DAMA Lawyer: Help With Designated Area Migration Agreements
A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) lets employers in a designated region sponsor workers for occupations the standard skilled programs do not cover. It is an agreement, not a visa, and the steps run in a set order: endorsement from the regional body first, then a labour agreement with Home Affairs, then nominations and visa applications.
Our migration lawyers act for employers and for workers across Australia. We help you check whether a DAMA fits your business or your role, prepare the endorsement and labour agreement request, and plan the pathway through to permanent residence.
- Fixed fees, agreed up front
- Offices in Sydney and Melbourne
- Video consultations Australia-wide
- Led by Principal Lawyer Tina Nematian
How we help
Is a DAMA right for you?
We look at where the work is performed, the occupations you need to fill, your recruitment history and whether an Industry Labour Agreement already covers your sector. You get a clear view of whether a DAMA suits you before you spend time on an application.
DAR endorsement preparation
Employers must gain endorsement from the Designated Area Representative before lodging a labour agreement request. We help you prepare the business case, the evidence of genuine recruitment efforts and the occupation justification the regional body will want to see.
DAMA labour agreement requests
Once you are endorsed, the request is lodged online through ImmiAccount. We prepare the request and supporting documents, and deal with any questions from the Department so your business is ready to nominate once the agreement is in place.
Learn moreNominations and worker visas
After the labour agreement is approved, each position is nominated and each worker applies for a visa under the agreement. We prepare both sides, so the nomination and the visa application tell the same story.
Learn moreConcessions under your agreement
Each DAMA sets its own concessions, which can cover items like salary, age, English and experience. We read the terms of your specific agreement and check each worker against them before anyone commits to a job offer.
Learn moreAdvice for workers and families
If you are a skilled worker considering a role in a DAMA region, we can review the job offer, the employer's agreement and your own eligibility, including English, age and experience, and look at how your family members fit in.
Pathway to permanent residence
The visa you start on shapes how you reach permanent residence. We map the options for your agreement, including employer-nominated and regional routes, so you know what the employer and the worker each need to do along the way.
Learn moreRefusals and compliance
If an endorsement, labour agreement request, nomination or visa has been refused, or you are an existing sponsor with obligations to manage, we review the decision and the options open to you, including review rights where they apply.
Learn more
How a DAMA works, step by step
The Department of Home Affairs describes a DAMA as a two-tier framework covering a defined regional area. The first tier is a five-year head agreement between the Government and the region's Designated Area Representative (DAR), usually a state or territory government or a regional body such as a chamber of commerce, a Regional Development Australia office or a council. The second tier is the individual labour agreements between the Government and employers in that region.
For an employer, the order matters.
- Endorsement from the DAR. You must seek and gain endorsement from the DAR before you lodge a labour agreement request. This is where the regional body tests whether your business and the roles you want fit the agreement.
- Labour agreement request. You then lodge the request online through ImmiAccount. A DAMA will not be endorsed where an Industry Labour Agreement already covers the industry.
- Nominations. With an approved labour agreement, the business can nominate and sponsor skilled and semi-skilled workers for the occupations covered by that region's head agreement.
- Worker visas. Individual labour agreements generally run for five years and use the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand, Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) and Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa programs.
DAMAs are built so that employers recruit Australian citizens and permanent residents first, so you must be able to show a genuine attempt to recruit locally before you can access an agreement. Home Affairs also notes it is currently supporting the transition to state and territory-led DAMAs, so the details for your region are worth confirming early.
As at October 2026, Home Affairs lists 13 DAMAs: Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement (SA), East Kimberley (WA), Far North Queensland, Goulburn Valley (VIC), Great South Coast (VIC), Northern Territory, Orana (NSW), Pilbara (WA), South Australia Regional, South West (WA), The Goldfields (WA), Townsville (QLD) and Western Australia statewide. See the Home Affairs DAMA page for the current list and each representative's contact details, and our guide to the DAMA regions for how the areas compare.
Concessions: what a DAMA can change
A DAMA works by varying the standard rules for the visas it uses. Each head agreement covers a specified range of occupations, and Home Affairs says each one contains agreed terms and concessions to skilled visa eligibility criteria, as negotiated between the parties. That is why the concessions in one region are not the concessions in another.
Depending on the agreement, concessions may touch the occupations you can sponsor, the salary requirement, the age limit, English language and work experience. They are set agreement by agreement, and some do not carry through from the temporary visa to the permanent one.
That is the practical value of speaking to a lawyer before you recruit or accept a role. We read the agreement that applies to your location and your role, then check the proposed worker against it. Our guide to DAMA concessions has worked examples from two of the larger agreements, and your representative's website sets out the current terms for your region.
From a DAMA to permanent residence
A DAMA is not a permanent visa in itself, so workers often ask where it leads. The answer depends on the visa you start on.
- Subclass 482 Skills in Demand is a temporary visa. Permanent residence usually comes through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, with qualifying periods and requirements that your agreement may vary.
- Subclass 494 is a provisional visa. Holders may later apply for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, which does not need an employer nominator but does require you to hold an eligible visa for at least three years, comply with its conditions and meet a taxable income threshold for that time.
- Subclass 186 is already a permanent visa.
Because the timeframes are set by the individual agreement, do not assume that a pathway in one region applies in another. If your employer's circumstances change, for example the business is sold or stops sponsoring, a pathway that depends on nomination can be affected, and a worker may need a plan B. We cover the detail in our guide to DAMA to permanent residence.
Talk to a lawyer about your situation
Book a ConsultationWhere a lawyer adds value on a DAMA
Most DAMA problems we hear about are avoidable and appear early.
- The region does not fit. Eligibility turns on where the work is performed, not where the head office sits.
- An Industry Labour Agreement already covers the sector. A DAMA will not be endorsed in that case.
- Thin recruitment evidence. You need to show a genuine attempt to recruit Australians before you access an agreement.
- A worker who does not meet the terms. Concessions on age, English or experience can differ from the standard rules and from one agreement to another.
- Sponsor obligations. They continue after the visa is granted and breaches can lead to serious consequences for the business.
- Timing. Endorsement, the labour agreement request and nominations each take time, so recruitment plans built around a start date need to allow for all three.
If you are weighing other employer options, see our employer sponsorship service and our guide to industry labour agreements.
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Gwen Coghill
1 year ago
Tina and Deepika have guided me through, what felt to me, like a complex case.
They answered my endless questions with empathy and used terms I would understand. I was lacking confidence of the process at times, but I was reassured by both of them when needed. Overall a pleasure to work with. Thank you for getting me over every hurdle that popped up and managing to have all our visas granted in such a short amount of time. I am so glad that I found Tina again, I was also so pleased to find she had her own law firm from the last time we spoke. Very well deserved.
Reza
1 year ago
We had the pleasure of working with Tina and her team recently. My partner and I were in a very stressful situation due to a sudden change in our circumstances. Tina gave us a clear plan, spent enough time addressing our concerns, and kept us informed throughout the process. She and her team helped us effectively with my wife's visa within a very short timeframe. I would strongly recommend One Planet Migration Law.
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1 year ago
Tina’s help was indispensable when I began the process of moving to Australia. She helped my husband and I work through the paperwork and gain clarity on what was needed. Without her, the process would have been so much more difficult. We’re very grateful for her assistance, which she carried out professionally, responsiveness, clarity and joy
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1 year ago
I’m incredibly grateful to Tina Masrour, Deepika, and Rhel from One Planet for their outstanding support with my parents’ Subclass 600 Tourist Visa application. Thanks to their expertise, professionalism, and attention to detail, both of my parents received their visas with a smooth and successful outcome.
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1 year ago
Appreciate the meeting with Tina. She is an experienced professional who thinks laterally, and methodically presented various visa application and success data in a way that guides and supports informed decision making.
Thivanka Silva
1 year ago
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Mel
2 years ago
Thank you Deepika and Tina for assisting me all throughout my visa application. It's been a breeze and I am grateful.
Naim Smith
2 years ago
Tina Masrour and the team at One Planet Migration Law were a great resource in guiding us through our application for migration to Australia. From the initial consultation, to getting my qualifications recognized by Engineers Australia and submitting an expression of interest on our behalf they demonstrated exceptional knowledge of the immigration process, providing clear and accurate guidance at every step. They took the time to understand our unique circumstances and tailored their advice accordingly. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering migration to Australia.
Talk to our migration lawyers about your DAMA
Whether you are an employer weighing up a DAMA or a worker looking at a role in a designated region, we can look at your circumstances and explain your options. Consultations are in person in Sydney or Melbourne, or by video call anywhere in Australia, and our fixed-fee model means you know the cost up front. Book a consultation with our migration lawyers.
DAMA: our guides
Plain-English guides written by our lawyers. General information only, not legal advice for your situation.
DAMA Concessions Explained: Salary, Age, English and When a DAMA Is Blocked
What a DAMA actually gets you in 2026: reduced salary thresholds, an age limit of 55, English concessions by skill level, and the rule that blocks...
Every Designated Area Migration Agreement in Australia: The 13 DAMAs in 2026
All 13 Designated Area Migration Agreements in Australia for 2026, the representative for each region, which visas they use, and how employers get...
One year extension of the Northern Territory DAMA
The Northern Territory (NT) DAMA II has recently been extended for one-year, prolonging its validity until December 13, 2024.
FNQ DAMA TSMIT/CSIT Concession Update: What You Need to Know for 2025
From 1 July 2025, the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) and the Concessional Skilled Income Threshold (CSIT) for skilled migration
Frequently asked questions
What is a DAMA?
A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a state or territory government or regional authority. It gives employers in a defined region access to more occupations than the standard skilled migration program. It is not a visa. It works through the Subclass 482, 494 and 186 visa programs.
Do I need a DAMA lawyer or a DAMA migration agent?
Neither is a legal requirement for a labour agreement request, and Home Affairs publishes guidance on who can help with a visa application. A lawyer can help with the endorsement case, the labour agreement request, the worker visas and any review or compliance issue that follows, all in one place. Our migration lawyers can talk through what your situation needs, and which steps are worth getting help with, at a consultation.
How many DAMAs are there, and where?
As at October 2026, Home Affairs lists 13 DAMAs across South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Each covers a defined area set by its Designated Area Representative, and some regions have more than one agreement, so an employer in Western Australia, for example, may have a statewide option as well as a regional one. Our DAMA regions guide sets out the full list.
What is the first step for an employer?
You must seek and gain endorsement from the Designated Area Representative for your region before you lodge a labour agreement request with the Department of Home Affairs. The regional body assesses whether your business and the roles you want fit its agreement. Only after endorsement can the labour agreement request go in through ImmiAccount, so it pays to prepare the business case carefully before approaching the DAR.
Can I use a DAMA if my industry has an Industry Labour Agreement?
Generally not. Home Affairs states that a DAMA will not be endorsed where the industry is covered by an Industry Labour Agreement, which has fixed terms. Checking this first can save an employer a lot of time and cost. We can help you work out which instrument fits your sector, including whether a standard labour agreement is the better route.
What concessions can a DAMA give?
Concessions depend on the individual head agreement. Depending on the region, they may cover occupations, salary, age, English and work experience. Because they vary, a concession that applies in one region may not apply in another, and some do not carry across from the temporary visa to the permanent one. Our DAMA concessions guide has worked examples.
Can a DAMA lead to permanent residence?
It may, depending on the visa you start on and the terms of your agreement. Subclass 482 holders may move to the Subclass 186, and Subclass 494 holders may later be able to apply for the Subclass 191. The qualifying periods are not the same everywhere, so see our permanent residence guide.
What if my DAMA application is refused?
The right response depends on what was refused and at which step: the endorsement, the labour agreement request, a nomination or a visa. Review rights and time limits differ for each. Where a visa decision can go to the Administrative Review Tribunal, the time limit is short, so get advice quickly. See our guide on what to do next or our appeals service.
