Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a labour agreement which allows employers to sponsor overseas workers. A DAMA is designed to fill Australia’s skill shortages, while also protecting jobs for locals.

Key points:

• The DAMA is employer sponsored – an independent individual cannot apply
• The employer must be endorsed before they can sponsor overseas workers
• Employers must evidence a genuine attempt to recruit Australians prior to accessing a DAMA

DAMAs provide access to additional occupations and concessions to standard migration programs under the:

• Temporary Skill Shortage visa (Subclass 482)
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (Subclass 494)
• Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)

Active DAMAs

At the time of writing there are seven DAMA lists in place:

• The Orana region DAMA
• The Northern Territory DAMA II
• The Far North Queensland DAMA
• The Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement DAMA (Metro)
• The South Australian Regional Workforce DAMA (Regional)
• The Victoria’s Great South Coast DAMA
• The Goldfields DAMA

You can refer to the Department website  for the latest DAMA lists.

You can speak with a Migration Agent by booking a consultation.