Far North Queensland DAMA | Australian Migration Lawyers

Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement

Sponsor Skilled and Semi-Skilled Workers Across Far North Queensland

If your Far North Queensland business is facing a skills shortage it cannot fill locally, the FNQ DAMA gives you access to a broader occupation list and concessions on standard visa requirements across 11 local government areas. At Australian Migration Lawyers, we guide FNQ employers through the DAMA process, from endorsement through to visa grant.

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Overview

A Region Stretching From Cairns to Cape York

The FNQ DAMA is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, covering a designated area considerably larger than Cairns itself: the Cairns Regional Council, Douglas Shire Council, Mareeba Shire Council, Tablelands Regional Council, Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Cook Shire Council, Croydon Shire Council, Etheridge Shire Council, Torres Shire Council, Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, and the Weipa Town Authority.

What sets it apart from standard skilled migration is flexibility, the region's occupation list isn't locked to the national lists, it can be adjusted over time as local workforce needs shift, and it deliberately reaches beyond purely skilled roles into semi-skilled ones too, an option most standard visa pathways don't offer at all.

Who Administers This DAMA

The Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the FNQ DAMA is the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber assesses employer endorsement applications on the region's behalf before the Department of Home Affairs considers a labour agreement request. The two approvals are separate, and endorsement does not guarantee that Home Affairs will approve the subsequent labour agreement or visa.

Occupation List and Concessions

The FNQ DAMA Occupation and Concessions List sets out every eligible occupation along with which concessions, if any, apply to it. The list is reviewed and updated periodically, including a significant expansion of 51 additional occupations added in March 2025, and further updates since. Request the current, full list directly from the Cairns Chamber of Commerce before relying on any occupation eligibility. Or contact us and we can confirm your occupation's current status.

Age Concession

Subclass 494 (SESR): the overseas worker must not have turned 48 or 53 at the time of nomination, depending on the specific concession attached to that occupation on the current FNQ DAMA occupation list
Subclass 186 (ENS): the overseas worker must not have turned 50 or 55 at the time of nomination, again depending on the specific concession for that occupation

The Subclass 494 age limits sit lower than the Subclass 186 limits by design, intended to keep a worker's age broadly aligned across both pathways by the time they reach the permanent visa stage.

English Language Concession

Where an occupation is marked as eligible on the current list, a reduced English language standard may apply at the nomination or visa stage. The specific requirement is set out in the FNQ DAMA Request for Endorsement Information Sheet, published by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. Contact us and we can confirm the requirement for your occupation instead.

Salary Concession

Skill Level 3 to 5 occupations can access a concession of 90 per cent of the standard Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) or Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), provided this remains consistent with the market salary rate for the occupation. Based on the current threshold of $79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, this works out to approximately $71,481.

DAR Endorsement

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce charges an endorsement fee of $885 per position sought for Chamber members, or $985 per position for non-members. A Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) position and a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) position are treated as separate positions for fee purposes.

Turnaround depends on how complete the application is. A well-prepared request with all the required supporting documents attached is typically decided within about 10 working days, an incomplete or poorly evidenced one will take longer while the Chamber follows up on what's missing. There is no government fee to request the resulting labour agreement.

Pathway to Permanent Residency

The FNQ DAMA includes a genuinely shortened pathway to permanent residency. A worker who holds a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa granted under an FNQ DAMA labour agreement may become eligible for a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa after 2 years, rather than the standard 3. Time spent working in the same occupation in the FNQ designated area on a non-DAMA temporary visa can also count toward this eligibility.

A worker who holds a Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) visa granted under an FNQ DAMA labour agreement may become eligible for the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence Skilled Regional) visa after the standard 3 years, this pathway does not require separate endorsement.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, covering 11 local government areas from Cairns to Cape York, allowing endorsed employers to sponsor overseas workers in occupations experiencing genuine skill and labour shortages.

No. It covers 11 local government areas across Far North Queensland, including the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, Cook Shire, and areas as far north as the Torres Shire and Northern Peninsula Area.

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce administers endorsement for the FNQ DAMA.

Yes. The Cairns Chamber of Commerce charges $885 per position for Chamber members, or $985 per position for non-members.

Yes, for the Subclass 482 to Subclass 186 pathway. Eligible workers may become eligible after 2 years, rather than the standard 3, and time spent working in the same occupation on a non-DAMA visa in the region can also count toward this.

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Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement

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Overview

A Region Stretching From Cairns to Cape York

Who Administers This DAMA

Who This DAMA Is For

The Australian Migration Lawyers difference

Fixed price

Deal directly with a lawyer

Clear communication

Satisfaction guaranteed

Installments available

Eligibility for Employers

Eligibility for Skilled Workers

50+ years

100% success rate

Experienced

Award winning

Occupation List and Concessions

DAR Endorsement

How the Process Works for This DAMA

DAR Endorsement

Labour Agreement

Nomination and Visa Application

Pathway to Permanent Residency

Talk to Our Migration Lawyers About the FNQ DAMA

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