If your business sits in a regional area and you cannot fill a role through standard skilled migration, or you are a skilled worker whose occupation keeps falling off the lists, a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) may be the answer. DAMAs open up occupations, lower the entry barriers and create real pathways to permanent residence that simply are not available under the mainstream programs.
At Nationwide Migration & Education, we act as a DAMA visa agent for employers and workers across Australia. Immigration assistance is provided by Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859), registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). Our Brisbane-based practice has prepared DAMA sponsorship, nomination and visa applications for employers and workers in regional Australia. This page explains what a DAMA is, where they operate, what concessions may be available, and how we manage the process from start to finish.
What is a DAMA?
A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a formal labour agreement between the Australian Government and a regional Designated Area Representative (DAR). The DAR is usually a regional development body or chamber of commerce that understands the local labour market. The agreement allows employers in that designated region to sponsor overseas workers using concessions that are not available under standard skilled migration.
In practical terms, a DAMA is a two-tier arrangement:
Head Agreement
The head agreement is held by the DAR and sets the rules for the region, including the occupation list and the concessions.
Labour Agreement
The labour agreement is held by the individual employer, who must be endorsed by the DAR before they can sponsor anyone.
Once an employer has a DAMA labour agreement in place, they can nominate workers under subclass 482 (Skills in Demand, or SID), subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional), and a permanent pathway may follow via subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme).
Who DAMA is for
DAMA suits two groups of people:
Regional Employers
Regional employers who cannot fill genuine skill shortages locally. If you operate in tourism, hospitality, agriculture, healthcare, aged care, construction, trades, manufacturing or mining services in a designated region, and you have tried and failed to recruit Australians, a DAMA gives you access to a far wider pool of overseas workers than the standard program.
Skilled & Semi-Skilled Workers
Skilled and semi-skilled workers whose occupation is not on the mainstream lists, or who do not quite meet the standard age, English or salary thresholds. DAMA occupation lists are much broader, and the concessions can make it possible for genuinely skilled people to qualify when they otherwise could not.
DAMA concessions
The concessions are the main reason employers and workers choose a DAMA over standard skilled migration. Concession terms are set inside each head agreement, they are not published centrally by the Department, and they differ from region to region. Broadly, they fall into four categories:
Some agreements raise the standard age limit of 45. The Western Australian DAMA, for example, publishes an increased age limit of 55 for visa applicants. Whether an age concession applies to your region and occupation has to be checked against the relevant agreement.
Some agreements set lower English thresholds than the standard program. The Western Australian DAMA, for example, publishes IELTS 5.0 with no minimum band score for certain skill level 3 and 4 occupations. Again, the applicable threshold depends on the agreement and the occupation.
Concessions against the relevant income threshold, allowing genuine market-rate regional roles below the standard floor to be sponsored. The Department applies the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) to subclass 482 Core Skills and subclass 186 nominations, and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) to subclass 494 nominations. These are separate thresholds, and which one applies depends on the visa you are using.
DAMA lists include many more occupations than the standard Core Skills Occupation List, including roles unique to regional industries.
DAMA occupations
Each DAMA publishes its own occupation list, negotiated to reflect the real needs of that region. Lists typically run to well over a hundred occupations and include roles that rarely appear on the standard skilled lists, such as hospitality supervisors, motor mechanics, aged and disability carers, cooks, farmers and farm managers, plant operators and a wide range of trades.
Because lists differ from region to region and are updated over time, the first question we always ask is: where is the job located? The answer determines which DAMA applies and which occupations and concessions are on the table.
Agriculture & farm management
Hospitality & tourism
Trades & construction
Eligibility for a DAMA visa
While each agreement has its own detail, the general worker eligibility requirements are:
Occupation. The role must be on the relevant region's DAMA occupation list.
Employer sponsorship. An endorsed employer in the designated region must nominate you.
Skills and experience. Usually an AQF-equivalent qualification plus relevant experience, or substantial experience in lieu, depending on the occupation.
English. Meeting the relevant, and often concessional, English requirement.
Health and character. Standard health examinations and police clearances.
The DAMA process step by step
We manage the full process for both sides of the arrangement:
Eligibility assessment
We confirm the region, the occupation, the concessions available and whether the worker and employer can realistically qualify.
DAR endorsement
The employer applies to the regional Designated Area Representative for endorsement, supported by evidence of the labour need and the business. The DAR decides whether to endorse.
Labour agreement request
We lodge the DAMA labour agreement request with the Department of Home Affairs.
Nomination
Once the labour agreement is in place, the employer nominates the specific position and worker.
Visa application
The worker lodges the subclass 482 or 494 application with all supporting evidence.
Pathway to permanent residence
After the required period of regional employment, we help eligible workers apply for permanent residence via subclass 186. Eligibility is assessed by the Department at the time of application, and no migration agent can guarantee a permanent outcome.
Done properly, each step builds on the last. Done poorly, a weak endorsement or nomination can unravel the whole case. Our role is to keep the evidence tight and the strategy consistent from day one. Each decision along the way is made by the DAR or the Department, not by us.
Active DAMA regions in Australia
There are currently 13 DAMAs in place nationally, as listed by the Department of Home Affairs. Each one names a Designated Area Representative, and that is the body an employer must be endorsed by:
NT DAMA III was signed on 19 March 2025 and runs to 30 June 2030, with up to 1,500 approved nominations per year and one of the broadest occupation lists in the country.
Represented by Regional Development Australia Orana, covering the central west of New South Wales. Check the DAR's own website for the exact shires and locations covered.
Represented by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. Tourism, hospitality, agriculture, healthcare and trades.
Represented by Townsville Enterprise Limited. Mining services, defence, healthcare, construction and agriculture.
Represented by Skilled & Business Migration, covering the Adelaide metropolitan region, for technology and innovation roles.
Represented by Skilled & Business Migration, covering regional South Australia.
Represented by Goulburn Valley. Strong agricultural and food processing focus.
Represented by Warrnambool City Council. Dairy, agriculture and regional services.
A state-wide agreement represented by the Department of Training and Workforce Development, covering the whole of Western Australia including metropolitan Perth.
Represented by the City of Kalgoorlie Boulder. The Commonwealth has confirmed an extension of the Goldfields DAMA to 31 December 2026.
Represented by the East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Represented by Regional Development Australia Pilbara.
Represented by the Shire of Dardanup.
As a Queensland practice we work across these agreements, with particular depth in the two North Queensland agreements covering Cairns and Townsville.
Current as at 1 September 2026. DAMAs are renegotiated, extended and replaced over time, and each DAR sets the shires and locations its agreement covers. Check the current list and the DAR websites on the Department of Home Affairs Designated Area Migration Agreements page before you rely on it.
Why choose Nationwide Migration & Education as your DAMA visa agent
Your matter is handled by Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859), registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) and bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct, and also a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 202600739).
Reviews from employers and applicants who have been through the process with us.
From our office at 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane, we serve clients across Queensland and Australia-wide, with the North Queensland DAMAs squarely in our backyard.
We advise the employer on endorsement and the labour agreement and the worker on their visa, keeping the strategy aligned end to end. Where we act for both, we tell each of you in writing about the potential conflict of interest and ask each of you to confirm in writing that you still want us to act.
Frequently asked questions
What does a DAMA visa agent actually do?
A DAMA visa agent assesses eligibility, identifies the right region and concessions, prepares the DAR endorsement and labour agreement request, lodges the nomination and visa, and manages the pathway to permanent residence. We act for both employers and workers.
Can a DAMA visa lead to permanent residence?
It can. After the required period of regional employment, eligible workers may be able to apply for permanent residence through subclass 186, the Employer Nomination Scheme. We build that pathway into the plan from the outset. Eligibility depends on your occupation, your employer and your circumstances at the time you apply, and the decision is the Department's.
What are the main DAMA concessions?
Concessions generally fall into four categories: age, English, salary against the relevant income threshold, and access to a much broader occupation list. On salary, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) applies to subclass 482 Core Skills and subclass 186 nominations, while the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) applies to subclass 494 nominations. The specific concession terms are set inside each head agreement, are not published centrally by the Department, and vary by region and occupation. We check the current agreement before telling you what you can rely on.
Which DAMA applies to my business?
That depends on where the job is located. Each DAMA covers a defined region with its own occupation list. Once we know the location and the role, we can tell you which agreement, occupations and concessions apply.
Do I need to be sponsored by an employer?
Yes. DAMA is an employer-sponsored program. A worker needs a job offer from an endorsed employer in the designated region. We can advise employers on becoming endorsed and workers on their visa. We do not find or arrange employers or sponsors.
How long does the DAMA process take?
Timeframes depend on the region, the DAR endorsement and the Department's processing. The endorsement and labour agreement stages add time compared with standard sponsorship, which is why early planning matters. Processing times are set by the Department and no agent can influence or speed them up. We will talk you through the current published timeframes at the assessment stage.
Can you guarantee the visa will be approved?
No. No migration agent can guarantee a visa outcome or a processing time. Endorsement decisions are made by the Designated Area Representative, and all visa decisions are made solely by the Department of Home Affairs. What we can do is confirm what the current agreement actually allows, prepare the evidence properly, and tell you honestly if we think a DAMA is not the right route for your situation.
Do you charge for an initial consultation?
Yes. Our employer consultation fee is AUD $150, and the current fee for each consultation type is shown at the time of booking. In that session we assess your situation and map out a clear strategy, so you leave knowing where you stand. If you go ahead, you receive a written service agreement setting out the work and our fees before we act for you.
Book your DAMA consultation
DAMA cases reward preparation and punish guesswork. If you are an employer who needs workers, or a skilled person looking for a regional pathway, talk to a registered migration agent before you commit. Book a consultation with Nationwide Migration & Education online today and we will map the agreement, occupation and concessions that may apply to your situation.
This page is general information only, not personal migration advice. Nationwide Migration & Education is not affiliated with the Australian Government and does not issue visas. We do not guarantee visa outcomes, and we cannot influence or speed up processing. All visa decisions are made solely by the Department of Home Affairs, and DAR endorsement decisions are made by the relevant Designated Area Representative. Immigration assistance is provided by Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859), registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). Occupation lists, concessions, income thresholds and agreement terms change without notice.
Talk to a Brisbane Registered Migration Agent
Nationwide Migration and Education is a migration practice. Immigration assistance is provided by a registered migration agent. Suman Dua, MARN 1800859. This page is general information only and does not constitute personal migration advice. We do not guarantee visa outcomes; all decisions, queue positions and processing times are set by the Department of Home Affairs and may change.
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Whether you are sponsoring talent or seeking sponsorship, our Registered Migration Agent, Suman Dua (MARN 1800859), manages the full process and maps the permanent residency options that may apply to you.
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Phone: +61 7 37265183
Email: [email protected]
Address: 320 Adelaide St Brisbane QLD 4000
Nationwide Migration and Education
(by Appointment-only)
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