the announcement simply means that the employers looking to sponsor overseas workers on a 482 visa will need to offer an annual salary of at least $70,000 plus superannuation to overseas workers they wish to employ from 1 July 2023. This decision was taken to align with the income level of what an average Australian worker is drawing, which happens to be far more than the 10-year old Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold [TSMIT] of $52,900.