DAMA · Western Australia · Established 2019 (renewed 2024)
Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement
The Goldfields DAMA was Australia’s second DAMA and remains the model for resource-region labour agreements. It covers the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and 8 surrounding LGAs, with a strong tilt toward mining engineering, mining trades and the support services (childcare, hospitality, retail) that allow mining-town families to function.
★Key takeaways
- ✓Goldfields DAMA was established 2019 (renewed 2024) and is administered by City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (via Goldfields-Esperance Regional Development Australia and the WA State Government).
- ✓Occupation list includes 10+ roles with TSMIT and English concessions not available on standard 482 Core stream.
- ✓Employer geographic trigger: Employer must be located within the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Shire of Coolgardie, Shire of Dundas, Shire of Esperance, Shire of Laverton, Shire of Leonora, Shire of Menzies, Shire of Ngaanyatjarrak...
- ✓PR pathway: 186 Direct Entry stream under the Labour Agreement pathway after 3 years on the 482 with the sponsoring DAMA employer.
- ✓Cite all DAMA pathway numbers against City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (via Goldfields-Esperance Regional Development Australia and the WA State Government)’s current published occupation list – concessions and occupations are reviewed periodically.
At a glance
Agreement holder
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (via Goldfields-Esperance Regional Development Australia and the WA State Government)
Geographic trigger
Employer must be located within the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Shire of Coolgardie, Shire of Dundas, Shire of Esperance, Shire of Laverton, Shire of Leonora, Shire of Menzies, Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku or Shire of Ravensthorpe LGA
PR pathway
186 Direct Entry stream under the Labour Agreement pathway after 3 years on the 482 with the sponsoring DAMA employer
Occupations covered
10+ across mining, trades, hospitality, care and professional services
Top concession occupations
10 representative occupations
A sample of the 10+ occupations on the Goldfields DAMA. The full current list is published by the agreement holder and is reviewed periodically.
Concessions summary
What the DAMA actually changes
| Concession | Goldfields DAMA |
|---|---|
| TSMIT | Up to 10% concession on TSMIT for certain semi-skilled roles, with floor at $66,000 for selected occupations |
| English | IELTS 5.0 each band (vs standard 5.0 overall / 4.5 each band on 482 Core); some semi-skilled occupations IELTS 4.5 each band |
| Age (PR pathway) | PR pathway: up to 55 (vs standard 45) for selected occupations |
| Work experience and skills | Reduced work experience requirement (2 years vs standard 3 years); some occupations exempt from VETASSESS / TRA assessment |
Concessions are set out in the agreement between the Commonwealth and the agreement holder and can change at agreement renewal. Always confirm against the current published agreement.
In depth
How the Goldfields DAMA actually works
Kalgoorlie sits 600 km east of Perth and is the heart of WA’s gold-mining industry. The local labour market has chronically been unable to supply enough mining engineers, heavy-diesel mechanics, metallurgists, drillers and trade workers, and a series of mining booms over the last 30 years has repeatedly tested the local workforce. The DAMA was first signed in 2019 to give Goldfields employers a structured way to sponsor overseas workers in 70+ occupations not on the standard 482 list.
In addition to the headline mining occupations, the Goldfields DAMA covers the “supporting cast” of a small inland city: childcare educators, cooks, hairdressers, hospitality managers, and retail managers. The childcare educator concession in particular has been used heavily – Kalgoorlie has had multi-year childcare waitlists and the DAMA is one of the few pathways open to overseas-trained early childhood educators on a TSMIT below the standard threshold.
Salary concessions go up to 10% below TSMIT for certain semi-skilled occupations with a floor near $66,000. English concessions are notable: many DAMA occupations accept IELTS 5.0 each band where the standard 482 Core stream requires Competent English. The PR pathway is via 186 Labour Agreement after 3 years on the 482; some occupations also retain access to 191 PR via the regional residence pathway.
Employer obligations
- Employer must be located within the agreement region (see geographic trigger above).
- Obtain agreement holder endorsement before lodging a Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) application with Home Affairs.
- Demonstrate local labour market testing (LMT) was carried out and a local hire was not available.
- Pay the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy on nomination: $1,200/year (small business under $10m turnover) or $1,800/year (larger employers).
- Pay at or above the agreement’s salary floor (cannot use DAMA concession to push salary below the agreement minimum).
- Do not recover any sponsorship or migration agent costs from the worker (this is a strict sponsor obligation).
Agreement holder contact
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (via Goldfields-Esperance Regional Development Australia and the WA State Government)
Common questions
Goldfields DAMA – common questions
Who is the agreement holder for Goldfields DAMA?
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the formal agreement holder, supported by Goldfields-Esperance Regional Development Australia (RDA) and the WA State Government. Employers wishing to sponsor under the DAMA first need an endorsement from the City before lodging a Standard Business Sponsorship application with Home Affairs.
What occupations are concession-eligible under Goldfields DAMA?
Around 70 occupations across mining, trades, hospitality, childcare, retail and professional services. The list is reviewed periodically – confirm current occupations via the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder DAMA page or your migration agent. Mining engineer, metallurgist, geophysicist, mine deputy, drilling supervisor, heavy diesel mechanic and childcare educator are among the most commonly sponsored.
Can a Goldfields DAMA worker move to Perth?
During the 482 visa period: no, work must be in the agreement region. After 186 PR is granted: yes, PR is national. Many DAMA workers who reach PR move closer to Perth after a few years, although the mining industry creates strong incentives to stay in Kalgoorlie if employment continues.
How long does sponsorship take?
Allow 4–6 months end-to-end from City endorsement to visa grant: 2–4 weeks for City endorsement, 4–8 weeks for SBS approval, 6–10 weeks for nomination, 4–12 weeks for 482 visa processing. Tight cases can move faster; complex cases (skills assessment delays, character issues) can run 8 months.
Other DAMA regions