Goldfields DAMA Ends 30 June 2026: What Changes Under the WA DAMA from 1 July

June 23, 2026•6 min read

📌 Published by Nationwide Migration & Education

Author: Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent (MARN: 1800859)

If your business sponsors overseas workers in Kalgoorlie or the wider Goldfields region, this date matters: the Goldfields DAMA ends on 30 June 2026.

From 1 July 2026, Goldfields employers transition to the Western Australia (state-wide) DAMA.

For most employers the move is a continuation rather than a cliff edge — the concessions that make a DAMA worthwhile carry across.

But the framework, the occupation coverage and the administering arrangements change, and any nomination caught in the transition needs careful handling.

Here is what is ending, what replaces it, and what to do before 30 June.

First, what is a DAMA?

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a designated regional authority.

It lets local employers sponsor overseas workers under terms that are more flexible than the standard skilled visa program, because it recognises that regional and remote areas face labour shortages the standard system does not solve.

A DAMA typically delivers concessions such as:

Age: applicants up to 55 and over for some occupations (above the usual cut-off)
English: reduced requirements — for example IELTS 5.0 with no band minimum for certain roles
Salary: concessions on the minimum salary threshold (TSMIT)
Occupations: a broader list of eligible occupations than the standard program, including roles not otherwise available for sponsorship

These concessions apply to employers sponsoring workers under the subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) and subclass 494 visas, with a pathway to permanent residence via the subclass 186.

What is ending on 30 June 2026

The Goldfields DAMA, which covered the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region and surrounds, finishes on 30 June 2026. After that date, new nominations are not made under the Goldfields agreement. The regional certifying body for the Goldfields agreement stops endorsing requests under it.

This does not mean the door closes on regional sponsorship in the Goldfields — it means the door moves. From 1 July, the relevant agreement is the WA DAMA.

What the WA DAMA offers from 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, Goldfields employers access the Western Australia state-wide DAMA. The WA DAMA is designed to cover the whole state with a consistent set of concessions, replacing the patchwork of older regional agreements.

The WA DAMA delivers the same categories of concession employers expect from a DAMA — age, English, salary and occupation flexibility — applied under a single state-wide framework. Western Australia also operates regional DAMAs covering the Kimberley, Pilbara and South-West, so the state's DAMA coverage is comprehensive.

What the WA DAMA offers from 1 July 2026

The practical effect for a Kalgoorlie employer is that sponsorship continues to be available — but the agreement you nominate under, and potentially the occupation list and concession detail, change. Confirm the WA DAMA occupation list covers your roles before you rely on it.

If you have an existing or planned nomination

This is where the deadline bites. How you should act depends on where your nomination sits.

If you have a DAMA labour agreement request or nomination in progress under the Goldfields DAMA: Push to have it endorsed and lodged before 30 June 2026. Anything not finalised under the Goldfields agreement may need to be re-worked under the WA DAMA after 1 July, which can mean fresh endorsement and re-checking occupation eligibility.

If you are planning to sponsor but have not started: If your role and timing can be brought forward, an assessment now lets you decide whether to lodge under the Goldfields DAMA before it closes or to prepare for the WA DAMA. Either way, start the eligibility and endorsement work early — regional certifying body endorsement takes time.

If you already have workers on DAMA-sponsored visas: Workers already holding a visa granted under the Goldfields DAMA generally keep their visa and its conditions. The transition primarily affects new nominations and the path to PR. Confirm your specific position before assuming nothing changes.

Timeline at a glance

Now to 30 June 2026: Goldfields DAMA still operating — finalise in-progress nominations
30 June 2026: Goldfields DAMA ends
1 July 2026: WA state-wide DAMA applies to Goldfields employers
Ongoing: PR pathway via subclass 186 continues for eligible DAMA-sponsored workers

What Goldfields employers should do before 30 June

Audit your pipeline. List every nomination in progress or planned and check its status against the 30 June deadline.
Confirm endorsement status with the regional certifying body for anything you want lodged under the Goldfields DAMA.
Check your occupations against the WA DAMA list so you know what is available from 1 July.
Re-confirm the concession detail — age, English and salary concessions may differ between the old and new agreements for specific roles.
Get advice before the deadline, not after. Decisions made before 30 June give you options that disappear on 1 July.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Goldfields DAMA ending mean I can't sponsor workers in Kalgoorlie anymore? No. Sponsorship continues — from 1 July 2026 it runs under the Western Australia state-wide DAMA instead of the Goldfields agreement.

Will the concessions be the same under the WA DAMA? The WA DAMA offers the same categories of concession (age, English, salary, occupations), but the detail for a specific occupation can differ. Confirm the position for your roles before lodging.

I have a nomination in progress under the Goldfields DAMA — what happens? Aim to finalise it before 30 June 2026. If it is not endorsed and lodged in time, it may need to be re-worked under the WA DAMA after 1 July.

What visas does the WA DAMA cover? The subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) and subclass 494, with a permanent residence pathway via the subclass 186.

Are my existing sponsored workers affected? Workers already on a DAMA-sponsored visa generally keep their visa and conditions. The change mainly affects new nominations. Confirm your specific situation with a Registered Migration Agent.

Book a consultation

The Goldfields-to-WA DAMA transition is a hard deadline, and the difference between acting before and after 30 June can change your options entirely. With 322+ five-star Google reviews, Nationwide Migration & Education helps regional employers plan sponsorship around exactly these changes.

Book a consultation with Suman Dua, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859), at 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane — or visit nationwidemigration.com.au. If you sponsor in the Goldfields, do it before 30 June.

Disclaimer

This article is general information only and not immigration advice. Nationwide Migration & Education is not affiliated with the Australian Government and does not issue visas. For advice on your situation, book a consultation with our Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859).

Suman Dua MARN 1800859

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