Far North Queensland DAMA Guide
Thinking to move to the region of Far North Queensland’s Western Australia area and wondering if you can meet the labour agreement visa pathway? The labour agreement visa under Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) allows individuals to access a labour agreement under the Far North Queensland’s DAMA. Sponsoring employers and visa applicants can access through the following visa programs:
What Are the Labour Agreements for Far North Queensland?
The Far North Queensland's DAMA is a 5-year employer-sponsored visa program cultivates a partnership between local businesses and the Australia Government to find suitable skilled workers to address labour shortages in the specific region.
The Far North Queensland's DAMA includes the following, and the postcodes are representative of main towns and communities within each shire and not limited to:
Cairns Regional Council
Cairns City: 4870
Babinda: 4861
Gordonvale: 4865
Edmonton: 4869
Smithfield: 4878
Palm Cove: 4879
Douglas Shire Council
Port Douglas: 4877
Mossman: 4873
Daintree: 4873
Mareeba Shire Council
Mareeba: 4880
Kuranda: 4881
Dimbulah: 4872
Tablelands Regional Council
Atherton: 4883
Malanda: 4885
Yungaburra: 4884
Ravenshoe: 4888
Cassowary Coast Regional Council
Innisfail: 4860
Tully: 4854
Cardwell: 4849
Mission Beach: 4852
Cook Shire Council
Cooktown: 4895
Coen: 4892
Laura: 4892
Lakeland: 4871
Croydon Shire Council: 4871
Etheridge Shire Council
Georgetown: 4871
Mount Surprise: 4871
Forsayth: 4871
Torres Shire Council
Thursday Island: 4875
Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council
Bamaga: 4876
Injinoo: 4876
Umagico: 4876
New Mapoon: 4876
Seisia: 4876
Weipa Town Authority area: 4874
Applicant must live and work in the designated area above mentioned once being sponsored under the labour agreement pathway.
Businesses who wish to employ and sponsor through labour agreements for skilled workers:
Allows the employer to obtain their own labour agreement (valid for 5 years) with or without an identified skilled employer.
The business must have no adverse information.
Firstly, the employers will need to apply for endorsement through the Designated Area Representative (DAR) before requesting for a labour agreement. The Far North Queensland's DAR is through the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.
The labour agreement can be varied if the business’s needs change (e.g., adding additional occupations or increasing the number of nominations).
There is a processing fee per position of AUD 885 for Cairns Chamber of Commerce members. It will be AUD 985 per position for non-members.
Ensure that the Labour Market Testing (LMT) has been conducted for a minimum of 28 days.
The Far North Queensland's DAMA announced in March 2025; they have added 51 new occupations, which total to 226 occupations.
There are some concessions for the Far North Queensland DAMA that have been agreed on and require to be applied for, which can be requested in the application.
The Far North Queensland's DAMA has access to some occupations that are not included in the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which includes semi-skilled and skilled roles (Skill Levels 1-5).
English concession for a number of occupations.
CSIT (previously known as TSMIT) concession is available for some occupations for Skill Levels 3-5.
Age concession of 50 - 55 years old (depending on the occupation) can apply for visas under the labour agreement.
A permanent Residence (PR) pathway may be available through an ENS (SC 186) visa.
How Can Agape Henry Crux Help
If you want to apply for the labour agreement visa pathway under Queensland DAMA. Schedule a time with Agape Henry Crux and speak with one of our immigration lawyers or registered migration agents for professional advice and assistance. The team works together with our Accredited Specialist Immigration Lawyer(s), who specialise in handling highly complex matters. You can schedule an appointment with one of our lawyers or agents to seek professional advice by calling 02-8310 5230 or emailing us at info@ahclawyers.com.
We speak fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese. We can also help you arrange an interpreter if this isn't your language.
This article/presentation (“publication”) does not deal extensively with important topics or changes in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you find this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances, please contact our office.
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