Townsville DAMA | Australian Migration Lawyers

Townsville North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement

Sponsor Skilled and Semi-Skilled Workers Across the Townsville Region

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

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Overview

A Region Covering North and North West Queensland

The Townsville North Queensland DAMA (TNQ DAMA) is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and Townsville Enterprise, covering the City of Townsville, Hinchinbrook Shire, Charters Towers Regional Council, Burdekin Shire, City of Mount Isa, Shire of Cloncurry, Shire of McKinlay, Shire of Richmond, and Shire of Flinders.

Rather than nominating against a fixed national occupation list, an employer under this DAMA obtains its own labour agreement, valid for up to five years, with pre-approval for specific occupations and positions. That agreement can be varied at any point to add further occupations, positions, or concessions as the business's needs change, without needing to start over.

Who Administers This DAMA

The Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the TNQ DAMA is Townsville Enterprise. Townsville Enterprise 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 TNQ DAMA currently covers 214 occupations, following a March 2025 expansion that added 14 new occupations. It spans skilled and semi-skilled roles across sectors including hospitality, agriculture, aged care, transport, and trades. Concessions are pre-negotiated by Townsville Enterprise and vary by occupation, request the current, full occupation and concessions list directly from Townsville Enterprise before relying on any occupation eligibility.

Age Concession

Skill Level 1 to 4 occupations: an overseas worker must not have turned 55 at the time of a Subclass 494 (SESR) or Subclass 186 (ENS) nomination
Skill Level 5 occupations: an overseas worker must not have turned 50 at the time of a Subclass 494 or Subclass 186 nomination

This concession applies equally to both pathways, rather than setting a different limit for each.

English Language Concession

For occupations marked as eligible on the current TNQ DAMA occupation list:

Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) and Subclass 494 (SESR): an average IELTS score of 5.0, with no minimum score required in any individual component, unless a registration or licensing body requires a higher standard
Subclass 186 (ENS): an average IELTS score of 5.0, with no component below 4.0

For occupations not marked as eligible for this concession, the standard English language requirement applies.

Salary Concession

There is no salary or Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) concession under the TNQ DAMA. The proposed salary for any position must be at least equal to the standard TSMIT and consistent with the market salary rate for the occupation and location.

Business Size	Member Rate (incl. GST)	Non-Member Rate (incl. GST)
1–50 staff	$880	$1,100
51–100 staff	$1,240	$1,550
101–200 staff	$1,450	$1,812
201–500 staff	$1,640	$2,050
Over 500 staff	$1,800	$2,250

Business Size

Member Rate (incl. GST)

Non-Member Rate (incl. GST)

1–50 staff

$880

$1,100

51–100 staff

$1,240

$1,550

101–200 staff

$1,450

$1,812

201–500 staff

$1,640

$2,050

Over 500 staff

$1,800

$2,250

Pathway to Permanent Residency

Eligible occupations under the TNQ DAMA offer a pathway to permanent residency through two routes. A worker who holds a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa granted under a TNQ DAMA labour agreement can access the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa after 2 years for Skill Level 1 to 4 occupations, shorter than the standard 3-year requirement. Skill Level 5 occupations require 4 years on the Subclass 482, including at least 2 years in a higher-skill-level occupation.

A worker on a Subclass 494 (SESR) visa can apply for the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence Skilled Regional) visa after the standard 3 years, this route does not require separate endorsement.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a labour agreement between the Australian Government and Townsville Enterprise, covering nine local government areas across North and North West Queensland, allowing endorsed employers to sponsor overseas workers in occupations experiencing genuine skill and labour shortages.

Townsville Enterprise administers endorsement for the TNQ DAMA.

The fee is tiered by business size and Townsville Enterprise membership status, ranging from $880 for a small member business to $2,250 for a large non-member business, per position sought.

No. The salary offered for a sponsored position must meet the standard Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, there is no reduced threshold available under this DAMA.

Yes, for most occupations. A worker on a Subclass 482 visa can access the Subclass 186 after 2 years for Skill Level 1 to 4 occupations, rather than the standard 3. Skill Level 5 occupations require 4 years.

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Townsville North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement

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Overview

A Region Covering North and North West Queensland

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

1–50 staff

51–100 staff

101–200 staff

201–500 staff

Over 500 staff

How the Process Works for This DAMA

DAR Endorsement

Labour Agreement

Nomination and Visa Application

Varying an Existing Labour Agreement

Pathway to Permanent Residency

Talk to Our Migration Lawyers About the TNQ DAMA

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