Regional migration · 12 agreements live
Australia’s Designated Area Migration Agreements
Australia runs 12 Designated Area Migration Agreements as at Q1 2026. Each is a Commonwealth-to-region labour agreement that lets approved local employers sponsor overseas workers with concessions on TSMIT, English, age and skills not available on the standard 482 Core stream. This is the most complete plain-English directory available.
★Key takeaways
- ✓12 Designated Area Migration Agreements are in force across Australia as at Q1 2026.
- ✓DAMAs allow approved regional employers to sponsor overseas workers under concessions on TSMIT, English, age and skills assessment.
- ✓WA has the most DAMAs (4): Goldfields, Pilbara, Great Southern, East Kimberley. SA runs a single consolidated state-wide DAMA with three streams.
- ✓DAMA endorsement adds a step before standard 482 Standard Business Sponsorship and nomination. End-to-end, allow 4–6 months.
- ✓PR pathway is via 186 Direct Entry under the Labour Agreement stream after 3 years on the 482.
All agreements
All 12 DAMAs side-by-side
| Region | State | Agreement holder | Established | Top sectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfields | WA | City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder | 2019 (renewed 2024) | Mining engineer, Metallurgist, Geophysicist… |
| Pilbara | WA | Regional Development Australia Pilbara | 2019 (renewed 2024) | Mining engineer (open cut and underground), Geologist, Surveyor (mine site)… |
| Great Southern | WA | Regional Development Australia Great Southern | 2020 | Veterinarian, Agricultural scientist, Farm hand (livestock and crops)… |
| Far North Queensland | QLD | Cairns Chamber of Commerce | 2019 (renewed 2024) | Hospitality manager, Chef (degustation / fine dining), Tourism operations manager… |
| Townsville | QLD | Townsville Enterprise | 2018 (Australia’s first regional DAMA, renewed 2023) | Aircraft maintenance engineer, Defence industry trades, Electrical engineer (defence)… |
| East Kimberley | WA | Kimberley Development Commission | 2019 | Tourism operations manager, Hospitality manager, Aged care worker… |
| South Australia Skilled | SA | Department of State Development | 2019 (consolidated 2021) | Software engineer, Cyber security specialist, Data scientist… |
| South Australia Regional | SA | Department of State Development | 2021 (component of the consolidated SA DAMA) | Aged care worker, Disability support worker, Veterinarian… |
| South Australia Adelaide City Tech | SA | Department of State Development | 2021 (component of the consolidated SA DAMA) | Software engineer, Cyber security specialist, Data scientist… |
| Northern Territory | NT | NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade | 2019 (NT was an early DAMA holder – agreement now in its renewed form) | Aged care worker, Disability support worker, Childcare educator… |
| Orana (Dubbo region) | NSW | Regional Development Australia Orana | 2019 (Australia’s first NSW regional DAMA) | Aged care worker, Disability support worker, Childcare educator… |
| Warrnambool (Great South Coast) | VIC | Warrnambool City Council | 2020 | Aged care worker, Disability support worker, Veterinarian… |
By state
DAMA coverage map by state
Western Australia leads with 4 active DAMAs across the resource and agricultural regions. Queensland has 2 (Cairns and Townsville). South Australia consolidated 3 regional agreements into a single state-wide DAMA with 3 streams. NSW has 1 (Orana). Victoria has 1 (Warrnambool). NT has 1 territory-wide agreement.
WA · 4 agreements
- Goldfields
Held by City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
- Pilbara
Held by Regional Development Australia Pilbara
- Great Southern
Held by Regional Development Australia Great Southern
- East Kimberley
Held by Kimberley Development Commission
QLD · 2 agreements
- Far North Queensland
Held by Cairns Chamber of Commerce
- Townsville
Held by Townsville Enterprise
SA · 3 agreements
- South Australia Skilled
Held by Department of State Development
- South Australia Regional
Held by Department of State Development
- South Australia Adelaide City Tech
Held by Department of State Development
NT · 1 agreement
- Northern Territory
Held by NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
NSW · 1 agreement
- Orana (Dubbo region)
Held by Regional Development Australia Orana
VIC · 1 agreement
- Warrnambool (Great South Coast)
Held by Warrnambool City Council
Decision logic
When to use a DAMA pathway vs standard 482
The DAMA pathway is the right choice when one or more of the following holds: (1) the occupation is not on the standard Core Skills Occupation List but is on the DAMA list, (2) the salary is below TSMIT but at or above the DAMA concession floor, (3) the worker’s English score does not quite reach Competent English but meets the DAMA concession (typically IELTS 5.0 each band), or (4) the worker is over 45 and the DAMA includes an age concession to 55 for the PR pathway.
The standard 482 Core stream is the right choice when the occupation is on the CSOL, the salary is above CSIT and the worker has Competent English. Standard 482 is faster (no DAMA endorsement step) and is what most major-city sponsorships use.
Both pathways end in subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa grant, both run through Standard Business Sponsorship and nomination, and both can transition to PR via subclass 186 after 3 years (DAMA uses 186 Direct Entry under the Labour Agreement stream; standard 482 uses 186 Direct Entry or Temporary Residence Transition). The PR endpoint is identical: permanent residence.
For applicants with a points-tested skilled migration profile (university-trained engineer, accountant, IT worker with Competent English under 35), the 189 or 190 PR pathway is usually a better choice than a DAMA-sponsored 482 → 186 sequence because it delivers PR directly. DAMA is most valuable for applicants whose profile sits outside the standard skilled migration test.
Common questions
DAMA pathway – common questions
What is a DAMA?
A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and a state, territory or regional body that allows approved local employers to sponsor overseas workers in occupations not on the standard CSOL / MLTSSL, with concessions on salary, English, age and skills assessment. DAMAs are designed to address regional workforce gaps that the standard 482 visa cannot fill.
How is a DAMA different from a normal 482?
The visa subclass is the same (482 Skills in Demand) but a DAMA-sponsored 482 has access to a broader occupation list and concessions on TSMIT, English and work experience that are not available on the standard 482 Core stream. The trade-off is an additional endorsement step from the agreement holder before SBS lodgement.
Can I use a DAMA without an employer?
No. DAMAs are strictly employer-sponsored. You need a job offer from an approved DAMA employer in the agreement region before any DAMA visa pathway is available.
Are DAMA workers entitled to PR?
Yes. The PR pathway is via subclass 186 Direct Entry under the Labour Agreement stream after 3 years on the 482 with the sponsoring DAMA employer. Some occupations also retain 191 PR access via the regional residence pathway.
How long does the DAMA process take end-to-end?
Allow 4–6 months from agreement-holder endorsement to visa grant: 2–6 weeks for agreement-holder endorsement, 4–8 weeks for SBS approval, 6–10 weeks for nomination, 4–12 weeks for 482 visa processing.
Where can I see the current DAMA occupation lists?
Each agreement holder publishes its current occupation list and concession framework on its own website. Use the links on each region page in this guide. The Department of Home Affairs maintains an overview at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/regional-migration/designated-area-migration-agreements.