For employers · Comparison
482, 494, DAMA or labour agreement: which route fits your business?
Four routes let an Australian employer sponsor an overseas worker. They differ on where the business is, which occupations are open, the salary, the concessions and how long they take to set up. This table puts them side by side.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed on 10 November 2026 · Check the OMARA register
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Default route
- 482
- Regional, wider list
- 494
- Regional concessions
- DAMA (13 regions)
- Industry or bespoke
- Labour agreement
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Side by side
| 482 | 494 | DAMA | Labour agreement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Anywhere in Australia | Anywhere except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane | The 13 DAMA regions only | Anywhere the agreement covers |
| Occupations | Core Skills: 456 listed occupations; Specialist Skills: no list (not trades, machinery operators and drivers, or labourers) | 650 occupations, including the Regional Occupation List | The region's own list, often wider than the standard lists | The agreement's occupations |
| Salary | Market rate and at least A$79,423 (Core) or A$146,576 (Specialist) | Market rate and at least A$79,423 | Market rate; concessions on the threshold possible | Market rate; concessions where agreed |
| Other concessions | None | None | Possible on English, experience, sometimes age | Possible on English, experience, age, as agreed |
| Advertising (LMT) | Yes for Core Skills, unless exempt | Yes, and the trade-obligation exemptions do not apply | As the agreement requires | As the agreement requires |
| Extra step | None | Regional Certifying Body advice | Endorsement by the regional representative, then a labour agreement | Applying for, or negotiating, the agreement |
| Visa length | Up to 4 years | 5 years | 482 or 494 labour agreement streams | 482, 494 or 186 labour agreement streams |
| Permanent residence | 186 after 2 years | 191 after 3 years | As the agreement allows (186 or 191) | As the agreement allows |
| Time to start | Nomination 50% in 36 days | Visa 50% in 10 months | Months to set up, then nominations | Industry: months; company-specific: often many months |
Occupation counts from the Home Affairs skilled occupation list; processing times from Home Affairs (updated 2 November 2026). DAMA and labour agreement terms differ by agreement; check the agreement itself.
How to choose
- Listed occupation, standard salary, anywhere: the 482.
- Senior, non-trade role at A$146,576 or more: the Specialist Skills stream.
- Regional, occupation only on the regional list, or a long-term hire: the 494.
- In a DAMA region and the role or worker needs a concession: the DAMA.
- An industry with its own agreement (aged care, meat, dairy, pork, horticulture, fishing and others): the industry labour agreement.
- A need none of these meets: a company-specific labour agreement.
Pairwise comparisons
For more detail: 482 vs 494, DAMA vs 494, DAMA vs company labour agreement, labour agreement stream vs Core Skills, Core Skills vs Specialist Skills and 186 vs 494.
Choose the route before you advertise
In an employer consultation Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015) looks at your location, the role, the salary and the worker, and tells you which route fits and what it needs. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60 minutes, credited in full if you engage the practice.
Book an employer consultation →
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. No visa outcome can be promised.
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
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
When is a DAMA better than a 482?
When the business is in a DAMA region and the role is not on the standard list, or the worker needs a concession on salary, English, experience or age. Setting up takes longer, so where the standard 482 works, it is usually faster.
When is the 494 better than the 482?
For a regional employer whose occupation is only on the Regional Occupation List, or who wants a set five-year path to the 191. It adds Regional Certifying Body advice and gives no labour market testing exemption for trade obligations.
Do we need a labour agreement to use a DAMA?
Yes. Under a DAMA the employer is endorsed by the regional representative and then enters a labour agreement with the Department under the DAMA terms, before nominating workers.
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