Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
DAMA labour agreement vs 494 standard regional nomination
They are not alternatives but layers: the 494 is the regional employer-sponsored visa, and a Designated Area Migration Agreement is a regional labour agreement that lets an endorsed employer nominate for the 482 or the 494 in the labour agreement stream with concessions the standard nomination does not have, on occupation, salary, English, experience and in some regions age for the permanent stage. An employer in a DAMA region with a role on the DAMA list, or a worker who misses the standard rules by a margin the concessions cover, goes through the agreement; an employer whose role and worker meet the standard 494 criteria nominates directly and skips the endorsement.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - What it is
- A labour agreement for a region; the employer is endorsed by the regional body then nominates under it · A visa subclass nominated directly by an approved regional sponsor
- Occupations
- The region’s own list, often including semi-skilled roles not on the standard lists · The 494 regional occupation list
- Concessions
- Salary, English, experience and sometimes age, by region and occupation · None; the standard criteria apply
- Regions
- The twelve agreement regions across the NT, Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA and WA · All designated regional areas
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About the CPD →Side by side
| DAMA labour agreement | 494 standard regional nomination | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A labour agreement for a region; the employer is endorsed by the regional body then nominates under it | A visa subclass nominated directly by an approved regional sponsor |
| Occupations | The region’s own list, often including semi-skilled roles not on the standard lists | The 494 regional occupation list |
| Concessions | Salary, English, experience and sometimes age, by region and occupation | None; the standard criteria apply |
| Regions | The twelve agreement regions across the NT, Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA and WA | All designated regional areas |
| Steps | Endorsement by the regional body, a labour agreement with the Department, then nomination and visa | Regional certifying body advice, nomination, visa |
| Visa | 482 or 494 in the labour agreement stream | 494 |
| Path to PR | 186 or 191 under the agreement’s terms, with age concessions in some | 191 after 3 years at the required income |
| Watch out | Time: endorsement and the agreement take months before any nomination | The standard age, English and salary rules with no give |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
They are not alternatives but layers: the 494 is the regional employer-sponsored visa, and a Designated Area Migration Agreement is a regional labour agreement that lets an endorsed employer nominate for the 482 or the 494 in the labour agreement stream with concessions the standard nomination does not have, on occupation, salary, English, experience and in some regions age for the permanent stage. An employer in a DAMA region with a role on the DAMA list, or a worker who misses the standard rules by a margin the concessions cover, goes through the agreement; an employer whose role and worker meet the standard 494 criteria nominates directly and skips the endorsement.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
DAMA labour agreement or 494 standard regional nomination — which is better?
They are not alternatives but layers: the 494 is the regional employer-sponsored visa, and a Designated Area Migration Agreement is a regional labour agreement that lets an endorsed employer nominate for the 482 or the 494 in the labour agreement stream with concessions the standard nomination does not have, on occupation, salary, English, experience and in some regions age for the permanent stage. An employer in a DAMA region with a role on the DAMA list, or a worker who misses the standard rules by a margin the concessions cover, goes through the agreement; an employer whose role and worker meet the standard 494 criteria nominates directly and skips the endorsement.
What is the main difference between the DAMA labour agreement and the 494 standard regional nomination?
What it is: DAMA labour agreement — A labour agreement for a region; the employer is endorsed by the regional body then nominates under it; 494 standard regional nomination — A visa subclass nominated directly by an approved regional sponsor. Occupations: DAMA labour agreement — The region’s own list, often including semi-skilled roles not on the standard lists; 494 standard regional nomination — The 494 regional occupation list. Concessions: DAMA labour agreement — Salary, English, experience and sometimes age, by region and occupation; 494 standard regional nomination — None; the standard criteria apply.
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