Before starting your application, it’s important to understand the requirements and options available in South Australia.
You can choose to apply for a visa or state nomination on your own, or you may decide to engage a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
Dreaming of a better lifestyle while growing your career? South Australia could be the answer!
Which occupation suits your skills? Explore the different Occupation Lists to check your eligibility.
While completing your application, use this information to understand the process, requirements and supporting documents.
Skilled migrants wanting to move to South Australia can support their visa application by applying for State nomination.
State nomination from South Australia can strengthen your skilled visa application.
If you are applying for state nomination for a skilled migration visa, this checklist outlines the documents required to support your application.
Starting life in a new place comes with plenty of excitement, and a few big tasks. Read some practical tips to help you settle in.
Cannot fill your South Australian business position locally? You may be able to sponsor a skilled migrant to join your team.
While there are a number of steps involved in employing overseas skilled workers, we want to make the process as easy to navigate as possible.
This Government of South Australia website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
© 2025 Department of State Development
The South Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government (Department of Home Affairs) and the South Australian Government (Skilled and Business Migration, Department of State Development.
Through DAMA, eligible South Australian employers can sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for positions they cannot fill locally. The program offers more flexible requirements than standard skilled visa pathways, helping businesses address genuine skill and labour shortages.
The DAMA program is designed for South Australian businesses that:
The diagram below shows the end-to-end process for applying under South Australia’s DAMA.
It outlines the roles of the South Australian Government, through Skilled and Business Migration (as the Designated Area Representative), and the Australian Government, through the Department of Home Affairs.
If you’re an employer, this is the pathway you’ll follow, starting with endorsement from Skilled and Business Migration, then working with the Department of Home Affairs to finalise your DAMA Labour Agreement and sponsored visa applications.
Covers metropolitan Adelaide and focuses on high-tech growth industries including defence, space, technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Covers all of South Australia (including Adelaide) with a focus on high-demand industries such as agribusiness, forestry, health and social services, tourism and hospitality, construction, and mining.
If you have an existing DAMA labour agreement, you can request a variation to:
All variation requests must be endorsed by Skilled and Business Migration and approved by the Department of Home Affairs.
