Income thresholds (TSMIT, now the Core Skills Income Threshold or CSIT) for skilled migration visas were increased from 1 July 2025 and are now indexed each year. From 1 July 2026 the CSIT is $79,423.
For Skill Level 3-5 occupations under the Far North Queensland (FNQ) DAMA, the 90% of TSMIT/CSIT concession will continue to apply, provided that it is not inconsistent with the market salary rate for the occupation.
The increase will apply to nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2025. Nominations submitted on or before 30 June 2025, as well as those already nominated and employed under the FNQ DAMA will not be affected by the increase.
An age concession has been added under the Subclass 494 SESR option under the FNQ DAMA. The age concession for this pathway is in place with immediate effect.
Note that the age concession for the SESR 494 is lower than for the ENS 186 in the FNQ DAMA. However, it is envisaged that this will broadly align the age of nominees between the two pathways at the time of permanent visa stage.
1.9 An Overseas Worker may be nominated for a SESR visa only if they have not turned 48 or 53 years of age at the time of the SESR nomination, (depending on the specified age concession available for each Occupation as indicated in the FNQ DAMA Occupation List for SESR ‘494’).
1.10(e) An Overseas Worker may be nominated for an ENS 186 visa only if they have not turned 50 or 55 years of age at the time of the ENS nomination, (depending on the specified age concession available for each Occupation as indicated in the FNQ DAMA Occupation List for ENS SC 186.
Further details are available in the latest FNQ DAMA 1.2 Information Guide which should be read in conjunction with the latest version of the FNQ DAMA 1.2 Occupation List.
VETASSESS has been confirmed as the Skills Assessing Authority for the following occupations:
A designated area migration agreement (DAMA) provides flexibility for states, territories or regions to respond to their unique economic and labour market conditions through an agreement-based framework. Under the DAMA framework, employers in areas experiencing skills and labour shortages can sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers. DAMAs are designed to ensure employers try Australians as a first priority and prioritise initiatives and strategies to facilitate the recruitment and retention of Australian workers. For further information on DAMAs, contact us today.
Far North Queensland DAMA (FNQA) is now in operation. This DAMA features:
- 70 occupations for employer sponsorship, including three non-ANZSCO occupations
- pathways to permanent residency for holders of TSS (now Skills in Demand) visas granted under the FNQ DAMA in select occupations
- a broad range of occupations that reflect FNQ skilled and semi-skilled shortages, with no caveats to apply
- English language concessions for some occupations
- salary concessions that reflect FNQ market rates, ensuring that worker terms and conditions of employment are not eroded
- concessions relating to qualifications and experience for some occupations
- a range of risk and integrity actions to ensure that the rights of both employees and employers are protected
- a five year agreement to reduce red tape.
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce has issued a set of updates regarding the FNQ DAMA. The key points are summarised below:
Endorsements for multiple and future years
The Department of Home Affairs has advised of a policy change on the endorsement of positions across the life of a labour agreement:
“We encourage all DARs to consider all current and future workforce requirements of business and as such, to endorse them for any visa streams across all five years of the agreement as appropriate. This includes considering ENS pathways for SID visa holders. This will avoid multiple variation requests and subsequent processing delays. To confirm, any previous advice to solely endorse the first year of an initial application is no longer valid.”
In practical terms, occupations and positions can now be endorsed across all future years of a labour agreement, for both initial and variation requests.
Concessions
Retrospective requests to add a concession such as the Age Concession or English Concession are common, often where an endorsed position is ultimately filled by a different nominee to the one originally intended. These concessions are available on request. Practitioners are encouraged to include available concessions in their requests whether or not they expect to need them, on the basis that it is ‘better to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them’.
Third party service providers
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is seeing that registered migration agents are increasingly engaging third party providers to compile reports for FNQ DAMA endorsement requests, such as a Genuine Position Report or LMT Report.
Some of these providers outsource the work overseas and may use AI to compile the reports, including AI generated images. This is problematic where a report is generic, repetitive or bears little resemblance to the employer’s actual circumstances and some run to 50 to 60 pages. The Cairns Chamber of Commerce have noted that these reports add little value and in some cases have been considered to be false and misleading and have resulted in endorsements being declined. Practitioners who use a third party report provider should consider these risks and the report should be attributed to the provider.
On-hire arrangements
The Department of Home Affairs has advised: “On-hire labour arrangements are generally not supported under the DAMA Labour Agreement stream. On-hire working arrangements can only be supported through the On-Hire Industry Labour Agreement (OHLA) due to the specified conditions of the agreement.”
Practical tips
Financial evidence, where provided, should be issued within the last 12 months. Any updates to business addresses or contact information should be submitted.
Far North Queensland DAMA in 2026: key facts
| Designated Area Representative | Cairns Chamber of Commerce |
| Occupations | Around 70 occupations, including three non-ANZSCO occupations, as listed in the current FNQ DAMA occupation list |
| Possible concessions | Income threshold at 90% of the standard threshold for skill level 3 to 5 occupations (if consistent with the market salary rate); age: not yet 48 or 53 at a 494 nomination and not yet 50 or 55 at a 186 nomination, depending on the occupation; English concessions for some occupations |
| 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) |
Concessions are not automatic. The Designated Area Representative decides which concessions it will support for each position, and the final terms are set in the employer’s labour agreement with the Department of Home Affairs.
How the DAMA process works
- Check the occupation and location. The position must be on the DAMA occupation list and based in the DAMA region.
- Recruit locally first. The employer must show genuine but unsuccessful attempts to fill the job with Australian citizens or permanent residents (labour market testing).
- Apply for endorsement. The employer applies to the Designated Area Representative, which assesses the business, the position and any concessions requested.
- Request a labour agreement. With the endorsement, the employer asks the Department of Home Affairs for a DAMA labour agreement.
- Nominate the worker. Once the agreement is in place, the employer nominates the worker under the labour agreement stream of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa or the Subclass 494 visa, and the worker applies for the visa.
- Plan for permanent residence. After working in the region for the required period, the worker may move to the Subclass 186 visa (labour agreement stream) or, from the 494, to the Subclass 191 visa.
On 7 December 2024, the Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. References to the TSS visa on this page relate to the earlier program.
Can I apply for a DAMA visa myself?
No. A DAMA is an employer-sponsored program. You need an employer in the region who has a DAMA labour agreement and is willing to nominate you.
Which visas can be granted under a DAMA?
DAMA positions are filled through the 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).
Do I have to live and work in the DAMA region?
Yes. You must work for your sponsoring employer in the DAMA region. Moving away or changing employer without a new nomination can put your visa and your permanent residence pathway at risk.
What concessions can a DAMA offer?
Depending on the agreement and the occupation, concessions can include a higher age limit for permanent residence, lower English requirements and a reduced income threshold. Each concession must be supported by the Designated Area Representative and approved in the labour agreement.
How can VisaEnvoy help?
We help employers check eligibility, prepare the endorsement and labour agreement request, and lodge nominations and visa applications. Book a video 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.
Click on a location below to view the page for that region’s Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA).
Australia DAMA Map
Australia DAMA Map
Book a video consultation with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find out more about your visa options.
