DAMA · South Australia · Established 2021 (component of the consolidated SA DAMA)
South Australia Adelaide City Tech Designated Area Migration Agreement
The Adelaide City Tech stream within the SA DAMA targets software, cyber, AI and data occupations. It supports the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct and the broader Adelaide CBD tech sector.
★Key takeaways
- ✓South Australia Adelaide City Tech DAMA was established 2021 (component of the consolidated SA DAMA) and is administered by Department of State Development (Skilled & Business Migration).
- ✓Occupation list includes 10+ roles with TSMIT and English concessions not available on standard 482 Core stream.
- ✓Employer geographic trigger: Employer must be located in the City of Adelaide LGA or surrounding inner-metro councils participating in the City Tech stream
- ✓PR pathway: 186 Direct Entry stream under the Labour Agreement pathway after 3 years on the 482.
- ✓Cite all DAMA pathway numbers against Department of State Development (Skilled & Business Migration)’s current published occupation list – concessions and occupations are reviewed periodically.
At a glance
Agreement holder
Department of State Development (Skilled & Business Migration)
Geographic trigger
Employer must be located in the City of Adelaide LGA or surrounding inner-metro councils participating in the City Tech stream
PR pathway
186 Direct Entry stream under the Labour Agreement pathway after 3 years on the 482
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 South Australia Adelaide City Tech DAMA. The full current list is published by the agreement holder and is reviewed periodically.
Source: Department of State Development (Skilled & Business Migration) DAMA occupation list →
Concessions summary
What the DAMA actually changes
| Concession | South Australia Adelaide City Tech DAMA |
|---|---|
| TSMIT | Limited TSMIT concession – most tech roles already exceed the threshold |
| English | IELTS 5.0 each band (vs standard 482 Core requirement) |
| Age (PR pathway) | PR pathway: age cap raised to 55 for selected senior occupations |
| Work experience and skills | ACS skills assessment streamlined / waived for some senior tech occupations |
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 South Australia Adelaide City Tech DAMA actually works
Adelaide has positioned itself as Australia’s second-tier tech city after Sydney and Melbourne, anchored by the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site and the defence-tech expansion around BAE / ASC / Lockheed Martin Australia. The Adelaide City Tech stream of the SA DAMA was added to draw international tech talent into this ecosystem.
Concession occupations focus on senior and specialist roles: software engineer (senior), cyber security specialist, data scientist, cloud architect, ML engineer. ACS skills assessment is streamlined for some of these occupations, and the English concession (IELTS 5.0 each band) compared to standard 482 Core is helpful for non-native speakers.
For tech workers, the DAMA pathway competes with the 858 National Innovation visa (PR directly, but tighter recognition test) and the 482 Specialist Skills stream (high-income threshold). Most senior tech talent will look at all three options before deciding.
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
Department of State Development (Skilled & Business Migration)
Common questions
South Australia Adelaide City Tech DAMA – common questions
Does this DAMA help me get a tech job in Adelaide?
No – the DAMA is the visa pathway, not the recruitment pathway. You need a job offer from an SA tech employer first, then the DAMA + 482 sponsorship process kicks in.
Is the DAMA better than the 858 for a senior tech professional?
Depends on profile. 858 is direct PR but requires international recognition (publications, awards, salary above the high-income threshold). DAMA is employer-sponsored 482 first, then 186 PR after 3 years. Senior tech leaders with sponsoring employers often prefer the DAMA route for speed; thought-leaders with strong recognition can sometimes go direct via 858.
Does Lot Fourteen sponsor under this DAMA?
Lot Fourteen is a precinct, not an employer – but many tenants in Lot Fourteen sponsor under the SA DAMA Adelaide City Tech stream.
Can a remote-working tech worker use this DAMA?
The employer needs to be located in the Adelaide CBD area. The worker must be employed in the nominated occupation under the sponsorship – full remote-from-overseas arrangements are unlikely to qualify. Hybrid arrangements with primary base in Adelaide are workable.
Other DAMA regions