First, a correction that matters more than it sounds. There is no such thing as a DAMA visa. A Designated Area Migration Agreement is an agreement, not a visa subclass, and it works by loosening the rules on visas that already exist. Employers who go looking for a “DAMA visa” application form will not find one, because the pathway starts with a regional body rather than the Department.
There are currently 13 DAMAs in place across Australia. This article lists all of them, names the body you have to deal with in each region, and sets out how the two step process actually runs.
What a DAMA is, in one paragraph
A DAMA is an agreement between the Australian Government and endorsed employers operating in a particular region. They are generally in effect for five years, and they use the subclass 482 Skills in Demand, subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional), and subclass 186 Employer Nominated Scheme visa programs.
Each DAMA head agreement covers a specified range of occupations, which is the real reason employers use them. The concessions attached vary by region.
The 13 DAMAs and who runs each one
Every DAMA has a Designated Area Representative, the DAR, and the DAR is who you deal with first. Here is the current list, as published by the Department.
| Region | Designated Area Representative |
|---|---|
| Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, SA | Skilled and Business Migration |
| East Kimberley, WA | East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
| Far North Queensland, QLD | Cairns Chamber of Commerce |
| Goulburn Valley, VIC | Goulburn Valley |
| Great South Coast, VIC | Warrnambool City Council |
| Northern Territory, NT | Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement |
| Orana, NSW | Regional Development Australia, Orana |
| Pilbara, WA | RDA Pilbara |
| South Australia Regional, SA | Skilled and Business Migration |
| South West, WA | Shire of Dardanup |
| The Goldfields, WA | City of Kalgoorlie Boulder |
| Townsville, QLD | Townsville Enterprise Limited |
| Western Australia | Department of Training and Workforce Development |
Source: the Department’s Designated Area Migration Agreements page, last updated 5 November 2025.
Two things are worth noticing in that table. Western Australia appears both as a statewide agreement and as four separate regional ones, so a WA employer may have more than one option. And South Australia runs two, one of which is specifically for technology and innovation roles in the Adelaide CBD rather than a regional area.
The Goldfields deadline
The Commonwealth has confirmed an extension of the Goldfields DAMA to 31 December 2026. Employers seeking to access it must first obtain endorsement from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder as the region’s Designated Area Representative.
If you are a Goldfields employer, that date is the one to plan around. Arrangements beyond it should be confirmed directly with the DAR before you build a recruitment plan on top of them.
How the two step process actually works
This is where most employers lose time, because the order is not what they expect.
Step one is the DAR, not the Department. Employers must seek and gain endorsement from the Designated Area Representative before lodging a labour agreement request. The DAR knows the regional labour market and assesses whether your business and the roles you want fit the agreement.
Step two is the labour agreement request, lodged online through ImmiAccount. The online form sets out the requirements and the supporting documents.
Only once a DAMA labour agreement is approved can the business nominate and sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for the occupations that agreement covers.
DARs also do more than gatekeep. They undertake annual reviews of how their DAMA is operating, which is why the occupation lists and concessions in a region can move from year to year.
Two rules that stop applications before they start
You must have genuinely tried to recruit Australians. DAMAs are built so that employers recruit Australian citizens and permanent residents as a first priority, and among other things an employer must demonstrate a genuine attempt to recruit Australians before accessing a DAMA labour agreement.
A DAMA will not be endorsed where an Industry Labour Agreement already covers the industry. The Department states this directly, and the reason is that Industry Labour Agreements come with fixed terms. If your sector already has one, that is the instrument you are expected to use. We cover those separately in our guide to labour agreements for employers.
This second rule catches out businesses in aged care, meat processing, horticulture and hospitality-adjacent sectors more than any other, and it is usually discovered late.
Which DAMA applies to you
The answer is geographic, and it is decided by where the work is performed rather than where your head office sits. Each DAR publishes the regions, locations and shires its agreement covers, and the Department’s page links to each of them.
If your business operates across more than one region, it is worth checking whether the roles you need actually sit inside the boundary you assume they do, before you spend time on an endorsement application.
Frequently asked questions
How many DAMAs are there in Australia?
There are currently 13 DAMAs in place, as listed on the Department’s Designated Area Migration Agreements page.
Is a DAMA a visa?
No. A DAMA is an agreement between the Australian Government and endorsed employers in a region. It works through existing visa programs, specifically the subclass 482 Skills in Demand, subclass 494 and subclass 186.
How long does a DAMA last?
DAMA head agreements are generally in effect for five years. Individual employer labour agreements made under them run for their own term.
Do I apply to Home Affairs or to the regional body first?
The regional body. Employers must seek and gain endorsement from the Designated Area Representative before lodging a labour agreement request through ImmiAccount.
Can we use a DAMA if our industry already has an Industry Labour Agreement?
Generally not. 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.
Do we still have to advertise locally?
Yes. DAMAs are designed so that Australian citizens and permanent residents are recruited as a first priority, and employers must demonstrate a genuine attempt to recruit Australians before accessing a DAMA labour agreement.
A realistic next step
The most common mistake we see is an employer picking a region because the occupation list looks favourable, then discovering the work is performed outside the boundary or the sector is already covered by an Industry Labour Agreement. Both are cheaper to find out now. Our team advises businesses on Designated Area Migration Agreements and the endorsement process, and you can book a consultation with our migration lawyers to work out which agreement fits.
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.
