From 1 July 2026, several important Australian immigration settings are changing, including salary thresholds, migration planning levels and Department policy priorities.
For veterinary clinics sponsoring overseas veterinarians, these updates are important to understand before lodging new applications.
Employer-Sponsored Pathways Remain a Priority
The overall Migration Program will remain the same heading into the new financial year. However, there is a positive shift for employer-sponsored migration, with places for employer-nominated pathways increasing from 44,000 to 58,000.
This is a strong signal that the Government continues to see employer-sponsored migration as a key part of Australia’s workforce strategy.
For the veterinary industry, where many clinics continue to face workforce shortages, employer-sponsored pathways remain an important option for accessing skilled overseas veterinarians.
Salary Thresholds Are Increasing
As happens each year, salary thresholds for employer-sponsored visas will increase from 1 July 2026.
For Skills in Demand applications, employers will need to ensure nominated roles meet the updated salary requirements:
- Core Skills stream: $79,499 plus superannuation
- Specialist Skills stream: $146,717 plus superannuation
These updated thresholds will apply to applications lodged from this point forward, so veterinary clinics should review salaries before lodging any nominations.
There will also be an increase to the Fair Work High Income Threshold, which is likely to move from around $183,000 to approximately $190,000 plus superannuation.
More Scrutiny on Occupation Alignment
While not all policy updates are strictly tied to 1 July, we are seeing a clear shift toward increased scrutiny on sponsored roles.
Key focus areas include:
- whether the role is genuine
- whether the occupation aligns with the duties being performed
- whether the business has a genuine need for the position
- whether local labour market testing has been properly considered
- whether the sponsored worker fits within the business’s broader workforce plan
For veterinary clinics, this means it will be important to clearly demonstrate why the role is needed, how the duties align with the nominated occupation, and how the overseas veterinarian fits within the clinic’s workforce needs.
These are areas we actively address as part of the application process, but employers should expect stronger evidence requirements moving forward.
If you are a veterinary clinic sponsoring overseas talent or preparing for future hiring, now is the time to get across these changes.
GET IN TOUCH with the Vetvisa team if you have questions about the latest Australian immigration updates.
VIDEO UPDATE:
