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Goldfields DAMA

Expansion of Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs)

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Australian Government have reached agreement on the Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA), which was approved by Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, David Coleman, in March 2019.

The Goldfields DAMA started as a five year agreement and the Commonwealth has since extended it to 31 December 2026. It is an agreement between the Federal Government, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Shires of Coolgardie, Leonora and Menzies. The Goldfields DAMA aims to attract skilled migrants to work and live in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Coolgardie, Kambalda, Leonora, Menzies, Kookynie and Ora Banda, allowing Goldfields employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers in specified industries that are currently experiencing critical skill and labour shortages. We always advocate that employment should be offered to Australians first. Where there is a skills shortage, we believe skilled migrants are critical to supplement the local workforce.

Am I eligible for a TSS visa?

Goldfields DAMA questions and answers

The Goldfields DAMA secured 72 occupations across multiple industries. The DAMA is not just targeted at mining and heavy industry jobs.  The approved list of skilled workers includes jobs such as childcare workers, hospitality supervisors and disability workers to help fill the shortages in these industries. A complete list of occupations can be provided upon request from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

The DAMA application process is fairly rigorous, as the employer needs to demonstrate that the job cannot be filled by an Australian. This includes evidence that the job was advertised (via website, print media or radio) in Australia for at least 4 weeks unsuccessfully over the last four months. It also requires the skilled migrant to undertake a skills assessment, demonstrating their competence and qualifications, as well as an English language test.

Businesses can access the Goldfields DAMA if they are actively operating in the Goldfields region and:

  • are viable and have been operating for at least 12 months
  • have no history of not meeting its obligations to employees
  • are looking to employ overseas workers to fill full-time positions with duties that align with one of the occupations on the Goldfields DAMA list
  • can demonstrate they cannot fill the position locally with Australian citizens or permanent residents
  • can provide terms and conditions of employment to overseas workers that are in accordance with those offered to Australian workers employed in the region.

Note: The Goldfields DAMA is an employer-sponsored visa program and individual workers cannot apply for a visa independently.

Yes. The DAMA aims not only to help grow the communities of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Goldfields, but to actively combat Fly In, Fly Out workforces around the region. All workers immigrating to Australia under the DAMA are required to live and work in the region.

All DAMA applications will incur a processing fee. If approved, employers may also have to assist with the costs of relocating the skilled migrant to the Goldfields as part of the agreement. No sponsorship or financial assistance will be provided from the Government or other partners to the Goldfields DAMA to assist overseas workers to relocate.

Around 500 nominations for Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visas (now the Skills in Demand visa) or Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visas were to be endorsed in the first year. The number of occupations and nominations in following years is renegotiated with the Federal Minister, following an annual review.

Applications for the DAMA opened in 2019. As the Designated Area Representative for the Goldfields DAMA, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder accepts and assesses employer applications for endorsement. With that endorsement, the employer then applies to the Department of Home Affairs for a DAMA labour agreement.

No. The Goldfields DAMA is an employer-sponsored visa program and individual workers cannot apply for a visa independently.

Employer Sponsored Visa Assessment

Goldfields DAMA in 2026: key facts

Designated Area Representative City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Agreement status Extended by the Commonwealth to 31 December 2026 (announced July 2026)
Region Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Coolgardie, Kambalda, Leonora, Menzies, Kookynie and Ora Banda
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).
First step Employer endorsement from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder

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
  1. Check the occupation and location. The position must be on the DAMA occupation list and based in the DAMA region.
  2. Recruit locally first. The employer must show genuine but unsuccessful attempts to fill the job with Australian citizens or permanent residents (labour market testing).
  3. Apply for endorsement. The employer applies to the Designated Area Representative, which assesses the business, the position and any concessions requested.
  4. Request a labour agreement. With the endorsement, the employer asks the Department of Home Affairs for a DAMA labour agreement.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Related guides

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 Placeholder
Australia DAMA Map

Book a video consultation with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find out more about your visa options.