Australia 494 Salary Offer: Check TSMIT, Market Rate and What Reaches Your Pay
A Subclass 494 salary quote should be checked in separate parts. Home Affairs lists a Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of AUD 79,423 for nomination applications lodged from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027. It also says both the annual market salary rate (AMSR) for the nominated position and the worker’s guaranteed annual earnings must meet at least the relevant TSMIT. The date of lodgement matters because the income thresholds are indexed each year.
That figure is not a promise about take-home pay. It is an official nomination threshold for the specified period. A particular offer still needs to be checked against the occupation, employer, work location, written terms, applicable workplace instrument and the current visa requirements. Do not use a threshold from an earlier year for a new nomination without checking the applicable lodgement date.
TSMIT and market salary answer different questions
TSMIT is the income threshold used for the 494 nomination. AMSR asks what the nominated occupation would normally be paid in the Australian market, based on the relevant evidence and role. For a salary under AUD 250,000, Home Affairs says the employer must determine AMSR correctly and must not pay the overseas worker less than that rate. A salary can therefore clear one comparison and still need review against the other.
For a 494 Employer Sponsored nomination, a regional certifying body assesses AMSR for the nominated position. The evidence should relate to the actual role and location, not just a job title copied from another vacancy. Differences in duties, seniority, roster, hours, qualifications and workplace location may affect whether two positions are a fair comparison.
Separate cash earnings from non-cash benefits
Home Affairs says the 494 TSMIT does not include non-monetary benefits such as accommodation or a car; those benefits must be provided in addition to the TSMIT. Do not add the estimated value of a room, vehicle, travel or meals to the threshold and assume that the cash requirement has been met. Ask the employer to show guaranteed annual earnings and each benefit as separate items in the written offer.
If the offer uses the words ‘salary package’, ‘total remuneration’ or ‘including super’, ask for a line-by-line breakdown. Confirm the annual cash amount, the basis for any allowance or bonus, whether each amount is guaranteed, and how compulsory superannuation is handled. An estimate, discretionary bonus or verbal promise should not be counted as guaranteed earnings without a clear basis in the nomination evidence and contract.
Compare the offer with the first payslips
After work begins, use the payslip and payment record to check what was actually paid. Fair Work Ombudsman guidance says payslips must show pay for each pay period and, where relevant, separately identify items such as allowances, bonuses, penalty rates, deductions and superannuation contributions. Compare gross pay with the contract before tax, then compare net pay with the amount deposited. These figures answer different questions.
Item | What to verify |
Guaranteed annual earnings | Written amount, annual basis and any conditions |
AMSR | How the nominated position was compared with Australian market pay |
Accommodation or car | Listed separately from the cash threshold |
Superannuation | Contribution stated separately and visible in the payroll records |
Payslip and bank credit | Pay period, gross amount, deductions and actual net payment |
A lower net deposit than the gross salary does not, by itself, show a breach: tax and permitted deductions affect take-home pay. The useful check is whether the written terms, approved nomination, hours worked, itemised payslip and payment record line up. If a recurring bonus or allowance was used to describe the offer, ask whether it is guaranteed and what happens if the condition for payment is not met.
Questions to put to the employer before signing
Which annual TSMIT applies to the proposed nomination lodgement date?
What evidence was used to set the AMSR for this occupation, role and regional location?
What is the guaranteed annual cash earnings figure before tax?
Are accommodation, a vehicle, travel or other non-cash benefits additional to that amount?
Is superannuation stated separately, and how will it appear on payslips?
Which award or enterprise agreement covers ordinary hours, overtime and allowances?
Keep the offer, contract, nomination documents, roster, payslips and bank statements together. If the amounts or duties do not match, ask for a written explanation before relying on a new figure. Immigration salary thresholds and workplace pay entitlements are related but separate checks; a payslip cannot establish by itself that a nomination met every requirement. The right assessment depends on the actual documents and the rules in force on the relevant date.
Official sources
Salary requirements to nominate a worker, including TSMIT and AMSR: Department of Home Affairs
Regional certifying bodies and AMSR assessment for the 494 Employer Sponsored stream: Department of Home Affairs
Payslips and payroll items: Fair Work Ombudsman
Official sources and verification date
20 October 2026
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