The Townsville North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (TNQ DAMA) lets employers in Townsville and North West Queensland sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers when they cannot find Australians to fill a job. It covers more occupations than the standard skilled lists and offers concessions on age, English and, for some roles, salary.
The agreement was signed in April 2022 and local businesses have been able to apply since 1 July 2022. It was expanded in 2025 and now covers more than 200 occupations.
Townsville DAMA in 2026: key facts
| Designated Area Representative | Townsville Enterprise Limited, which assesses and endorses employer requests |
| Region | Nine local government areas: City of Townsville, Hinchinbrook, Charters Towers, Burdekin, City of Mount Isa, Cloncurry, McKinlay, Richmond and Flinders |
| Status | In operation; employers can apply for endorsement |
| Occupations | More than 200 skilled and semi-skilled occupations, including 14 added in 2025 |
| Possible concessions | Age (under 55, or under 50 for skill level 5 roles) for the 494 and 186; English (average IELTS 5.0 or equivalent) for listed occupations; a reduced income threshold for selected occupations; reduced work experience for some roles |
| Visas used | Labour agreement streams of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa and the Subclass 494 visa, with a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 visa (or the 191 visa for 494 holders) |
| Labour agreement term | Each employer labour agreement can run for up to five years |
Information current as at October 2026.
Who and what the Townsville DAMA covers
The DAMA is limited to businesses and jobs located in the nine council areas listed above, stretching from the coast at Townsville, Burdekin and Hinchinbrook to the mining and pastoral centres of Charters Towers, Cloncurry and Mount Isa. Cairns and the rest of Far North Queensland are covered by a separate agreement, the Far North Queensland DAMA.
The occupation list reflects the region’s main industries: health and aged care, construction, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, transport and professional services. Roles that are hard to fill through the standard skilled lists, such as cooks, chefs, waiters, truck drivers, aged and disabled carers, child care workers, fruit pickers and motor mechanics, are included, many of them with concessions.
The 2025 expansion
In 2025 Townsville Enterprise and the Australian Government agreed to expand the DAMA. Fourteen occupations were added, including Construction Project Manager, Construction Estimator, Dental Assistant, Disability Services Officer, ICT Support Technician, Metal Fabricator, Nursing Support Worker, Pathology Collector and Purchasing Officer. Age and English concessions were also widened for a group of high demand occupations, and income settings were adjusted for some roles.
Each occupation on the list has its own settings: which visas it can be used for, whether a permanent residence pathway is available, and which concessions can be requested. Always check the current occupation list published by Townsville Enterprise before you plan a nomination.
Concessions available under the Townsville DAMA
The main advantage of a DAMA is that it can relax some of the standard rules for employer sponsored visas. Under the Townsville DAMA, the following concessions can be requested for eligible occupations:
| Age | For the 494 and 186 visas: the worker must not have turned 55 at nomination for skill level 1 to 4 occupations, or 50 for skill level 5 occupations (the standard limit is 45). There is no age limit for the 482 visa. |
| English | For listed occupations: an average IELTS score of 5.0 (or equivalent test) with no minimum component score for the 482 and 494, and an average of 5.0 with no component below 4.0 for the 186. Higher levels apply where registration or licensing requires them. |
| Income threshold | A reduced income threshold for selected occupations. The salary must still meet the market salary rate and award or base rate of pay for the role. |
| Work experience | Reduced experience for some occupations, for example one year of full-time experience for the 482 and two years for the 494 at skill levels 1 to 3. Experience must be relevant and gained within the last five years. |
| Skills assessment | Required for many occupations (occupation groups 2 to 4), and may be required for others. |
| Occupation caveats | The caveats that limit some occupations under the standard lists do not apply to listed occupations. |
Concessions are not automatic. The employer must ask for them in its endorsement request and explain why they are needed. Townsville Enterprise decides which concessions it will support, and the final terms are set in the employer’s labour agreement with the Department of Home Affairs. It is often wise to request the concessions a future nominee may need, even if your current candidate does not need them.
Visas and the pathway to permanent residence
The DAMA itself is not a visa. Once an employer has a Townsville DAMA labour agreement, it can sponsor workers under these visas:
The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa labour agreement stream is a temporary visa of up to four years. The worker must work for the sponsoring employer, in the nominated occupation, within the DAMA region. If the occupation has a permanent residence pathway on the DAMA list, the worker can later be nominated for the 186 visa. The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024.
How to access the Townsville DAMA: step by step
Workers cannot apply for the DAMA themselves. The process is driven by the employer and has four stages:
- Endorsement by Townsville Enterprise. The employer submits a request for endorsement for each occupation and position, together with any concessions it needs. Well prepared requests are generally decided within about five working days.
- Labour agreement request. With the endorsement letter, the employer applies to the Department of Home Affairs for a DAMA labour agreement through ImmiAccount. Labour market testing must be current at this stage.
- Nomination. Once the labour agreement is in place, the employer nominates individual workers within the occupations, positions and annual numbers approved in the agreement.
- Visa application. The worker applies for the 482, 494 or 186 visa and completes health, character and other checks.
A business does not need to have identified its overseas workers before it applies. The endorsement and labour agreement are about the business’s need, so many employers set up the agreement first and then recruit.
What Townsville Enterprise asks for
- a signed request for endorsement form and business declaration
- a short covering submission explaining the business, the skills shortage, recruitment efforts, the salary offered and any concessions sought
- a position description for each occupation
- an organisation chart showing positions, reporting lines and employment types
- payment of the endorsement fee, charged per position and tiered by business size, with lower rates for Townsville Enterprise members
Employer requirements
- The business must have operated in the DAMA region for at least 12 months, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and must be financially viable.
- The position must be located in the region. Short work trips outside the region are allowed, but longer periods (more than three months in any 12 months) need approval from Home Affairs.
- Labour market testing: at least two attempts to recruit Australians within the last 12 months, one of them with national reach.
- The vacancy must be genuine and the worker must be employed full time, directly by the employer, on terms no less favourable than those of Australian workers.
- Any adverse findings from workplace, safety or migration investigations in the last five years must be disclosed.
Government charges (sponsorship, nomination, the Skilling Australians Fund levy and the visa application charge) apply in addition to the endorsement fee. See our guide to the government charges from 1 July 2026.
Townsville DAMA FAQs
Can I apply for the Townsville DAMA myself?
No. The DAMA is an employer sponsored program. You need an employer in the Townsville North Queensland region with a DAMA labour agreement who is willing to nominate you.
Which areas does the Townsville DAMA cover?
It covers nine local government areas: the City of Townsville, Hinchinbrook, Charters Towers, Burdekin, the City of Mount Isa, Cloncurry, McKinlay, Richmond and Flinders. Cairns and the Far North are covered by the separate Far North Queensland DAMA.
How many occupations are on the Townsville DAMA list?
More than 200 skilled and semi-skilled occupations, following the addition of 14 occupations in 2025. Each occupation has its own visa options and concessions.
What is the age limit under the Townsville DAMA?
For the 494 and 186 visas, the worker must not have turned 55 at nomination for skill level 1 to 4 occupations, or 50 for skill level 5 occupations, if the age concession is approved. The 482 visa has no age limit.
What English level do I need?
For occupations with the English concession, an average IELTS score of 5.0 (or an equivalent test score) is accepted. For the 186 visa, no component can be below 4.0. Higher levels apply where registration or licensing requires them.
Does the Townsville DAMA lead to permanent residence?
Yes, for occupations that have a permanent residence pathway on the list. Workers on a 482 can move to the 186 visa after the qualifying period of full-time work in the region, and 494 holders can apply for the 191 visa after three years.
How long does endorsement take?
Townsville Enterprise generally decides well prepared requests within about five working days. The labour agreement request to Home Affairs then takes longer, often several months.
How can VisaEnvoy help?
We help employers check eligibility, prepare the endorsement request and labour agreement, and lodge nominations and visa applications. We also help workers understand their options. Book a consultation to discuss your situation.
Explore Australia’s DAMA Regions
Australia has 13 DAMA regions, each with its own occupations, eligibility criteria and application process. See our DAMA overview for the full list, or read about visa options to migrate to Queensland.
Book today for a commitment free briefing with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find more about your visa options.
