The Grattan Institute has once again called for the temporary skilled migrant income threshold (TSMIT) to be lifted to the “goldilocks” level of $70,000, which would be $13,000 below last year’s median full-time wage ($83,000).
Grattan agrees that the current TSMIT of $53,000 is far too low and has “allowed employers to sponsor a growing number of low-wage workers with fewer skills – half of all Temporary Skill Shortage visa-holders earn less than the median full-time income, compared to just 38 per cent 15 years ago”.
However, it also argues that the ACTU’s proposed $90,000 TSMIT is far too high and would prevent low paid skilled’ migrants (an oxymoron) from being hired:
