DAMA visas in Australia: what a Designated Area Migration Agreement means for workers
Settledin Team5 min readA DAMA is not a visa. A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a state, territory or regional authority, and Home Affairs says there are currently 13. An endorsed employer sponsors a worker for a 482, 494 or 186 visa under it, so workers cannot apply to a DAMA directly.
Checked against Home Affairs and Migration WA on 29 October 2026.
What is a DAMA?
Home Affairs describes a Designated Area Migration Agreement) as a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a state or territory government or regional authority. It gives access to more occupations than the standard skilled migration program.
It works in two tiers:
- Tier one: a five-year head agreement between the Australian Government and a Designated Area Representative (DAR). A DAR is usually a state or territory government, or a regional body such as a Chamber of Commerce, a Regional Development Australia office or a council.
- Tier two: individual labour agreements between the Australian Government and endorsed employers in that region. They are generally in effect for five years.
Home Affairs says the head agreements contain a range of occupations, plus agreed terms and concessions to skilled visa criteria. Employers must also show a genuine attempt to recruit Australians first.
Which regions have a DAMA?
Home Affairs lists 13 DAMAs in place, on a page last updated 7 October 2026. Each link below goes to the region's own page, which states how to access that DAMA and which areas it covers.
| DAMA | Designated Area Representative | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, SA | Skilled & Business Migration (SA) | migration.sa.gov.au |
| East Kimberley, WA | East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry | ekcci.com.au |
| Far North Queensland, QLD | Cairns Chamber of Commerce | cairnschamber.com.au |
| Goulburn Valley, VIC | Goulburn Valley | gvdama.com.au |
| Great South Coast, VIC | Warrnambool City Council | gscdama.warrnambool.vic.gov.au |
| Northern Territory, NT | Northern Territory Government | dtbar.nt.gov.au |
| Orana, NSW | Regional Development Australia, Orana | rdaorana.org.au |
| Pilbara, WA | RDA Pilbara | rdapilbara.org.au |
| South Australia Regional, SA | Skilled & Business Migration (SA) | migration.sa.gov.au |
| South West, WA | Shire of Dardanup | dardanup.wa.gov.au |
| The Goldfields, WA | City of Kalgoorlie Boulder | ckb.wa.gov.au |
| Townsville, QLD | Townsville Enterprise Limited | townsvilleenterprise.com.au |
| Western Australia | Department of Training and Workforce Development | migration.wa.gov.au |
Source: Department of Home Affairs, Designated area migration agreements, last updated 7 October 2026.
Home Affairs says it is supporting the transition to state and territory-led DAMAs. Terms can change, so each region's page is the current source. For example, Migration WA says the Commonwealth extended the Goldfields DAMA to 31 December 2026 (Migration WA, 3 July 2026). For how WA and SA state nomination work, see our posts on WA state nomination and SA state nomination. State nomination and a DAMA are separate things.
How is a DAMA different from a standard 482 or 494?
Home Affairs says a DAMA lets a region use a broader range of overseas workers than the standard skilled visa programs, through variations to the standard occupation and skills lists and negotiable concessions to visa requirements (page last updated 17 November 2025). Each head agreement sets its own list and terms.
Western Australia publishes its concessions in detail. The WA DAMA page lists:
| Concession | What Migration WA states |
|---|---|
| Occupations | Metropolitan Perth covers skill levels 1 to 3, some semi-skilled (skill level 4) and a few non-ANZSCO occupations. Regional WA has a broader list. |
| Work experience | At least 1 year for the Skills in Demand program. For the 494 and 186, at least 2 years in regional WA or 3 years in metropolitan Perth. |
| Age | An increased age limit for visa applicants, from 45 to 55 years. |
| English | For skill level 3 and 4 occupations, IELTS 5.0 or equivalent (no minimum band for the 482 and 494, no band below 4.0 for the 186). Not approved for some client-facing or licensed occupations. |
Source: Migration WA, Designated Area Migration Agreement, read 29 October 2026. These are WA's terms. Other regions set their own.
Home Affairs' 482 Labour Agreement stream page says standard 482 English requirements generally apply unless the labour agreement provides an English language concession. For the standard visa, see our Skills in Demand visa guide and the 482 visa page, and for the regional visa the 494 visa page.
Can a worker apply for a DAMA directly?
No. Home Affairs says individuals cannot directly access a DAMA. A worker needs to be sponsored by an employer operating in a designated region, for an occupation specified in the head agreement.
The employer goes first. Home Affairs says the employer must gain endorsement from the DAR before lodging a labour agreement request in ImmiAccount. A DAMA is not endorsed where the industry is covered by an industry labour agreement. For sponsored roles in general, see our post on sponsored jobs in Australia.
Does a DAMA lead to permanent residence?
Sometimes. Home Affairs says individual DAMA labour agreements use the 482 (Skills in Demand), 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional, provisional) and 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) programs.
On the 186 Labour Agreement stream page, Home Affairs says permanent residence is only available if it has been included as an option in the negotiated labour agreement. So the path depends on what each agreement provides.
WA gives one example. Its page describes a permanent visa pathway concession for the 186, with its own conditions on time lived and worked in WA. See our 186 visa page.
Where are the DAMA occupation lists?
Each DAMA has its own list, held by the region's representative. Home Affairs says each head agreement covers a specified range of occupations. Use the links in the table above. Lists are not interchangeable between regions.
WA has an occupation filter on its DAMA page. To browse the standard occupation data, see the occupations directory and locations.
FAQ
Is there an age limit for a DAMA?
It is set in each agreement. WA states an increased limit of 55 instead of 45 for its WA DAMA. Other regions publish their own terms.
Is a DAMA a visa?
No. It is an agreement. The visas are the 482, 494 and 186.
Which visas use a DAMA?
Home Affairs says the Skills in Demand (482), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494) and Employer Nomination Scheme (186) programs.
Can I get PR through a DAMA?
Only if the agreement provides for it, as Home Affairs states for the 186 Labour Agreement stream.
How do I find a DAMA employer?
Home Affairs points to the region's Designated Area Representative page for how to access each DAMA. Settledin does not list approved employers.
Settledin keeps your profile, saved jobs and occupation lists in one place, so regional options sit next to the standard visa pages.
This article describes published Department of Home Affairs and Migration WA information, checked on 29 October 2026. It is general information, not migration advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. Check the register.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, Designated area migration agreements, last updated 7 October 2026.