The Western Australian government has successfully negotiated the establishment of a Western Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement (WA DAMA) with the Commonwealth government.
The WA DAMA will be the 5th DAMA for WA, complementing the existing Goldfields, Kimberley, Pilbara and South West DAMAs. This initiative, alongside the existing State Nominated Migration Program, aims to facilitate the settlement of up to 10,000 overseas workers annually in WA. The WA DAMA is designed to address significant workforce shortages across the state.
Employers in Western Australia will retain access to existing DAMAs specific to regional areas of WA, while gaining expanded opportunities under the new state-wide DAMA. This includes a wider range of eligible occupations and associated concessions, providing employers with enhanced flexibility in meeting their workforce needs.
DAMAs are formal arrangements between the Commonwealth government and a designated area representative (DAR), which could be a state or territory government or a regional body. These agreements facilitate access to a broader range of overseas workers beyond what standard skilled visa programs offer. This flexibility includes variations to standard occupations and skills lists, as well as negotiable concessions to visa requirements.
DAMAs are tailored to meet the specific labour market needs and unique circumstances of geographical regions, and each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Approval factors include demonstrated efforts to prioritise Australian workers, annual limits on overseas worker numbers, and provision of local support to migrant workers.
Individuals cannot apply directly for a DAMA. They must be sponsored by an employer operating within a designated region and for an occupation specified in the DAMA head agreement. This structure ensures that DAMAs contribute effectively to addressing regional workforce shortages while upholding standards of local labour market participation.
MORE INFORMATION
If you require any advice or assistance, get in touch with our experienced team.
Was this article helpful?
Need to consult with us? Book an appointment today.
Our team will give you expert advice that has been specifically tailored to your case.
Related news
Shifting Immigration Landscape: How Ministerial Direction No. 111 Redefines Processing Priorities for International Students
2025 Major Changes to Australia’s 482 and 186 Visas: What Skilled Workers Need to Know!
Increase Skilled Visa Income Thresholds from 1 July 2025
How we will help
Free Assessment
Please call us or fill in the questionnaire here for a free initial assessment. After a simple communication, we will understand your concerns and visa requirements in detail, and then provide a timely and comprehensive professional consultation with tailor-made plans.
Consultation
Our consultations are typically 45-60 minutes long, which allows us to provide you with a detailed strategy to address the needs and concerns you raised with us during the initial call.
Our fee is $400 + GST for the full session. You can book in a consultation by calling us, emailing us or filling in the Contact Us form.
Developing and Managing a Strategy
During our consultation session, we will go through in more detail your background and circumstances to ensure that we can provide a tailored solution to your problems and making sure that you meet all the legal requirements. If we notice any potential issues, we will also immediately formulate a solution.
We’ll also balance time required, cost and difficulty and allow you choose the most appropriate strategy. We will then attend to all visa application matters on your behalf.