Employers rarely want a Designated Area Migration Agreement for its own sake. They want one of four things: to pay a salary below the standard threshold, to sponsor someone over 45, to sponsor someone whose English sits below the usual bar, or to sponsor an occupation that is not otherwise available.
A DAMA can deliver all four. What it delivers is set by the individual agreement, so the concessions in South Australia are not the concessions in Western Australia. This article sets out what the concessions actually look like, using two of the larger agreements as worked examples, and then covers the rule that stops a DAMA before it starts.
The salary concession
The headline concession is a reduced income threshold. Under the South Australian DAMAs, the requirement is a reduced TSMIT or CSIT set at 90 per cent of the standard figure.
That only helps if you start from the right standard figure. For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the Department’s salary requirements page sets the Core Skills Income Threshold at AUD 79,423, and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, which still applies to the subclass 494 and subclass 187, at the same amount. Ninety per cent of that is roughly AUD 71,481.
Be careful here, because this is where published guidance goes stale fastest. Some regional DAR pages still quote the 2025 to 2026 threshold of AUD 76,515. Work from the Department’s current figure and apply the percentage to that.
South Australia also recognises different earning types, which allow certain non-monetary benefits such as food and board to count toward the reduced threshold up to specified caps. Those caps are agreement specific and worth checking before you build an offer around them.
The age concession
The standard age limit for the subclass 186 and subclass 494 is 45. Western Australia’s DAMA states the position plainly: an increased age limit for visa applicants from 45 to 55 years.
South Australia runs to the same ceiling, requiring nominees to be under 55 at the time of nomination for both the Skills in Demand and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional pathways.
For businesses trying to retain an experienced worker who has aged past the standard cut off, this is often the single most valuable concession on the list, and it is the one least discussed.
The English concession, which is not one concession
English is where DAMAs differ most, and where assumptions cause refusals.
Western Australia ties the concession to the ANZSCO skill level of the occupation:
- Skill levels 1 and 2: no English concession at all
- Skill levels 3 and 4, Skills in Demand and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional: IELTS 5.0 or equivalent, with no minimum band score
- Skill levels 3 and 4, Employer Nomination Scheme: IELTS 5.0 or equivalent, with no individual band below 4.0
South Australia sets it by pathway and location:
- Skills in Demand and subclass 494: IELTS 5.0 overall with a minimum of 4.0 in each band
- Semi-skilled roles in outer regional South Australia: IELTS 4.5 overall with a minimum of 4.0 in each band
- Subclass 186: IELTS 5.0 overall with a minimum of 4.5 in each band
Western Australia also carves out situations where the concession may not apply at all, including client facing roles, occupations carrying workplace health and safety concerns, and positions where a registration or licensing body requires higher English. That carve out is easy to miss and it is exactly the kind of role a regional employer is often trying to fill.
The work experience concession
Western Australia varies the experience requirement by pathway and by where the work is done:
- Skills in Demand: at least one year of relevant full time, or part time pro rata, experience
- Subclass 494 and subclass 186 in regional WA: at least two years
- Subclass 494 and subclass 186 in metropolitan Perth: at least three years
The metropolitan figure is the interesting one. The Western Australian agreement reaches into Perth, which is unusual for a regional instrument, and it prices that access with a longer experience requirement.
The occupation concession
The concession employers most often actually need is simply access to an occupation. Each DAMA head agreement covers a specified range of occupations, and those lists reach well beyond what is otherwise available, including semi-skilled roles.
Occupation lists are reviewed. Designated Area Representatives undertake annual reviews of their agreement’s terms and operation, so a list that did not include your role last year may include it now, and the reverse is also true.
The rule that blocks a DAMA entirely
Before any of the above matters, check this one. The Department states that a DAMA will not be endorsed where the industry is covered by an Industry Labour Agreement, which includes fixed agreement terms.
If your sector already has an Industry Labour Agreement, that is the instrument you are expected to use, and no amount of regional endorsement changes it. We set out those agreements in our guide to labour agreements in Australia.
This is the single most common reason a DAMA plan collapses late, because employers usually discover it after they have already approached a Designated Area Representative.
Frequently asked questions
What is the salary concession under a DAMA?
It varies by agreement. The South Australian DAMAs use a reduced threshold set at 90 per cent of the applicable TSMIT or CSIT. Apply that percentage to the Department’s current figure rather than to an older published one.
Can a DAMA get around the age limit of 45?
Several DAMAs raise it. Western Australia states an increased age limit from 45 to 55 years, and South Australia requires nominees to be under 55 at the time of nomination.
What English score do I need for a DAMA visa?
There is no single answer, because the concession is set by the individual agreement and often by the occupation’s skill level. Western Australia offers no English concession at ANZSCO skill levels 1 and 2, and IELTS 5.0 with no minimum band at skill levels 3 and 4 for some pathways. South Australia allows IELTS 4.5 overall for semi-skilled roles in outer regional areas.
Do DAMA concessions apply to every role?
No. Western Australia notes that concessions may not apply to client facing roles, occupations with workplace health and safety concerns, or positions where a registration requirement sets a higher English standard.
Does a DAMA lead to permanent residence?
DAMAs use the subclass 482, subclass 494 and subclass 186 programs, and permanent pathways run through those visas. The timing and the conditions depend on the individual agreement, so check the terms of the DAMA you are using.
Which DAMA should we use?
The one covering the region where the work is performed. There are 13 DAMAs in place, and Western Australia in particular has both a statewide agreement and several regional ones.
A realistic next step
Concessions are agreement specific, they are reviewed annually, and the published summaries are not always current. Before you make an offer that depends on a reduced salary or a relaxed English requirement, confirm the terms of the specific agreement you intend to use. Our team advises employers on Designated Area Migration Agreements, and you can speak to our migration lawyers about whether the concessions you need are actually available in your region.
About the author: Tina Nematian is the Principal Lawyer at One Planet Migration Law. She is an Australian Legal Practitioner and a Registered Migration Agent (MARN), and has guided clients through partner, skilled, employer-sponsored, student, and humanitarian visa applications across Australia.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa rules change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Speak with a registered migration lawyer or agent before making any application. Figures were current as of August 2026; always check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
