The Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) is the Australian Government’s way of ensuring overseas workers are paid a fair, competitive wage. Simply put, it is the exact market rate that an Australian citizen or permanent resident would earn for doing the same job in the same location.
The Australian Government enforces the AMSR rule for two reasons:
The AMSR ensures that a business isn’t bringing in a skilled migrant worker and paying them unfairly. By calculating the AMSR, the government verifies that the sponsored worker will be paid the exact same fair-market wage that a local Australian would earn for doing the same job, in the same city, with the same level of experience.
The Australian Government enforces the AMSR to prevent businesses from using the visa system to undercut local wages with cheaper overseas labour.
You must prove the AMSR when lodging an employer nomination for the following visas:
How you prove the market rate to the government depends entirely on your current workforce and whether the job is governed by an industry award.
Method 1: You already employ an Australian worker doing the exact same job in the same location
Method 2: You DO NOT have an Australian worker doing the exact same job
While both rules are designed to protect workers’ wages, they measure two completely different things:
The Golden Rule: You must always pay the worker whichever number is higher.
As of the latest Australian Government updates, the absolute minimum base salary for a Subclass 482 visa depends on the specific pathway you are using:
1. Core Skills Stream: The legal baseline—known as the TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold)—is $76,515 plus superannuation. You cannot sponsor an overseas worker for a standard role if the salary falls below this amount.
2. Specialist Skills Stream: If you are using the premium, fast-tracked pathway for highly skilled professionals, the absolute minimum salary requirement jumps to $141,210 plus superannuation..
Yes, there is a limited exemption. If the nominated annual earnings are at least AUD $250,000, the position is exempt from the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) requirement.
No. Both the AMSR and the TSMIT are calculated using only guaranteed base salary. You cannot include discretionary performance bonuses, expected overtime, superannuation, or non-monetary perks (like free accommodation or a company car) to artificially inflate the salary and meet the visa requirements.
No. The Department of Home Affairs strictly requires Australian data. You cannot use international salary surveys or global pay scales to justify your wage offer. You must use local data, such as Australian job advertisements, Fair Work awards, or Australian remuneration surveys (like Hays or JobOutlook).
Under Australian immigration law, the sponsoring employer must always pay whichever amount is higher.
The TSMIT (currently $76,515) acts as an absolute legal safety net. However, if the actual market rate (AMSR) for your specific job is higher than that baseline, the employer is legally required to pay the higher AMSR.
