AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Changes in Minimum Salary Level (MSL) for Sponsored workers

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

The Minimum Salary Level (MSL) for skilled workers has increased by 3.8% from the 1st of August 2008.

The MSL refers to the minimum amount that employers must pay sponsored employees holding work visas. This provides security & protection to skilled migrant workers who come to live & work in Australia.

Both the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and the 457 Visa programme have seen increased MSL:

• $77,850 – where English Language Exemption is Claimed
• $59.480 – Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Employees
• $43,440 – Non ICT Employees
• $53,530 – ICT Employees working under regional concession
• $39,100 – Non-ICT Employees working under regional concession

These changes apply to all sponsored workers who are paid in accordance with MSL, and not only new sponsored work visa applicants.

MSL for employees will apply retrospectively, meaning that employees who applied for their visa prior to 1 August 2008, will be entitled to an increase in pay if their current pay is below the new MSL.

The change in the MSL is in addition to the new English language requirements in the 457 programme that has taken place since 1st July 2008, requiring certain primary applicants to score an average band score of 4.5 across all 4 components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

If you are interested in Visas to Australia, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Australia.