More regional-agreements areas joining in the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

Regional areas have seen strong economy recovery as international travellers return to Australia in larger numbers. The Federal Government has provided great efforts to help grow our local economy. The Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) enable businesses to cast their net wider to employ suitable overseas workers, while at the same time ensuring those workers are job-ready for the work they seeking to perform when they arrive in the regional areas.  

With Townsville region recently joining in, the DAMA program has grown to 12 regions/locations/shires. Each DAMA head agreement, signed between the Australian Government and a Designated Area Representative (usually regional bodies such as Chambers of Commerce, Regional Development Australia offices, or Shire Councils), contains a range of occupations as well as agreed terms and concessions to skilled visa eligibility criteria.   

The 12 regions/locations/shires are: 

• Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, SA 

• Far North Queensland, QLD 

• Goulburn Valley, VIC 

• Great South Coast, VIC 

• Northern Territory, NT 

• Orana, NSW 

• South Australia Regional, SA 

• South West, WA 

• The Goldfields, WA 

• Pilbara, WA 

• East Kimberley, WA 

• Townsville, QLD 

Businesses in the regions/locations/shires may seek individual DAMA labour agreement under the head agreement’s terms and concessions, which was managed by the Designated Area Representative. 

Employers must seek and gain endorsement from the Designated Area Representative before lodging a DAMA labour agreement. Once the individual DAMA labour agreement is approved by the Department of Home Affairs, the agreement will be in place for five years and the employers can use the individual DAMA labour agreement for the subclass 482 Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS), subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional), and subclass 186 Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) visa programs. 

The most beneficial cohort under the DAMA program is skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for certain occupations not linked to standard occupations lists, and with no caveats. English language concessions and salary concessions may also be in place.  

Should you consider your business in the agreed regional areas being interested in the DAMA program, please contact AHC Lawyers immediately on 02 7200 2700.   

How Can Agape Henry Crux Help You?

If you want to find out more about your visa or need advice on your Australian migration matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can book a Migration Planning Session with one of our immigration lawyers to seek professional advice by calling 02-7200 2700 or email us to book in a time at info@ahclawyers.com.

We speak fluent English, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Burmese and Malay. If these aren’t your language, we can also help you arrange an interpreter.

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.