A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a regional, state or territory authority. It provides access to more occupations than the standard skilled migration program and provides flexibility for regions to address their unique economic and labour market conditions.
Designated Area Migration Agreements are for skilled migrants with a job offer from an employer operating in a designated regional area who has an approved DAMA labour agreement.
Individuals cannot apply directly; they must be nominated by a participating employer and hold the relevant skills and experience.
Designated Area Migration Agreements also contain a range of concessions compared to the standard migration program to incentivise overseas workers to consider working in Australia’s regions.
Individual DAMA labour agreements are between the Australian Government and endorsed employers/businesses operating within the relevant designated region. They are generally in effect for five years and use the subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID), subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) and subclass 186 Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) visa programs. Visa Solutions Australia has helped employers hire skilled migrant workers under the DAMA framework.
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The Benefits of Designated Area Migration Agreements
Designated Area Migration Agreements provide more flexibility to Australian employers in regional areas when it comes to filling labour shortages.
Compared to the standard migration program, DAMAs:
- Have an expanded list of occupations
- Allow applicants to be under 55 years of age compared to 45 years of age
- Have reduced English language requirements
- Have pathways to permanent residence
- Support regional development
These benefits and concessions give regional areas of Australia access to a larger talent pool of skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers.
There are currently 13 DAMAs in place, each relating to various regions of Australia. Four of these DAMAs are state or territory-led while the remaining nine are administered by regional bodies. The Department of Home Affairs is currently working on transitioning regionally administered DAMAs to state and territory-led DAMAs.
What Are the Benefits of State or Territory-led DAMAs?
Designated Area Migration Agreements continue to make up the highest percentage of labour agreements. Over 50% of labour agreements are governed by a DAMA head agreement.
As part of the effort to enhance the DAMA framework, the Australian Government has given full support for a state-led approach to DAMAs. This will enable states and territories to more directly determine their migration needs especially in regional areas.
These state and territory-led agreements will offer a wider range of occupations and broader concessions.
First of the State-led DAMAs
Western Australia is one of the first states that will start to see a transition from regionally administered DAMAs to state or territory-led DAMAs.
There are currently five DAMAs in Western Australia:
- East Kimberley
- Pilbara
- South West
- The Goldfields
- Western Australia
It has been announced that the Goldfields and South West DAMAs will transition to the Western Australia DAMA.
The Goldfields DAMA is set to transition from 4 April 2026. While no new Goldfields DAMAs will be entered into, existing Goldfields DAMA labour agreements will remain valid for those who currently hold a Goldfields DAMA.
The South West DAMA is due to expire in December 2026. Rather than be renewed, it will transition to the Western Australia DAMA. New applications for the South West DAMA can still be made until October 2026 at this stage.
Do Designated Area Migration Agreements Lead to Permanent Residence?
Designated Area Migration Agreements offer a pathway to permanent residence. The pathway available to visa holders will depend on the type of visa they hold.
Holders of a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa may be eligible to transition to an Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa after working for a set period.
The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visa allows visa holders to apply for permanent residence after holding this visa for three years.
Skilled workers that have been granted an Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa are able to live and work in Australia permanently.
Will There Be a National DAMA?
Nothing has been announced regarding a national Designated Area Migration Agreement. The Australian Government is fully supporting state and territory-led DAMAs, however with the shift to state and territory-led DAMAs, it’s not improbable that there may eventually be a national DAMA.
Currently, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are the only Australian capital cities not classified as regional. Given that all other capital cities and the majority of the country are classified as regional, the overall viability and effectiveness of a national DAMA remain uncertain.
Designated Area Migration Agreements are a valuable framework within Australia’s migration program. They support the unique circumstances of the regions, providing a tailored and flexible solution for regional employers to fill skills shortages. DAMAs greatly benefit Australia’s regions.
To learn more about Designated Area Migration Agreements or any other aspect of immigration, contact the team of experienced registered migration agents at Visa Solutions Australia.
Sources
- https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/programs-subsite/files/administration-immigration-programs-15th-edition.pdf
- https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/labour-agreements/types-of-labour-agreements/designated-area-migration-agreements-(dama)#:~:text=Once%20a%20DAMA%20head%20agreement
- https://www.dardanup.wa.gov.au/our-shire/about-us/south-west-dama.aspx
