2026–27 Budget: What actually changed for skilled migration
The federal budget confirmed 132,240 skilled places, prioritised onshore applicants, and locked in a salary threshold increase on 1 July. Here's what's confirmed.
Official source ↗The 2026–27 Federal Budget has been released and there are several confirmed changes that directly affect skilled visa holders and applicants.
What's confirmed:
132,240 skilled migration places — The permanent Migration Program remains at 185,000 total places, with 132,240 (over 70%) allocated to the Skilled stream. This is unchanged from the previous year.
Onshore applicants prioritised — Of the 132,240 skilled places, 129,590 are allocated to migrants already living in Australia. Only 55,110 places are available for offshore applicants, who will mostly be high-skilled workers addressing long-term workforce needs. If you're already in Australia on a temporary visa, this is good news.
Salary threshold increase on 1 July 2026 — The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for 482 Core Skills stream nominations increases from A$76,515 to A$79,499. Nominations lodged before 30 June 2026 can use the lower threshold. This affects both new sponsorships and renewals.
CSOL remains at 456 occupations — The Core Skills Occupation List introduced in December 2024 is unchanged. A revised CSOL incorporating 2025 stakeholder consultation feedback is expected later in 2026.
Points test optimisation — The government has signalled it will refine the points test for skilled independent and nominated visas to better target younger, higher-educated applicants. Specific changes have not been announced yet.
$85.2 million for skills recognition — The budget allocated funding to accelerate skills assessments for trades workers, aiming to cut assessment times and support up to 4,000 additional trades workers entering the workforce annually.
What's NOT confirmed (despite social media claims):
The widely shared claim that the 482 experience requirement has been reduced from 2 years to 1 year is not confirmed in official budget papers or DHA announcements. The current requirement remains 2 years of relevant experience.
Sources: 2026–27 Federal Budget papers, Department of Home Affairs. This is general information only, not migration advice.