Visa Hub / DAMAs and Regional Visas / WA DAMAs

WA DAMA

The Western Australian Government’s state-wide Designated Area Migration Agreement (WA DAMA) helps businesses access overseas talent with greater flexibility.

Boosting Critical Workforces Across WA

The Western Australian Government’s state-wide Designated Area Migration Agreement (WA DAMA) helps address critical workforce shortages, giving regional and metropolitan employers greater flexibility to engage migrant workers in occupations that may not be covered by standard skilled migration programs.

Key Industries: Western Australia DAMA

The Western Australia Designated Area Migration Agreement (WA DAMA) is a state-wide approach to addressing critical workforce shortages.

The WA DAMA targets key industries that form the backbone of Western Australia’s economy.

Primary sectors that benefit from this initiative include:

Building and Construction

Health and Aged Care

Tourism and Hospitality

Agriculture

Understanding the WA DAMA

What is a DAMA?

Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) are agreed between the Australian Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs and regional authorities to address the specific labour market needs of certain areas.

The WA DAMA is designed to meet the diverse workforce requirements across Western Australia, offering pathways through the following visas:

Skills in Demand Visa

Subclass 482

The 482 Skills in Demand Visa allows employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers when suitably qualified local candidates are not available.

Employer Sponsored Regional Visa

Subclass 494

The 494 Regional Visa enables employers to sponsor skilled workers to live and work in regional Australia, with a pathway to Permanent Residence.

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa

Subclass 186

The 186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visa enables Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for Permanent Residence when suitably skilled candidates are unavailable locally.

The WA DAMA addresses labour shortages across the entire state, setting it apart from other regional agreements.

Some of its distinguishing characteristics include:

State-wide Coverage: Available to employers across metropolitan and regional WA.
Substantial Placements: 5,000 annual placements for migrant workers over five years.
Equal Distribution: 2,500 placements each for metropolitan and regional areas.

The WA DAMA offers several advantages to employers, such as providing access to a broader talent pool and offering flexibility in hiring requirements.

Key benefits for employers include:

Expanded Occupation List: Access to hundreds of occupations in metropolitan and regional areas, including semi-skilled roles.
Concessions on Standard Requirements: Potential flexibilities in work experience, age limits, and English language proficiency.
Permanent Residency Pathways: Opportunities for workers to transition to permanent residence after two or three years.

The WA DAMA allows a range of concessions to the standard visa requirements for engaging skilled migrant workers, ensuring the program meets the diverse needs of Western Australian employers.

Here’s an overview of key concessions offering greater flexibility and accessibility:

Work Experience: available for Regional 494 Visa or Permanent Residence 186 Visa.
Age Limit: Potential increase from 45 to 55 years for some applicants.
English Language: Possible concessions based on skill level and occupation.
Contract Duration: Minimum two-year contract required.

The process of engaging workers under the WA DAMA requires careful planning and adherance to specific procedures by regional governing bodies in addition to Home Affairs.

Determine Eligibility: Assess your organisation’s eligibility and check if the position is on the Eligible WA DAMA Occupations List.
Apply for WA DAMA Endorsement: Submit an application to Migration WA, the Designated Area Representative (DAR) for Western Australia.
Request a Labour Agreement: Upon endorsement approval, proceed to establish a Labour Agreement with the Department of Home Affairs.

Your Business Case for DAMAs

Concessions under a DAMA are pre-negotiated and fixed through regional agreements, meaning employers cannot negotiate new concessions – but they can request to access the concessions already established for their region.

Presenting a strong case during the regional endorsement and Labour Agreement application stages will justify why those concessions are needed for your business.

Interstaff assist with DAMA strategy, regional endorsement, Labour Agreement applications, and visa sponsorship needs.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 1

Assess and Strategise:
Regional Workforce Solutions

DAMA arrangements are region-specific and eligibility criteria is highly detailed. Occupation lists, and concessions vary significantly from region to region.

We support businesses by:

Evaluating current and future workforce needs and business operations to determine if a DAMA is the right fit, and if so, which DAMA is most suitable.
Developing a DAMA strategy that maximises access to eligible occupations and available concessions – such as relaxed English, salary and age requirements.
Advising on visa pathways and sponsorship obligations to maintain compliance under a DAMA.

Talk to us to understand how we assist with DAMA or visa needs.

Get in contact

What WA DAMA Visa Applicants Should Know

If a business is willing to sponsor you, it is essential to understand the DAMA and visa sponsorship pathways that may be available to you and the sponsoring business.

Interstaff provide eligibility assessments to both individuals and employers.

We also advise on skills assessment requirements, visa conditions, health and character issues and Permanent Residence pathways.

Experience and Insights

Designated Area Migration Agreements

Explore more about how we work, our industry experience and insights.

Industries

Migration requirements differ by industry — from occupation eligibility and salary thresholds to labour agreements and compliance considerations. Our industry-specific expertise helps employers understand suitable visa pathways for their needs.