If your occupation is not on the national skilled lists, or your age or English sits just outside the standard settings, a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) region may still have a pathway. DAMAs are labour agreements between a region and the Commonwealth: employers inside the region sign on and sponsor workers with concessions the standard program does not offer.
Three steps, all employer-led: the region holds an agreement with the Commonwealth; an employer in the region gets endorsed by the Designated Area Representative (DAR); the employer then lodges a labour-agreement nomination for the worker. You cannot apply for a DAMA yourself — which is exactly why being findable by regional employers matters. A DAMA is one form of labour agreement — that guide covers the wider framework, including industry and company-specific agreements.
Deed-specific, but the concession types are: occupations beyond the national lists (including semi-skilled roles), age above the usual limit, English below the standard scores, and salary relative to the standard threshold. Regions across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria have held agreements; deeds are renegotiated, so always verify the current region deed before relying on any concession.
From our marketplace and the queries that reach it, these are the roles DAMA employers actually recruit:
1. Register free so regional employers can find you — note your willingness to relocate to regional areas on your profile. 2. Watch the live sponsored jobs board — applying is free. 3. Approach regional employers directly from the sponsor directory — a $30 unlock gives you the hiring contact. 4. Get the visa side straight before an employer asks.
Concessions differ by deed and change when deeds are renegotiated. Get a free, no-obligation read of your DAMA options from WIDEN — Migration Experts (MARN 1576536).
A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a labour agreement between a region and the Commonwealth. Employers inside the region can sign on to it and sponsor workers under the labour agreement stream — with concessions the standard 482 program does not offer. The employer must be endorsed by the region's Designated Area Representative (DAR) before any nomination is lodged, so the process is employer-led and region-specific.
Depending on the region's deed: occupations that are not on the national skilled lists (including semi-skilled roles), age concessions above the usual limit, English concessions below the standard scores, and salary concessions relative to the standard threshold. Every deed is different and deeds are renegotiated — always verify the current settings for the specific region and occupation before relying on a concession.
No. Workers cannot apply for a DAMA directly. The employer requests endorsement from the region's DAR, then lodges a labour-agreement nomination for you. Your job as a candidate is to be visible and ready: a complete profile, documented experience, and directly approaching employers in DAMA regions.
The pattern in our marketplace: truck and heavy-vehicle drivers, aged care and personal care workers, chefs and cooks, hospitality staff, and a range of trades and farm roles — occupations regional employers cannot fill locally. If your occupation is not on the national lists, a DAMA region can be the pathway that still works.
Many deeds now include pathways to permanent residence (typically via the 186 or 191 after a qualifying period), but it is deed-specific and has changed over time. Confirm the current PR position for the specific region's agreement — and get advice from a registered migration agent before building plans on it.
Free to join. Upload your CV and let regional sponsors find you.
Register as a Candidate — FreeGeneral information only, not migration advice. DAMA deeds, occupations and concessions are region-specific and change on renegotiation — verify the current agreement for any region, and get advice from a registered migration agent before relying on a concession. Never a fee taken from your salary.