As the Industry Subject Matter Expert for Professional Services at Gilton Valeo Lawyers, I regularly work with employers and highly skilled professionals navigating Australia’s evolving visa framework to meet workforce demand in this highly skilled and globally competitive space. This article provides an overview of how this critical sector intersects with Australia’s skilled migration framework and why it presents unique opportunities for both employers and highly skilled professionals.
The Professional Services industry in Australia is a broad, knowledge-driven sector that supports the functioning and growth of almost every other industry. It includes services provided by highly qualified professionals in areas such as accounting, legal advisory, management consulting, engineering consulting, ICT advisory, marketing, and human resources. These roles are typically project-based or advisory in nature and require deep technical expertise, formal qualifications, and significant experience.
From a migration perspective, Professional Services is particularly important because it consistently generates demand for highly skilled talent. Common occupations in this sector include Corporate General Managers, Management Consultants, ICT Business Analysts, Software Engineers, External Auditors, Management Accountants, Economists, Financial Market Dealers, Sales and Marketing Managers, Marketing Specialists, and HR Managers. These roles are central to business transformation, regulatory compliance, and growth, making them highly sought after by Australian employers.
A key pathway for sponsoring these professionals is the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, with many applicants eligible under the Specialist Skills Stream. This stream is designed for highly skilled, highly paid professionals and does not require the occupation to be listed on the Core Skills Occupation List. Instead, eligibility is primarily driven by salary level and skill, allowing employers to nominate bespoke or emerging roles that may not fit neatly into traditional occupation classifications.
To access this pathway, the nominated role must meet the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT), which reflects the seniority and scarcity of the skillset. For the 2025–26 program year, this threshold is AUD 141,210. However, from 1 July 2026, the SSIT will increase to AUD 146,717, in line with annual indexation linked to wage growth. This increase was discussed by my colleague, Gina Syromahos, in a previous post you can read here.
Importantly, this increase applies only to nomination applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. Applications lodged before this date will continue to be assessed against the current (lower) threshold, regardless of when they are decided.
This creates a clear and time-sensitive opportunity for employers. Where there are identified sponsorship needs, particularly for roles with salaries close to the current threshold, employers should strongly consider progressing nominations before 1 July 2026. Doing so may avoid the need to uplift salary packages to meet the higher threshold and can provide greater flexibility in structuring remuneration.
For the Professional Services sector, this flexibility is particularly valuable. Many Professional Services roles do not always align with occupations included in the Core Skills Occupation List but can still qualify under the Specialist Skills Stream due to their seniority and remuneration level.
However, successfully navigating this pathway requires more than meeting a salary threshold. Employers must also demonstrate that the role is genuine, aligns with market salary rates, and reflects a highly specialised skillset. Misalignment between job descriptions, remuneration, and migration criteria is a common challenge.
In summary, the Professional Services sector remains one of the strongest users of the Specialist Skills Stream due to its reliance on high-value, highly skilled talent. With the upcoming increase to the SSIT from 1 July 2026, now is a critical time for employers to review their workforce and immigration strategies, ensuring they are well-positioned to secure the talent they need in an increasingly competitive market.
