For employers · DAMA · Requirements
DAMA visa requirements: what the employer and the worker must meet
A DAMA is not a visa a worker applies for alone. It is a regional agreement that lets an endorsed business sponsor workers on the 482, 494 or 186 for occupations and on terms the standard program does not allow. Here are the requirements on each side, from the Home Affairs DAMA page (read 11 November 2026).
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed on 11 November 2026 · Check the OMARA register
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - DAMAs in place
- 13
- Visas used
- 482, 494, 186
- First step
- Endorsement by the DAR
- Agreement lasts
- Generally 5 years
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About the CPD →What the employer must meet
- Location: the business operates within the DAMA's designated area. Find the area: DAMA by region.
- Endorsement: the Designated Area Representative endorses the business before it lodges a labour agreement request in ImmiAccount.
- Local recruitment first: Home Affairs says employers must demonstrate a genuine attempt to recruit Australians before accessing a DAMA labour agreement.
- Not an industry-agreement industry: a DAMA will not be endorsed where an industry labour agreement covers the industry.
- The labour agreement: approved by Home Affairs; it generally lasts five years and sets the occupations, numbers and concessions the business can use.
- Sponsor obligations and costs: the same obligations as other sponsors, and the nomination fee and Skilling Australians Fund levy apply. See DAMA costs.
What the worker must meet
- Nomination by the endorsed employer, in an occupation on that DAMA's list.
- The skills, qualifications and work experience the agreement requires for the occupation.
- English at the level the agreement sets, which may be lower than the standard program.
- For the 186, the age limit the agreement sets, which may be above the standard limit.
- Health and character requirements, as for any visa.
Concessions: what a DAMA can change
Home Affairs says each head agreement contains a range of occupations and agreed terms and concessions to skilled visa eligibility criteria. They differ by region. As one example, RDA Pilbara describes the Pilbara agreement's concessions as: English from an average IELTS 5.0 (for the 186, no component below 4.0) unless licensing needs more; an age limit of 55 for permanent residence (50 for skill level 5 occupations); and up to 10% off the income threshold for most skill level 3 to 5 occupations (RDA Pilbara, read 1 November 2026).
Concessions are set per agreement and reviewed, and Home Affairs says it is supporting a transition to state and territory-led DAMAs, so confirm the current list and terms with the representative before relying on them. A concession does not lower pay below the market rate for the role.
How a DAMA case runs
- Check that the region and the occupation are covered.
- Recruit locally and keep the evidence.
- Apply to the representative for endorsement.
- Lodge the labour agreement request with Home Affairs.
- Nominate each worker under the agreement.
- The worker applies for the 482, 494 or 186. Timing: DAMA processing time.
Check whether a DAMA fits before you apply
A DAMA is the right tool only when your region, industry and occupations fit its terms; otherwise the standard 482 or 494, or an industry agreement, is quicker. In a consultation Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015) checks the fit, what the endorsement and labour agreement request need, and what the worker must show. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60 minutes, credited in full if you engage the practice. No outcome can be promised.
In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).
General information, not migration advice. Source: Home Affairs, Designated Area Migration Agreements, read 11 November 2026; Pilbara concessions as published by RDA Pilbara (read 1 November 2026).
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Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Advice on your own case is given in the consultation, and you leave it with a clear plan in writing.
What you get
- 30 minutes (A$330) or 60 minutes (A$550) by video with a registered migration agent, Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
- A written summary of your options and next steps after the session.
- What to bring: ABN, what the business does, the role and salary, the candidate’s CV and current visa.
- Prefer no call? The sponsorship readiness check is done in writing, A$550.
Book an employer sponsorship consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Questions we get asked first
What are the requirements for a DAMA visa?
The business must operate in the DAMA region, be endorsed by the Designated Area Representative, show a genuine attempt to recruit Australians, and have its labour agreement approved by Home Affairs. The worker must be in an occupation the agreement covers and meet the skills, experience, English and other criteria in that agreement, which may include concessions, plus health and character requirements.
Does a DAMA lower the salary requirement?
It can. Home Affairs says each head agreement contains agreed concessions to skilled visa criteria. The Pilbara agreement, for example, allows up to 10% off the income threshold for most skill level 3 to 5 occupations, according to RDA Pilbara. The salary must still meet the market rate for the role.
Can a worker apply for a DAMA visa without an employer?
No. Every DAMA visa is employer-sponsored: the business must hold a DAMA labour agreement and nominate the worker. A worker can look for employers in a DAMA region, but cannot apply alone.
Can any business in the region use the DAMA?
Only businesses the representative endorses, for occupations the agreement covers. Home Affairs says a DAMA will not be endorsed where an industry labour agreement covers the industry.
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