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Visa and Citizenship Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a visa and citizenship officer is $85,800 per annum, before tax, up $17,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay follows the Australian Public Service classification of the job, from an entry level processing role up to a senior decision maker, so the largest jumps come with promotion between classifications rather than another year in the same one.
- Departmental enterprise agreements set the increments, and most officers move up a step each year until they reach the top of their classification.
- Roles involving shift work or after-hours duty in border and contact operations can attract loadings, and migration practices and legal firms set their own rates.
The median salary rose by $17,700 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than visa and citizenship officer
The largest typical pay rise is $27,200 a year, moving into Policy Officer.
- Policy Officer+$27,200/yr
- Housing Officer+$3,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher visa and citizenship officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time visa and citizenship officer salary is $85,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Regulatory compliance and Casework and client support tend to command a premium over general visa and citizenship officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Policy Officer pays a typical $27,200 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Visa and Citizenship Officer salary questions
How much do visa and citizenship officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a visa and citizenship officer is $85,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is visa and citizenship officer pay rising or falling?
The median visa and citizenship officer salary is up $17,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than visa and citizenship officer?
Policy Officer pays a typical $27,200 a year more and draws on similar skills to visa and citizenship officer.
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Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.