The South Australian Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government, represented by the Department of Home Affairs and the South Australian Government, Department for Industry, Innovation and Science.

The South Australian Government has entered into two DAMAs: 

  1. Adelaide Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement
    This agreement focuses on Adelaide’s high-tech growth industries including defence, space, technology and advanced manufacturing industries. The Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement is the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) covering metropolitan Adelaide.
     
  2. South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement
    This agreement focuses on the South Australia’s regional high growth industries including agribusiness, forestry, health and social services, tourism and hospitality, construction and mining. The South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement is the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) covering the entire state of South Australia.

The DAMAs enable South Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for positions they are unable to fill with local workers. Employers experiencing skills and labour shortages can apply for endorsement to enter into a DAMA labour agreement. This enables them to sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers with more flexible requirements than are available via the standard skilled visa programs.

Skilled & Business Migration undertakes the role of Designated Area Representative (DAR), which is responsible for endorsing employers seeking to access overseas workers through the Designated Area Migration Agreements.

The Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is an overarching five-year deed of agreement between the Commonwealth and the Designated Area Representative (DAR) which is the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science, Skilled & Business Migration. 

The DAR has established a range of endorsement requirements in consultation with the Department of Home Affairs, these requirements are designed to meet the objectives of the DAMA and are policy conditions that respond to the objectives of the agreements.

The Migration Regulations, as well as any additional requirements outlined in a DAMA labour agreement, determine the requirements to be met at nomination and visa stage.

Designated Area Representative

Skilled & Business Migration, Department for Industry, Innovation and Science, is the Designated Area Representative (DAR) and is the co-signatory to the agreement and is responsible for the broad oversight and endorsement of sponsors under the agreements. This includes:

  • Management and administration of the DAMA
  • Assessing and endorsing employers who want to sponsor overseas workers under the DAMA
  • Monitoring, reporting, and reviewing activity as agreed with the Department of Home Affairs
  • Consulting with employers, key stakeholders and the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs and monitors the effectiveness of the DAMA. 

Australian Government
Employer Endorsement Requirement

The Commonwealth of Australia is represented by the Department of Home Affairs, and is responsible for:

  • Governing the legislative requirements as provided by the Migration Act and Regulations
  • Working with endorsed employers to establish the individual DAMA Labour Agreement
  • Processing nominations and visa applications made under the DAMA Labour Agreements
  • Working with endorsed employers to evaluate and review the DAMA Labour Agreement annually
  • Working with endorsed employers request (annually) on the maximum number of nominations.

Employers are required to seek endorsement from the DAR to sponsor overseas workers under the DAMA. Employers will be required to:

  • Meet the Terms and Conditions of Endorsement as set by DAR
  • Enter into individual DAMA Labour Agreements with the Department of Home Affairs
  • Ensure the nomination criteria are met and to the best of their knowledge the nominee satisfy their visa criteria 
  • Pay all applicable fees and levies when lodging nomination applications
  • Lodge nominations to fill vacancies through the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) program, or the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) Provisional visa, and where eligible lodge for permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) program, subject to meeting requirements
  • Meet sponsorship obligations
  • Work with the DAR and Commonwealth Department to review the DAMA Labour Agreement annually.

Approved Sponsors are subject to temporary residence sponsorship obligations and a sanctions framework under existing Migration law.