Australia's largest independent migration law firm. Get a FREE Consultation T&C's apply
Need help? We are available 7 days a week.
Tell us about your situation, and our immigration lawyers will get back to you shortly.
Tell us about your situation, and our immigration lawyers will get back to you shortly.
Australia's largest independent migration law firm. Get a FREE Consultation T&C's apply
Need help? We are available 7 days a week.

2026 Telstra Best of Business Awards Nominee
Sponsor Skilled Tech Talent in Adelaide
If your Adelaide business is facing a skills shortage in technology, defence, space, or advanced manufacturing, the Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement DAMA could help. It is a labour agreement, not a visa, administered by Skilled & Business Migration, that gives endorsed employers access to overseas workers with concessions not available under standard visa pathways. At Australian Migration Lawyers, we guide Adelaide employers through the DAMA process, from endorsement through to visa grant.

Ranked Best Lawyers
2026 & 2027
.png)
Winner of the
Australian Law Awards
.webp)
Ranked Best Law
Firms Australia 2027

Ranked in Doyle’s
Guide Leading Immigration
Lawyers 2023-26
Tell us about your situation, and we will get back to you shortly.
Tell us about your situation, and we will get back to you shortly.

This DAMA covers the Adelaide metropolitan region and is designed to help local employers sponsor overseas workers where a genuine skills shortage exists in defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and technology. These are industries the South Australian Government has identified as high-growth sectors for the state, where local recruitment alone has not been enough to meet demand.
It is one of two DAMAs the South Australian Government has entered into. The other is the South Australian Regional Workforce DAMA, which covers a broader occupation list across the rest of the state, including agribusiness, forestry, health and social services, tourism and hospitality, construction, and mining. An Adelaide metro employer outside the technology, defence, space, or advanced manufacturing sectors may still be eligible for sponsorship under this second agreement rather than the one covered on this page.
The Designated Area Representative (DAR) for both South Australian DAMAs is Skilled & Business Migration, a unit of the South Australian Government. Skilled & Business Migration assesses employer endorsement applications on the state's behalf before the Department of Home Affairs considers a labour agreement request.
This means a DAMA sponsorship involves two separate approvals from two separate authorities. Skilled & Business Migration decides whether to endorse the employer at the state level, and the Department of Home Affairs separately decides whether to approve the labour agreement and any subsequent nomination at the federal level. Endorsement from Skilled & Business Migration does not guarantee that the Department of Home Affairs will approve the labour agreement or nomination that follows.
This DAMA is for employers, not individual workers. A worker cannot apply for a DAMA labour agreement independently and must have a genuine job offer from a business that already holds, or is seeking, endorsement under this DAMA. Self-sponsorship is not permitted under any DAMA labour agreement, including this one.
In practice, this means a worker approaching us about this DAMA needs an existing or prospective employer in the Adelaide metropolitan area, operating in one of the eligible industries, before a DAMA pathway becomes relevant to their circumstances.
There are no hidden costs for our services. Our fees are clearly set out in a fee agreement.
From the first same-day response to the granting of your Australian visa, you’ll have direct access to a lawyer.
Our experienced lawyers will give you regular updates and clear explanations of visa pathways.
We offer a client satisfaction guarantee in relation to our visa application services.
3 - 6 months installment options available on some visa types.
To be endorsed by Skilled & Business Migration for this DAMA, a business must meet the following:
The business has been actively and lawfully operating in South Australia for at least 12 months and is financially viable
Standard sponsorship obligations under the Migration Regulations are met
The vacant position sits within an occupation listed under the Adelaide City Agreement
The business has assessed its workforce needs, including any changes over the past six months
The nominating business is the direct employer and party to the labour agreement
Sufficient labour market testing has been conducted, showing a genuine attempt to recruit an Australian citizen or permanent resident before seeking to sponsor an overseas worker
Self-sponsorship is not permitted under any DAMA labour agreement.
To be sponsored under this DAMA, a worker generally needs:
A genuine, full-time job offer from a business that holds, or is actively seeking, DAR endorsement for this DAMA
Skills, qualifications, and experience matching the nominated occupation's requirements under ANZSCO, or the relevant occupation profile for non-ANZSCO listed roles
A skills assessment, where the occupation requires one. For non-ANZSCO occupations without an existing assessing authority, the South Australian Government conducts the skills assessment directly
English language test results meeting the standard visa requirement, or the concession available for the specific occupation
Health and character clearances

years of combined experience
.webp)
for Partner visas for genuine and continuing spousal relationships
.webp)
migration lawyers and migration agents representing clients at tribunal and court level
.webp)
law firm, recognised as leading migration lawyers and migration agents
Selected Occupations Under the Adelaide City Agreement
| Occupation | ANZSCO Code |
|---|---|
| Chief Information Officer | 135111 |
| ICT Project Manager | 135112 |
| ICT Business Analyst | 261111 |
| Systems Analyst | 261112 |
| Analyst Programmer | 261311 |
| Developer Programmer | 261312 |
| Software Engineer | 261313 |
| Software Tester | 261314 |
| Cyber Security Engineer | 261315 |
| DevOps Engineer | 261316 |
| Penetration Tester | 261317 |
| Database Administrator | 262111 |
| Systems Administrator | 262113 |
| Cyber Security Analyst | 262116 |
| Cyber Security Architect | 262117 |
| Web Designer | 232414 |
| Multimedia Specialist | 261211 |
| Web Developer | 261212 |
| Research and Development Manager | 132511 |
This is a representative selection, not the full list. The complete, current occupation list is maintained by Skilled & Business Migration and should be checked directly before any application.
Age Concession
Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand): standard age cap for transitioning to Subclass 186 permanent residency is under 45. Under this DAMA, eligible occupations raise that to under 55 at the time of Subclass 186 nomination.
Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional): eligible occupations under this DAMA allow nominees to be under 55 at the time of nomination.
English Language Concession
Subclass 482 and 494: eligible occupations may accept an overall IELTS score of 5.0 (minimum 4.0 in each band), or, for specified semi-skilled occupations in outer regional South Australia, an overall score of 4.5 (minimum 4.0 in each band), or the equivalent score on an approved alternative test.
Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme): eligible occupations may accept an overall IELTS score of 5.0, with a minimum of 4.5 in each band.
These concessions do not apply where a professional registration or licensing body requires a higher English standard.
Salary Concession
Eligible occupations may access a reduced Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for the Subclass 482, or a reduced Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) for the Subclass 494, set at 90 per cent of the standard threshold. Based on the CSIT/TSMIT figure of $79,423 that applies to nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, this works out to approximately $71,481. Employers must be able to show that using this concession will not leave the sponsored worker unable to support themselves or at risk of exploitation.
There is currently no application fee to seek DAR endorsement for either South Australian DAMA. Employers apply for endorsement, or a variation to an existing labour agreement, through the Skilled and Business Migration Portal.
Endorsement from Skilled & Business Migration does not guarantee that the Department of Home Affairs will approve the subsequent labour agreement request. The two stages are assessed separately.
The employer applies to Skilled & Business Migration through the Skilled and Business Migration Portal, showing genuine business need, labour market testing, and compliance with sponsorship obligations.
Once endorsed, the employer applies to the Department of Home Affairs for a DAMA labour agreement, then nominates the specific position.
The worker lodges a Subclass 482 or Subclass 494 visa application against the approved nomination.
Workers sponsored under this DAMA on a Subclass 482 visa can be nominated for a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa once they meet the region's age, experience, and salary settings, including the concessional under-55 age limit where available for their occupation.
Workers on a Subclass 494 visa under this DAMA can apply for the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence Skilled Regional) visa after living and working in a designated regional area for the required period, provided they meet the income threshold at the time of application. This follows the standard federal 191 pathway; this DAMA does not currently negotiate a shortened timeframe for that route.
If your business is in metropolitan Adelaide and facing a skills shortage in a technology, defence, space, or advanced manufacturing role, our migration lawyers can confirm whether this DAMA applies to you and guide you through endorsement, labour agreement, and visa stages.
Ask about our No Visa, No Fee options. T's and C's apply.







Our office brings nationally recognised immigration law expertise directly to the clients. Every award listed below was earned through independent assessment, including peer review, client feedback, and workplace audits. When you work with our immigration lawyers, you are working with a firm whose quality has been verified from the outside.

Australian Migration Lawyers is ranked in the 2027 Best Law Firms - Australia edition by Best Lawyers. Firm rankings are determined through client feedback, peer nominations, and overall market reputation. Inclusion confirms the firm delivers top-tier legal services in immigration law at a national level.

Perry Q. Wood is recognised in the 2027 Best Lawyers in Australia™ edition for Immigration Law. This ranking is awarded exclusively through confidential peer review by senior lawyers in the same practice area. It is the leading global legal directory benchmark.

Perry Q. Wood is ranked as a Leading Immigration Lawyer in Victoria in Doyle's Guide 2026. Four consecutive years of inclusion in Doyle's Guide establishes a verified, long-term record of excellence and peer recognition in Australian immigration law.

Partner

Partner - Legal & Medical/Health Practice Lead

Partner
.jpg)
Associate Partner - Australian Migration Lawyer

Accredited Specialist

Associate Partner - Australian Migration Lawyer

Special Counsel
%20(1).webp)
Head of Finance and Trust Accounting
%20(1).webp)
Chief Information Officer

Special Counsel

Head of Client Experience
.jpg)
Regions Manager

Senior Associate - Senior Australian Migration Lawyer

Senior Associate - Senior Australian Migration Lawyer

Senior Associate - Senior Australian Migration Lawyer

Senior Associate - Senior Australian Migration Lawyer
.jpg)
Senior Associate - Senior Australian Migration Lawyer
.jpg)
Senior Australian Migration Lawyer

Assistant Manager
%20(1)%20(1).webp)
Managing Associate – Australian Migration Lawyer
%20(1)%20(1).webp)
Managing Associate – Australian Migration Lawyer

Managing Associate - Australian Migration Lawyer
%20(1).webp)
Associate – Australian Migration Lawyer
%20(1).webp)
Associate - Australian Migration Lawyer
%20(1).webp)
Associate - Australian Migration Lawyer

Associate - Australian Migration Lawyer

Australian Migration Lawyer
.jpg)
Australian Migration Lawyer

Australian Migration Lawyer
%20(3).jpg)
Australian Migration Lawyer

Australian Migration Lawyer
.jpg)
Australian Migration Lawyer

Legal Secretary

Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive
%20(1).webp)
Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive
%20(1).webp)
Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive

Australian Legal Executive
%20(7).jpg)
Australian Legal Executive
.jpg)
Australian Legal Executive
.jpg)
Australian Legal Executive
.jpg)
Australian Legal Executive

It is a labour agreement covering metropolitan Adelaide that allows endorsed employers to sponsor overseas workers in defence, space, technology, and advanced manufacturing occupations experiencing genuine skills shortages, with concessions not available under standard visa pathways.
Skilled & Business Migration, part of the South Australian Government, administers endorsement for this DAMA.
No. There is currently no application fee to apply for endorsement or a variation under either South Australian DAMA.
Yes. All of South Australia, including metropolitan Adelaide, is classified as regional Australia for the purposes of the Subclass 494 and Subclass 191 visas, unlike some other states where only specific postcodes qualify.
No. The Adelaide City Agreement is specific to defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and technology occupations. Other industries in metropolitan Adelaide may fall under the separate South Australian Regional Workforce DAMA or a standard sponsorship pathway.
Tell us a little about your situation, and one of our migration lawyers will contact you as soon as possible.

*Terms only available for selected circumstances and visa types
Australian Migration Lawyers © 2026 - Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation. Legal Practitioner Number 5513032.
Important Information Regarding the Use of the Term 'Partner'
We are an incorporated legal practice which is a corporation for the purposes of the Corporations Act 2001. The use of the title ‘Partner’ by a lawyer in this practice is used to denote seniority and does not and is not intended to signify that the practice is contracting otherwise than as a corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, any such title does not and is not intended to signify that a partnership within the definition of the Partnership Act exists at law.
Our experienced migration lawyers are here to help —risk-free. Ask about our No Visa, No Fee options and we'll guide you through every step of your journey.