TSMIT and the Annual Market Salary Rate
If you wish to sponsor an employee who is overseas or a temporary visa holder in Australia, you will need to ensure that the salary that applies to the nominated position meets certain criteria.
Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold
The TSMIT, or Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, is set by the Department of Home Affairs and is subject to change each year. Currently, TSMIT is $53,900, meaning that the prospective employee for the position you wish to fill – regardless of occupation – must earn a minimum of $53,900 each year. This amount is exclusive of superannuation, meaning that you must also pay the requisite percentage – currently 9.5% – to the employee’s nominated superannuation account.
Annual Market Salary Rate
The other primary requirement is that the proposed salary must be within the market rate for the role. This is to ensure that the prospective employee will be paid at least as much as an Australian employee in a comparable role.
If you do not have an equivalent worker in your business who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you will need to provide reasons as to how the prospective employee’s annual salary has been determined. If this information indicates that the nominee will be paid less than the AMSR, the nomination will be at risk of refusal.
Caveats on Annual Salary
There are also caveats that apply to certain occupations, which specify that the annual earnings of the prospective employee must not be less than a particular amount – and this amount exceeds TSMIT.
If caveats 2, 3, 4, 5, or 23 apply to an occupation, that means that the annual salary must exceed $65,000 (for 2 and 3), $80,000 (for 4), $180,001 (for 5), or $90,000 (for 23).
Occupations to which these caveats apply are as follows:
| Occupation | ANZSCO | Caveat |
| Conference and Event Organiser | 149311 | 2 |
| Customer Service Manager | 149212 | 2 |
| Human Resource Adviser | 223111 | 2 |
| Liaison Officer | 224912 | 2 |
| Market Research Analyst | 225112 | 2 |
| Marketing Specialist | 225113 | 2 |
| Multimedia Designer | 232413 | 2 |
| Procurement Manager | 133612 | 2 |
| Property Manager | 612112 | 2 |
| Real Estate Representative | 612115 | 2 |
| Technical Sales Representatives nec | 225499 | 2 |
| Sales and Marketing Manager | 131112 | 3 |
| Supply and Distribution Manager | 133611 | 3 |
| Corporate Services Manager | 132111 | 4 |
| Chief Executive or Managing Director | 111111 | 5 |
| Corporate General Manager | 111211 | 5 |
| Building and Engineering Technicians nec | 312999 | 23 |
| Electrical Linesworker | 342211 | 23 |
| Financial Institution Branch Manager | 149914 | 23 |
| Gas or Petroleum Operator | 399212 | 23 |
| Management Consultant | 224711 | 23 |
| Policy and Planning Manager | 132411 | 23 |
| Public Relations Manager | 131114 | 23 |
| Recruitment Consultant | 223112 | 23 |
| Ship’s Master | 231213 | 23 |
| Sports Administrator | 139915 | 23 |
Should you wish to sponsor an overseas worker or temporary visa holder, there are many things to consider in order to ensure that their application has the best chance of success, including the TSMIT and AMSR, and additional caveats that apply to certain occupations.
Get in touch and we will make the process – including the sponsorship, nomination, and visa applications – stress-free.