DAMA stands for Designated Area Migration Agreement. It is an agreement between the Australian Government and a specific region or individual state, designed to set region-specific conditions for employer-sponsored migration. The aim is to address acute labour shortages in participating regions and to support employers in recruiting overseas workers more quickly and with fewer barriers.

A DAMA does not introduce new or special visa subclasses. Instead, it provides concessions and variations to the existing requirements of employer-sponsored visas (in particular the TSS visa). Each participating region negotiates these concessions independently, based on its own needs and priorities. For this reason, it is important to be cautious: DAMA is not the same everywhere and can differ significantly from region to region. Some regions may even have multiple DAMAs. South Australia, for example, has one DAMA limited to the Adelaide metropolitan area and another covering the remainder of the state.

What are the advantages of a DAMA?

The key advantage of a DAMA—particularly for regional areas—is that individual regions can negotiate their own rules and directly influence the type of workers they want to attract. This allows them to respond much more precisely to local challenges than a nationwide approach can.

In practical terms, this means that DAMA regions can expand the existing Skilled Occupation Lists set by the Department of Home Affairs to reflect their own labour market needs and forecasts. While this may not sound revolutionary at first, there is one crucial difference compared to previous programs: DAMAs are not limited to highly qualified professionals with academic degrees. In regional Australia, there is significant demand for semi-skilled workers, and these occupations are therefore increasingly included on DAMA occupation lists.

Another important aspect is that DAMAs often include concessions to standard visa requirements in order to improve attractiveness. These may include:

As a result, DAMAs may also offer realistic permanent residence options for applicants over the age of 45.

In addition, the requirements employers must meet in order to sponsor overseas workers are sometimes simplified under a DAMA. This can make sponsorship more accessible, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.

Which occupations are covered by DAMAs?

One of the most significant aspects of DAMA agreements is the expanded occupation lists, which include many semi-skilled roles—something that was previously very rare. Under most skilled visa pathways, applicants with higher qualifications have traditionally had much stronger prospects, making it difficult for people with vocational training backgrounds to meet visa requirements.

Examples of semi-skilled occupations listed under the current Northern Territory DAMA include:

    • Accounts clerk

    • Bar attendant

    • Barista

    • Beauty therapist

    • Bookkeeper

    • Bus driver

    • Childcare worker

    • Dental assistant

    • Forklift driver

    • Hotel or motel receptionist

    • Motor vehicle or caravan salesperson

    • Nursing support worker

    • Veterinary nurse

    • Tour guide

  • Truck driver

The inclusion of these occupations does not only benefit those who previously had little hope of qualifying for an Australian visa. It is also a major opportunity for applicants who do have relevant experience but have struggled with Australia’s qualification requirements—particularly applicants from non-English-speaking countries.

For example, in some countries vocational training pathways don’t align neatly with Australian skills assessment criteria. In certain cases, applicants may be asked to demonstrate qualifications at bachelor level for skills recognition and to be eligible for a skilled visa. The inclusion of semi-skilled occupations under DAMAs therefore opens up opportunities for applicants who previously had no realistic pathway due to formal qualification requirements.

Regional Australia does not mean the outback

The purpose of a DAMA is to strengthen specific regions in Australia in line with their workforce needs. As a result, visas granted under a DAMA come with a condition to work initially only in the designated region. In migration terms, this is usually classified as regional Australia.

This does not mean living in the remote outback. In simple terms, regional Australia includes all areas outside Australia’s major metropolitan centres. While the Northern Territory has been an early mover with a state-wide DAMA, several other regions are preparing to launch their agreements. These include the region around Cairns (Far North Queensland DAMA) as well as the entire state of South Australia, which has a separate agreement for the Adelaide metropolitan area.

At present, DAMA agreements exist in almost all Australian states, including:

  • South Australia : Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement
  • South Australia: Regional
  • Northern Territory
  • Queensland: Far North Queensland
  • Queensland: Townsville
  • Victoria: Goulburn Valley
  • Victoria: Great South Coast Region
  • New South Wales: Orana Region (Dubbo)
  • Western Australia: Goldfields
  • Western Australia: East Kimberley
  • Western Australia: Pilbara
  • Western Australia: South West

How does the visa process work under a DAMA?

A DAMA visa is always linked to a specific employer in Australia. To apply for a visa, you need a genuine job offer from an Australian employer that is located in the relevant DAMA region and has been approved as a sponsor.

Once this is in place, you can apply for a TSS visa, a temporary visa valid for up to four years. If granted, you are allowed to live and work in Australia for the sponsoring employer and within the designated region.

During the validity of the visa, it may be possible to apply for a permanent visa, provided the employer is willing to extend the employment contract for at least a further two years and continues to support the visa application through sponsorship.

Once permanent residency is granted, the regional residence requirement no longer applies and the visa is no longer tied to the employer. At that point, you are free to move to another part of Australia if you wish.

Before approaching potential employers, it is essential to familiarise yourself with the specific details of the relevant DAMA. Each DAMA is individually negotiated between a region or state and the Australian Government, and the conditions can vary significantly—not only in terms of occupation lists, but also regarding age concessions, English language requirements, or which occupations qualify for exemptions.

 Not all DAMAs offer the same concessions, and some restrictions apply only to certain occupations. For this reason, thorough preparation and careful assessment in advance are strongly recommended to avoid disappointment and ensure that potential opportunities are not missed.