Finding suitable candidates in Western Australia is hard right now, particularly in NDIS and disability support, construction and mining. If standard skilled migration is not producing the people you need, a DAMA labour agreement is often the most flexible option available to a WA business.

A DAMA labour agreement lets you sponsor overseas workers in occupations that standard programs do not cover, with concessions on age, English and work experience. No other part of the employer sponsored program offers this much room to move.

But the process runs in two stages, and a different government body handles each one. Plenty of businesses start in the wrong order and lose months. This guide explains what the agreement actually is, how endorsement works, what you commit to, how long it takes and what it costs. It is written for employers. If you are a worker looking for sponsorship, a DAMA is not something you can apply for yourself — see the FAQ at the end.

What is a DAMA labour agreement?

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal arrangement between the Australian Government and a state, territory or regional authority. It lets eligible businesses in that area sponsor both skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers in roles that standard skilled migration often leaves out.

The structure has two levels, and this is where most of the confusion sits.

Level 1 — the head agreement, or deed. A five-year agreement between the Department of Home Affairs and the Designated Area Representative (DAR) for your region. It sets the occupation list, the concessions and the maximum number of places. You are not a party to it. There is nothing for you to sign. It already exists.

Level 2 — your own labour agreement. This is the agreement your business makes with the Department of Home Affairs, sitting under the terms of the head agreement. It usually runs for five years, and it is the document that lets you nominate workers.

So when people say “we are getting a DAMA”, they mean two separate things: get endorsed by your DAR, then get your own DAMA agreement approved by Home Affairs. In that order.

Once your agreement is in place, three visa programs open up:

One point worth knowing early: your labour agreement is your sponsorship approval. You do not need to apply separately for Standard Business Sponsorship.

Which of the five WA DAMAs applies to your business?

Western Australia has five agreements. Choosing the wrong one costs you time.

DAMA Area covered Who endorses you
WA DAMA The whole state — metropolitan Perth and regional WA Migration Services, Department of Training and Workforce Development
Goldfields Goldfields – Esperance City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Kimberley (East Kimberley) East Kimberley East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Pilbara Pilbara Pilbara Development Commission
South West South West South West Development Commission

The statewide WA DAMA started in July 2024. It sits alongside the four regional agreements rather than replacing them. Other DAMAs operate outside WA in the Northern Territory, Far North Queensland, South Australia and elsewhere; this guide covers Western Australia only.

A simple rule. If your business sits inside one of the four regional DAMA areas, check that region’s occupation list first, because eligible occupations differ between agreements. If your occupation is not on the regional list but appears on the WA DAMA list, apply directly to Migration Services instead.

One deadline to plan around. The Commonwealth has extended the Goldfields DAMA to 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 the statewide WA DAMA becomes the primary framework for the region, and new applications will be endorsed by Migration Services rather than the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Existing agreements continue on their original terms. If you are a Goldfields employer weighing up which agreement to use, that date matters.

Metro and regional are treated differently

The WA DAMA splits the state into two categories, and the concessions differ in each:

  • Category 2 — Metropolitan Perth. Postcodes 6000–6038, 6050–6083, 6090–6182, 6208–6211, 6214 and 6556–6558.
  • Category 3 — Regional WA. Every other Western Australian postcode.

Places are split evenly, 50% metro and 50% regional. Regional WA gets a broader occupation list, shorter work experience requirements and a faster pathway to permanent residence — settings designed to support employers in regional Australia facing labour shortages.

Two exclusions catch people out. Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) positions between regions cannot be endorsed under the WA DAMA. And DAMAs are open to direct employers only — labour hire businesses are not accepted. Confirm both with your DAR before you invest time in an application.

What concessions does a DAMA actually give you?

The paperwork is significant, so it pays to be clear about what you get in return. Under the WA DAMA, an endorsed business can request the following.

Occupations. Metro Perth covers ANZSCO skill levels 1 to 3, plus some semi-skilled level 4 occupations and a small number of non-ANZSCO roles. Regional WA has a wider list again, built around regional industry needs.

Age. The age limit for visa applicants rises from 45 to 55.

English language. For skill level 3 and 4 occupations, IELTS 5.0 or equivalent is accepted, with no minimum band score for the 482 and 494 pathways. For the 186, no individual band may fall below 4.0. There is no English concession for skill level 1 and 2 roles, and a concession may be refused for client-facing positions, roles carrying health and safety risk, or roles where licensing requires stronger English.

Work experience. One year for the Skills in Demand pathway; two years for the 494 or 186 in regional WA; three years for the 494 or 186 in metro Perth.

Permanent residence pathway. Workers who entered under your WA DAMA endorsement can move to the subclass 186 after two years in regional WA or three years in metro Perth. Labour market testing is not required on that pathway.

What about salary? Read this part carefully

This is where a lot of published information is simply wrong.

The statewide WA DAMA does not offer a salary concession. You must pay at least the applicable income threshold. There is no reduced rate.

The regional WA DAMAs are different. The Goldfields, Pilbara and South West agreements do offer a concession to minimum salary requirements, usually up to 10% below the threshold. It applies only to occupations specifically listed as concessional in that agreement, and only where you can put forward a strong business case.

So the answer depends on which agreement you use and which occupation you nominate. Check the current occupation table for your DAMA before you budget a salary.

Do you need a skills assessment?

Often, yes. The rule depends on the visa subclass and the nominated occupation.

  • Skills in Demand (482). Required if the occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List and named in the relevant legislative instrument. Also required if the occupation is not on that list, unless your nominee is exempt.
  • Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494). Generally required, unless the applicant already holds a positive assessment from an earlier 457 or 482 visa.
  • Employer Nomination Scheme (186). Required, unless the nominee has already passed an assessment for a WA DAMA nomination.

Use the WA DAMA occupation filter to find the correct assessing authority for your role.

How to get a DAMA labour agreement, step by step

Endorsement comes first. Home Affairs will not consider your labour agreement request without it.

Step 1 — Check your eligibility. Confirm your postcode category, then confirm your occupation appears on the correct DAMA occupation list for the visa subclass you want.

Step 2 — Register on the Migration WA Portal and join the Skilled Migrant Employment Register (SMER). SMER registration is compulsory and you must quote your unique identifier in the endorsement application. This applies even if you have already found your candidate.

Step 3 — Gather your evidence. Most applications stall here. You will need:

  • ABN or ACN registration and ownership details
  • Proof of premises — lease, photographs and addresses for every site
  • A letter from a chartered or certified practising accountant confirming 12 months of operation and financial viability
  • Audited financial statements, or your business activity statements
  • A formal organisational chart less than six months old, showing reporting lines, employment status and visa status for every position
  • Details of any redundancies in the last 12 months
  • A business case and workforce plan for each position
  • A statement about adverse findings in the past five years covering migration, industrial relations, and work health and safety

Step 4 — Complete labour market testing. This applies to the 482 and 494 pathways only, and the rules are strict:

  • Two separate advertisements
  • Each must run for 28 consecutive days
  • You must accept applications for at least 28 days
  • Advertising must occur within the 12 months before nomination
  • Regional businesses need at least one advertisement with national reach
  • General classifieds and social media are not accepted
  • Each advertisement must state the position, the skills required, the location, the salary and your business name

The purpose is straightforward. The Commonwealth expects you to recruit appropriately qualified Australians first, and labour market testing is how you evidence that your local recruitment was a genuine attempt and that no suitable Australian worker was available.

Step 5 — Submit through the portal. Once you start an application you have 60 calendar days to submit it, after which it is withdrawn. There is no endorsement fee for the WA DAMA.

Step 6 — Receive your outcome. If approved, you receive a letter of endorsement valid for 12 months, copied to you and to Home Affairs. If declined, you can request a review within 28 days — but note the review considers only the material you already submitted, so there is no second chance to fix a thin evidence pack.

Step 7 — Apply for your labour agreement. Send your endorsement to Home Affairs while it is still valid. Home Affairs assesses and grants all labour agreements and visas; your DAR has no role from this point on.

What does a DAMA labour agreement cost?

There is no fee for WA DAMA endorsement, and no charge to request the labour agreement itself. The real costs arrive later, at nomination and visa stage — and several figures moved on 1 July 2026.

Salary floor. From 1 July 2026 the Core Skills Income Threshold and TSMIT are both $79,423, up from $76,515. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold is now $146,576. The threshold that applies is fixed by the date you lodge your nomination, not the date it is decided.

Meeting the threshold is not enough on its own. You must also pay the annual market salary rate where that figure is higher. And as above, a salary concession may be available under a regional WA DAMA, but not under the statewide WA DAMA.

Costs the employer must pay. The nomination charge, the Skilling Australians Fund levy and any sponsorship charges. The levy is calculated on your annual turnover and the nomination period, and is paid upfront. These costs are legally yours — recovering them from the worker breaches the Migration Act, and the consequences include civil penalties, sponsorship bars and repayment orders.

Visa application charges. Paid by the applicant. These rose by roughly 25% for employer sponsored visas on 1 July 2026.

Professional fees. Endorsement, labour agreement, nomination and visa are four separate pieces of work, and should be quoted as such. Our fees for each stage are set out on our DAMA migration agent page.

Government charges change every July, so confirm current figures against Migration WA and Home Affairs before you commit to a budget.

Obligations employers often overlook

Endorsement is not the finish line. Once you are endorsed and sponsoring, you must:

  • Tell Migration Services the outcome of every labour agreement and visa application
  • Complete annual reports for the full term of the agreement
  • Provide nominee names and contact details when the visa is lodged, plus a signed data release form
  • Give each worker settlement information before they start, covering workplace rights, local services, living costs and English language support
  • Release workers to attend employment law information sessions at no cost to them
  • Offer terms and conditions no less favourable than an Australian doing the same job in the same location
  • Continue to meet your migration, industrial relations and work health and safety obligations

Metro Perth businesses carry one extra requirement. Your DAR must be satisfied that your sponsored headcount does not exceed the 50% ratio set by Home Affairs, so your organisational chart needs to clearly show how many citizens and permanent residents you employ against how many sponsored workers.

Is a DAMA the right fit for your business?

A DAMA is worth the extra work when:

  • The occupation you need is not available under standard skilled migration programs
  • Your best candidate is over 45
  • English proficiency is the barrier
  • You want a shorter regional pathway to permanent residence for someone you intend to keep

It is usually the wrong tool when the role sits comfortably on the Core Skills Occupation List and your candidate already meets the standard requirements. In that case a straight Skills in Demand (subclass 482) nomination will be faster and cheaper. One conversation and a look at your organisational chart is normally enough to tell which way to go.

Indeed Visa acts for employers across all five WA DAMAs. We handle the eligibility check, the endorsement, the labour agreement request and the visa applications that follow. If you want a view on which agreement fits your business, whether your occupation is available and what the timeline realistically looks like, book a DAMA consultation or read more about how we work as a DAMA migration agent for WA employers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a DAMA and a standard labour agreement?

A DAMA is negotiated for a region and comes with a pre-set occupation list and concessions already attached to that area. A company-specific or industry labour agreement is negotiated on its own merits, case by case, and usually takes considerably longer to put in place.

Can a worker apply for a DAMA?

No. A DAMA is an employer arrangement and individuals cannot apply on their own. You need a job offer from a business that holds a DAMA labour agreement in a designated area, for an eligible occupation.

Which government body approves a DAMA labour agreement?

Two bodies are involved, in sequence. Your Designated Area Representative assesses and issues the endorsement. The Department of Home Affairs then assesses and grants the labour agreement itself, along with every nomination and visa that follows. Applying to Home Affairs before you hold an endorsement is the most common reason a DAMA request goes nowhere.

How long does a DAMA labour agreement last?

Usually five years. Do not confuse that with your endorsement, which is a separate document valid for only 12 months from the date it is issued and must reach the Department of Home Affairs within that window.

Do I need Standard Business Sponsorship as well?

No. An approved DAMA labour agreement is your sponsorship approval. There is no separate Standard Business Sponsorship application to lodge, and no separate sponsorship application charge on that account.

Does the WA DAMA cover Perth?

Yes. The statewide WA DAMA covers metropolitan Perth as Category 2 and regional WA as Category 3. The occupation list and the concessions differ between the two, and places are split 50/50 between them.

Cover photo by Amina Atar on Unsplash.