South Australia has released a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) program list. This program is for South Australian employers to sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for positions they can’t fill with local workers.
Not sure what this program is and what it could mean for you? No problem! We’ve broken down all the important bits for you.
Introduction
The DAMA program is an agreement between the government and a regional, state or territory authority. The key difference of the DAMA program compared to any other employer sponsorship program is that the requirements are more flexible than via the standard skilled visa programs where employers can sponsor for designated areas.
The 2 DAMA agreements:
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The Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement This agreement focuses on Adelaide’s high-tech growth industries including defence, space, technology and advanced manufacturing industries.
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The 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
Visas under the DAMA program:
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are generally in effect for five years, and
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the program uses the 482 visa, subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa, and 186 Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) visa programs.
Employers will need to get endorsement from the Designated Area Representative (DAR) before they can lodge a labour agreement request.
Available concessions under the DAMA program
Unlike requirements for general visa programs, the DAMA program provides more flexible criteria for the following factors:
Income threshold list: If this concession applies, the employer must offer applicants with an amount of Annual Earnings which is equal to or greater than the Annual Market Salary Rate and the reduced Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT).
DAMA occupation List: The list can be found here. Occupations that do not have an ANSCO code or an assessment body, will be assessed by the The DAR (Government of South Australia) themselves.
English: IELTS score of 5.0 overall (or equivalent), and minimum of IELTS score 4.0 (or equivalent) for individual bands
Age: The program allows a much higher age cut off than other employer sponsor visas, depending on the occupation this could be under 50 or 55. You can check the cut off for your occupation on the occupation list.
The purpose of these concession is to help out employers by providing them a more lenient criteria so they are able to find skilled employees without the limitation of the standard employment programs.
In summary, The DAMA program is far more flexible than other employer sponsorship pathways to PR. Through concessions depending on the occupation as well as offering occupations that would otherwise not be available to applicants.
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Sources:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/nominating-a-position/labour-agreements/designated-area-migration-agreements