Australia: Expanded Pathway to Employer-Sponsored Permanent Residency and Increase in Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold Forthcoming
May 11, 2023
The Australian Department of Home Affairs has announced two upcoming reforms to the skilled migration program that will benefit short-term Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) subclass 482 visa holders. These changes include an expanded employer-sponsored permanent residency pathway under the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) subclass 186 visa program, where eligibility will not be confined to the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list. Visa applicants will need to work in their nominated occupation, show a two-year employment period with the sponsoring employer, and meet all other TRT ENS visa program requirements. To help onshore individuals who would usually need to go offshore to reapply, the Department will temporarily remove limits on in-country TSS visa applications. Furthermore, the government also announced that the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) will increase from AUD 53,900 to AUD 70,000 from July 1, 2023. The increased amount will apply to new nomination applications, which will need to meet the new TSMIT or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher. However, the change will not affect existing visa holders and approved nominations filed before this date. Further clarification is being sought from the Department of Home Affairs as to the impact on nominations lodged but not finalized by July 1, 2023. Fragomen will monitor the situation and will provide updates accordingly.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Explore more at Fragomen
Blog post
Media mentions
Senior Associate Isabel Schnitzler outlines the key compliance considerations for employers with employees working across the EU.
Podcast
Associates Stephanie D. Weaver and Julia Manacher examine immigration issues emerging in a popular reality television series, including K-1 visa denials, consular non-reviewability, fraud findings and changing adjudication policies.
Blog post
Manager Dr. Adela Schmidt examines common misconceptions in German citizenship law, including birthright citizenship, dual citizenship, citizenship by descent and naturalization processing, and explains why eligibility often depends on specific legal requirements, timelines and documentation.
Awards
Partner Audrea Golding, Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Senior Talent Development Director Wendy Milici have been named finalists in the 2026 TLC Lions Human Awards Americas, recognizing their contributions to human-centered leadership, workplace culture and inclusion.
Media mentions
Fragomen and SICPA have launched a global joint venture to develop an end-to-end digital identity platform that enables secure identity verification, document authentication and verifiable credential management.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Mitch Wexler discusses how potential changes to H-1B visas, employment-based green cards and OPT could impact employers’ workforce planning and compliance obligations.
Media mentions
In a Leaders in Motion interview with World Business Travel Forum, Partner Ali Haider and Nomadic CEO Carsten Østberg discuss recent travel and mobility developments across the Middle East and practical considerations for employers managing cross-border talent in the region.
Media mentions
Partner Rachel Beardsley explains how new DHS guidance clarifies that dairy employers may use the H-2A program when they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Blog post
Media mentions
Senior Associate Isabel Schnitzler outlines the key compliance considerations for employers with employees working across the EU.
Podcast
Associates Stephanie D. Weaver and Julia Manacher examine immigration issues emerging in a popular reality television series, including K-1 visa denials, consular non-reviewability, fraud findings and changing adjudication policies.
Blog post
Manager Dr. Adela Schmidt examines common misconceptions in German citizenship law, including birthright citizenship, dual citizenship, citizenship by descent and naturalization processing, and explains why eligibility often depends on specific legal requirements, timelines and documentation.
Awards
Partner Audrea Golding, Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Senior Talent Development Director Wendy Milici have been named finalists in the 2026 TLC Lions Human Awards Americas, recognizing their contributions to human-centered leadership, workplace culture and inclusion.
Media mentions
Fragomen and SICPA have launched a global joint venture to develop an end-to-end digital identity platform that enables secure identity verification, document authentication and verifiable credential management.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Mitch Wexler discusses how potential changes to H-1B visas, employment-based green cards and OPT could impact employers’ workforce planning and compliance obligations.
Media mentions
In a Leaders in Motion interview with World Business Travel Forum, Partner Ali Haider and Nomadic CEO Carsten Østberg discuss recent travel and mobility developments across the Middle East and practical considerations for employers managing cross-border talent in the region.
Media mentions
Partner Rachel Beardsley explains how new DHS guidance clarifies that dairy employers may use the H-2A program when they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
