Northern Territory DAMA

NT DAMA III Now in Effect

NT DAMA III was executed on 19 March 2025, with endorsement applications now open on the MigrationNT portal.

Key updates include:

  • More Occupations: Expanded list with 325 occupations across skill levels 1-5.
  • Bulk 5-year ceilings: Employers can apply for endorsement for a 5-year bulk ceiling for workforce planning.
  • Concessions: Automatic age (up to 55 years for most skill levels, up to 50 years for skill level 5) and English concessions for eligible occupations.
  • Salary & Labour Market Testing: A salary threshold concession of 15% of the Core Skills Income Threshold is available for all occupations, (which currently equates to $62,177), and up to 10% (currently $6,217) can be made up of certain types of non-monetary benefits. Labour market testing is required for all occupations at time of endorsement and at time of nomination application.
  • Streamlined verification process: A workflow has been built into the workflow portal that enables registered migration agents and immigration legal practitioners to have applications verified by their client in a streamlined manner when completing an endorsement application.

The new Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA III) was executed on 19 March 2025 and endorsement applications can now be made to MigrationNT.

Below is some key information on the new and improved NT DAMA III:

Transitioning into NT DAMA III: Employers who have existing ceilings under NT DAMA II labour agreements can continue to make nomination applications to the Department of Home Affairs. Those who require more ceilings will need to apply for endorsement for a new NT DAMA III labour agreement.

Occupations: The list of eligible occupations has significantly expanded with 325 occupations across a range of industries and skill levels (1-5). The published list has hyperlinks to the specific skills and experience requirements. Of note, skills assessments for ENS nominations are no longer mandatory. Department of Home Affairs holds discretion to request this in line with the practice for the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.

Bulk 5-year ceilings: Employers can now apply for endorsement for a bulk ceiling of occupations that can be used flexibly throughout the 5-year duration of their labour agreement (i.e. ceilings are no longer tied to 12-month periods). It is important that employers use the endorsement process as a long-term workforce planning tool and reflect their foreseeable need for positions in their endorsement applications. Subsequent endorsement (deed of variation) applications are only required if the employer fully depletes the ceiling within the 5-year period, and these will only be provided where it is demonstrated that the increased need could not have been foreseen at the time of initial endorsement application.

Age concession: For skill levels 1-4, the age concession has been maintained at 55 years. For skill level 5 occupations (which previously did not have an age concession), there is now a concession of up to 50 years. When applying for endorsement, employers are no longer required to seek age concession. This will be automatically provided in all endorsements.

English concession: Some occupations (as indicated on the published occupations list) have English language concessions. Again, when applying for endorsement, employers are no longer required to seek English concession. This will be automatically provided in all endorsements for occupations that are eligible for English concession.

Salary requirements: As per standard requirements, employers must demonstrate that sponsored workers will be paid no less than equivalent Australian citizens / permanent residents (market salary). A salary threshold concession of 15% of the Core Skills Income Threshold is available for all occupations, (which currently equates to $62,177), and up to 10% (currently $6,217) can be made up of certain types of non-monetary benefits. Overseas workers must be paid at least the market salary or the concessional CSIT of $62,177, whichever is greater.

Labour market testing: Evidence of labour market testing must be provided for all occupations at time of endorsement and at time of nomination application. The advertising requirements remain the same (i.e. advertisements published on at least 2 platforms for at least 28 days each with the prescribed information, with at least one platform being of national reach). Please note: For endorsement requests made from 1 July 2025, one of the advertising platforms must be the NT Government’s, WorkerConnect, in addition to an advertisement of national reach.

NT DAMA occupations list
Under the Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA), overseas workers can be nominated for 325 occupations under the following visa programs:
  • 4-year Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa
  • 5-year Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visa
  • permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa (for those eligible for the permanent residence pathway).

The NT DAMA occupations list may be reviewed and updated annually by agreement between the NT Government and the Australian Government.

The annual review is informed by:

  • the NT Skilled Occupations Priority List (NTSOPL), which is used as a base from which the NT DAMA occupations list is developed
  • other labour market intelligence including submissions received from industry peak bodies.

To provide feedback on occupation shortages contact the Industry Skills Advisory Council NT (ISACNT).

ISACNT undertakes labour market analysis and provides recommendations to the NT Government to inform the NTSOPL.

Occupations eligible for sponsorship under the NT DAMA

The table below outlines the occupations eligible for sponsorship under the NT DAMA. Note, if your business is able to utilise an industry labour agreement to sponsor overseas workers for an occupation that is listed below, you will not be able to use the NT DAMA in respect on that occupation.

Occupations have been given a category (A to P) based on the relevant qualifications and experience requirements that need to be met by an overseas worker to be sponsored in the occupation. Select the link on the qualifications and experience column in the table below to see the requirements for the relevant occupation.

Occupations also have different requirements as to the age, and English requirements that need to be met. Read more about concessions available.

Occupations with ANZSCO code 070499 have been created outside of the standard classification of occupations.

For a description of tasks and required skills for these occupations, read concessions available.

Concessions available

The Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA) provides eligible businesses access to occupations not available through the standard stream.

It also provides for concessions to English language, age, skill and salary requirements.

Read the occupations included in the agreement for the concessions that are available for each occupation. Not all occupations are eligible for concessions.

Age concessions

The 5-year Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) (SESR) visa and the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) (ENS) visa normally require workers to be under 45 years of age.

Under the NT DAMA, workers nominated for skill level 1 to 4 occupations have a higher age limit of under 55 years and skill level 5 occupations have an age limit of under 50 years.

Additional occupations not in ANZSCO

The NT DAMA is unique in that it provides access to some occupations not in the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupation (ANZSCO).

These are:

  • bar attendant (supervisor)
  • civil construction site supervisor
  • cook (specialist ethnic cuisine)
  • electrical motor repairer or winder
  • high access maintenance and cleaning technician
  • hospitality worker
  • skilled horticultural worker
  • waiter (supervisor).

For the purposes of the NT DAMA these occupations have been given the code 070499.

For these occupations, applicants need to demonstrate that their tasks, skills, qualifications and experience align with the occupation descriptions.

English language concessions

Check the NT DAMA list of occupations to see if your occupation has an English concession.

If English concessions are available for your nominated occupation, the worker must meet the following:

  • Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa/SESR visa: overall score of IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 4.5 (or equivalent), with a minimum band score of IELTS 4.0 (or equivalent) in each band.
  • ENS visa: overall score of IELTS 5.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum band score of IELTS 4.0 (or equivalent) in each band.

Core Skills Income Threshold concessions

All workers employed under the NT DAMA must be employed under Australian employment conditions and be paid no less than the salary provided to an equivalent skilled and experienced Australian worker performing the same job (market salary).

In addition to the above, in order to sponsor workers under employer sponsored visa programs such as the NT DAMA, the identified market salary must be at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT). This is currently set at $73,150 and is indexed annually on 1 July by the Australian Government.

The NT DAMA provides a concession to the CSIT for all available occupations where the NT market rate is below the CSIT. If a concession is sought, employers must demonstrate that sponsored overseas workers under the NT DAMA will be paid at least 85% of the CSIT (currently $62,177) or the market salary rate (whichever is higher).

The reduced CSIT must be made up of guaranteed annual earnings (i.e. monetary earnings excluding superannuation), and non-monetary benefits may be included to the value of 10% of the concessional CSIT (i.e. up to $6,217) where all of the following applies:

  • the benefits support the living costs of the overseas worker
  • the overseas worker would have incurred that cost has it not been provided by the approved sponsor
  • the benefits are quantifiable
  • the benefits are consistent with terms and conditions provided to existing Australians employed in a similar position; and the benefits are guaranteed in the employment contract.

Scenario 1

CSIT concession of $62,177 applies but the market salary for the occupation is $65,000. In this case, the sponsored worker must be paid at least $65,000.

Scenario 2

CSIT concession of $62,177 applies and the market salary for the occupation is $50,000. In this case, the sponsored worker must be paid at least $62,177 in monetary salary.

Contact us today for a commitment free briefing with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find more about your visa options.