A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a state, territory, or regional authority.
DAMA provides flexibility for regions to respond to their unique economic and labour market conditions through an agreement-based framework.
Under the DAMA framework, employers in designated areas experiencing skills and labour shortages can sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers.
Important Note
DAMA is an employer-sponsored migration program.
✅ Employers apply under DAMA
❌ Individual workers cannot apply independently for DAMA access
What DAMA is designed to do
DAMAs are designed to ensure employers:
- Prioritise Australian citizens and permanent residents first
- Demonstrate genuine labour shortages
- Support recruitment and retention strategies for Australians
- Use overseas workers only when local labour cannot meet demand
WA DAMA Update (Western Australia)
The Western Australian Government has successfully negotiated the establishment of a Western Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement (WA DAMA) with the Commonwealth Government.
This agreement responds to the strong demand from employers to fill jobs in key areas of demand in Western Australia.
WA DAMA in context
The WA DAMA will be the fifth DAMA for Western Australia, complementing existing agreements in:
- Goldfields
- Kimberley
- Pilbara
- South West
Migration Services is currently accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) to access the WA DAMA.
Current DAMAs in Australia
There are currently 12 DAMAs in place.
Below is a list of DAMAs with links to the relevant Designated Area Representative websites (these representatives provide details on how to access each DAMA and which areas are covered):
- Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, SA: Skilled & Business Migration
- East Kimberley, WA: East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Far North Queensland, QLD: Cairns Chamber of Commerce
- Goulburn Valley, VIC: Goulburn Valley
- Great South Coast, VIC: Warrnambool City Council
- Northern Territory, NT: Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement
- Orana, NSW: Regional Development Australia – Orana, NSW
- Pilbara, WA: RDA Pilbara
- South Australia Regional, SA: Skilled & Business Migration
- South West, WA: Shire of Dardanup
- The Goldfields, WA: City of Kalgoorlie Boulder
South West WA DAMA
Purpose
The South West WA DAMA helps fill the large number of vacancies in:
- Dardanup
- South West Western Australia
Who administers it?
The Shire of Dardanup administers the process for accessing the South West DAMA.
Who can access it?
The DAMA is open to businesses operating in any of the 12 local government areas covered by the agreement:
- City of Busselton
- City of Bunbury
- Shire of Capel
- Shire of Collie
- Shire of Augusta/Margaret River
- Shire of Boyup Brook
- Shire of Bridgetown/Greenbushes
- Shire of Dardanup
- Shire of Donnybrook/Balingup
- Shire of Harvey
- Shire of Manjimup
- Shire of Nannup
Local businesses can apply individually to access the DAMA from 2022.
Goulburn Valley Victoria DAMA
About the region
The Goulburn Valley region is bordered:
- On the south by the Great Dividing Range
- On the north by the Murray River
It is a significant agricultural region and also includes major industries such as:
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Tourism
Who administers it?
The Greater Shepparton City Council administers the process for accessing the Goulburn Valley DAMA.
Who can access it?
This DAMA is open to businesses operating in the following local government areas:
- Greater Shepparton
- Moira
- Campaspe
Local businesses can apply individually to access the DAMA from 2022.
DAMA Visa Eligibility (General)
Can a DAMA lead to a TSS visa?
Yes. DAMA is commonly used as a pathway for employers to sponsor workers under visa programs such as the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, using labour agreement arrangements.
However, eligibility depends on:
- The specific DAMA region
- The occupation list under that DAMA
- The employer meeting endorsement requirements
- The worker meeting visa requirements
DAMA Fees (Example: Northern Territory DAMA)
No charges for
There are no charges for:
- Endorsement by Migration to access the Northern Territory DAMA
- Labour agreement (Australian Government)
- Skills verification for selected occupations (Northern Territory Government)
Fees may apply for
Fees (which change over time) may apply for:
- Requesting a labour agreement – $420
- Nomination application (Australian Government) – $330
- Worker visa application (Australian Government):
- Primary applicant – $2,645
- Secondary applicant (over 18) – $2,645
- Secondary applicant (under 18) – $660
- Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy – Australian Government
Key Takeaways
- DAMA is a regional employer-sponsored agreement designed to address labour shortages
- Individual workers cannot apply for DAMA independently
- Employers in approved areas can sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers
- There are currently 12 DAMAs across Australia
- Fees depend on the visa type and region, but some DAMA processes have no endorsement charges
