DAMA stands for Designated Area Migration Agreement and is a formal agreement between the Australian government and a regional, state, or territory authority. It offers access to more foreign workers than the typical skilled migration programme, and because it operates under a two-tier agreement-based framework, it gives regions the freedom to respond to their distinctive economic and labour market situations.
The first tier refers to a five-year head agreement with the representative of the region. Subsequently, the second tier involves of individual labour agreements with employers that are governed by the regional head agreement. Employers in selected regions facing skill and labour shortages can sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas employees under the agreement. Notably, people cannot directly apply for a DAMA and must be sponsored by an employer in a specific location for a profession listed in the agreement.
What benefits does DAMA offer?
Employees and skilled professionals might greatly benefit from the DAMA Visa. The following advantages include:
Possibility of work sponsorship that is not covered by any other visa provider
Protection of employers' and workers' rights by risk and integrity controls
Salary concessions and English proficiency requirements for specific positions
Frequently less stringent admission restrictions (Based on the individual DAMA region, you could be eligible to apply for this visa even if your English proficiency isn't the strongest, your pay offer isn't the highest, or you qualify for age concessions)
Due to changes in the scales of salary, a visa holder's compensation may be equal to or higher than that of an Australian employee
Opportunities that may result in Permanent Residency (Every DAMA region will have a unique, tailored pathway to PR. However, in order to qualify for the Permanent 186 - Employer Nominated Scheme Visa, the candidate must generally work in the field for two to four years)
Additional jobs that are not listed on the STSOL may be sponsored. On this visa, each particular occupation generates a list of jobs that are in demand in the area.
DAMA regions
Applications from the following 12 Australian areas are being actively welcomed by DAMA:
Far North Queensland
Pilbara, Western Australia
East Kimberley, Western Australia
Goulburn Valley, Victoria
Great South Coast, Victoria
The Goldfields, Western Australia
Northern Territory, Australia
Orana, New South Wales
Townsville, Queensland
Regions of South Australia, South Australia
South West, Western Australia
Adelaide, Technology, and Innovation Advancement, South Australia
What occupations qualify for DAMA?
There is a list of occupations that are in demand in each particular area.
For more information, proceed to here:
What are the requirements for DAMA?
Applicants must meet the standard requirements for the 482 - TSS Visa unless there are specific concessions, which you would initially inquire about offered by the specific DAMA region, if applicable.
An employer is required to nominate you for a relevant occupation. A labour agreement for this employer must be approved by their particular DAMA area.
Unless there are concessions, you must fulfil the English criteria. If applicants' English proficiency falls below the standard IELTS score of 5.0 overall with no score lower than 4.5, they may be qualified to apply for this visa.
Your employer must present you with an employment contract. Unless there are concessions, the salary must be in compliance with the TSMIT requirement. In some professions, candidates can be eligible for a wage as low as around $48,510 year. The minimal wage that is permissible for those applying for regular 482 visas is $53,900.
The applicant meets the criteria for the occupation in terms of qualifications, work experience, and health conditions.
A proposed period of stay of up to 4 years must be chosen by the authorised sponsor when proposing an overseas worker for a TSS visa. In addition, only the Federal Department of Home Affairs issues the 482 visa.
What is the application process?
Fundamentally, either the employer or their migration agents handle the entire beginning of the procedure.
The example process below corresponds to the NT program; however, comparable stages are predicted to apply in other designated areas open for applications.
In order to get your company's labour agreement approved, the sponsoring firm submits an application to the specified area organisation (such as the Northern Territory Department of Trade, firm, and Innovation “DBTI").
The sponsoring company submits a labour agreement request to the Department of Home Affairs.
The sponsoring company submits a nomination request for a specific employee under the labour agreement to the Department of Home Affairs.
The employee utilises the labour agreement stream to apply for a TSS 482 visa.
Please keep in mind that the preceding material is general in nature, and you should consult your specific circumstances with your migration agent to learn more about your individual situation.
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