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South Australia Regional DAMA

Sponsor Overseas Workers Across Regional South Australia

If your South Australian business has a genuine skills or labour shortage it cannot fill locally, the South Australia Regional DAMA gives you access to a broader occupation list and more flexible visa concessions than standard sponsorship pathways. It covers the entire state outside the Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement DAMA's specific industries. At Australian Migration Lawyers, we guide South Australian employers through the DAMA process, from endorsement through to visa grant.

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Overview

A Broader Agreement for the Whole State

The South Australia Regional DAMA is designed to address skills shortages across the entire state, covering industries including agribusiness, forestry, health and social services, tourism and hospitality, construction, and mining. It sits alongside the Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement DAMA, which is limited to defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and technology occupations in metropolitan Adelaide. An employer in one of that agreement's specific industries should check the Adelaide City DAMA page first, since it may be the more directly applicable agreement.

DAMAs of this kind are typically structured as a formal, five-year agreement between the Australian Government and the Designated Area Representative, renewable by negotiation. This agreement supports both skilled and semi-skilled occupations, a wider scope than most standard skilled visa programs allow.

Who Administers This DAMA

The Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the South Australia Regional DAMA is Skilled & Business Migration, the same state government unit that administers the Adelaide City DAMA. Skilled & Business Migration assesses employer endorsement applications on the state's behalf before the Department of Home Affairs considers a labour agreement request. The two approvals are separate, and endorsement at the state level does not guarantee approval at the federal level.

Who This DAMA Is For

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.

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Eligibility for Employers

To be endorsed by Skilled & Business Migration for this DAMA, a business must show:

The business is based in South Australia, is financially viable, and has been lawfully operating for at least 12 months

A genuine labour shortage exists that cannot be filled by the local labour market

Standard sponsorship obligations under the Migration Regulations are met

The vacant position sits within an occupation listed under the South Australian Agreement, or closely aligns with a listed occupation's duties

Sufficient labour market testing has been conducted, showing a genuine attempt to recruit an Australian citizen or permanent resident first

The nominating business is the direct employer and party to the labour agreement

Self-sponsorship is not permitted under any DAMA labour agreement.

Eligibility for Skilled Workers

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 list specifies one is required. Skilled & Business Migration conducts the assessment directly for occupations marked as requiring DAR skills assessment, generally those without an existing national assessing authority

English language test results meeting the standard visa requirement, or the concession available for the specific occupation

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Occupation List and Concessions

The South Australia Regional DAMA covers a substantially broader range of occupations than the Adelaide City DAMA, spanning skilled and semi-skilled roles across agriculture, health, hospitality, construction, trades, and more. Eligibility for concessions depends on the specific occupation, always check the current list before relying on any figure.

Selected Occupations Under the South Australian Agreement

Occupation ANZSCO Code
Beef Cattle Farmer121312
Dairy Cattle Farmer121313
Vegetable Grower121221
Construction Project Manager133111
Café or Restaurant Manager141111
Hotel or Motel Manager141311
Civil Engineer233211
Registered Nurse (Aged Care)254412
General Practitioner253111
Chef351311
Cook351411
Bricklayer331111
Carpenter and Joiner331211
Electrician (General)341111
Plumber (General)334111
Aged or Disabled Carer423111
Personal Care Assistant423313
Meat Boner and Slicer831211
Truck Driver (General)733111
Winery WorkerNon-ANZSCO (070499)
Hospitality WorkerNon-ANZSCO (070499)

This is a representative selection across the occupation categories covered, not the full list. The complete, current occupation list, including all non-ANZSCO occupations, 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 located 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.

Because this DAMA covers semi-skilled roles across regional South Australia, the lower 4.5 band is likely to apply to a meaningfully larger share of occupations under this agreement than under the Adelaide City DAMA, which is limited to skilled technology, defence, and advanced manufacturing roles unlikely to qualify for the semi-skilled concession.

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.

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DAR Endorsement

There is currently no application fee to seek DAR endorsement for the South Australia Regional 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.

How the Process Works for This DAMA

1

Step 1: DAR Endorsement

The employer applies to Skilled & Business Migration through the Skilled and Business Migration Portal, showing a genuine labour shortage, sufficient labour market testing, and compliance with sponsorship obligations.

2

Step 2: Labour Agreement and Nomination

Once endorsed, the employer applies to the Department of Home Affairs for a DAMA labour agreement, then nominates the specific position and worker.

3

Step 3: Visa Application

The worker lodges a Subclass 482 or Subclass 494 visa application against the approved nomination.

Residency image

Pathway to Permanent Residency

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.

Talk to Our Migration Lawyers About the South Australia Regional DAMA

If your South Australian business has a genuine labour shortage in a skilled or semi-skilled occupation, our migration lawyers can confirm whether this DAMA applies to you and guide you through endorsement, labour agreement, and visa stages.

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Frequently Asked Questions

It is a labour agreement covering the entire state of South Australia that allows endorsed employers to sponsor overseas workers in a broad range of skilled and semi-skilled occupations experiencing genuine labour shortages.

The Adelaide City DAMA is limited to defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and technology occupations in metropolitan Adelaide. This DAMA covers a much wider range of industries and occupations across the whole state, including regional and semi-skilled roles.

No. There is currently no application fee to apply for endorsement or a variation under either South Australian DAMA.

No. Skills assessment requirements are set out occupation by occupation on the current DAMA occupation list. Skilled & Business Migration conducts the assessment directly for occupations flagged as requiring DAR skills assessment, generally those without an existing national assessing authority.

Yes. Unlike standard skilled visa programs, this DAMA includes semi-skilled occupations, and specified semi-skilled roles in outer regional South Australia may also access a lower English language concession.

This page provides general legal information, not legal advice, and doesn't take into account your individual circumstances. If your situation is time-sensitive, we'd encourage you to book a consultation with our team as soon as possible to get advice specific to you.

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