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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Pangkalahatang ideya

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.

Konsesyon ng Edad

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.

Konsesyon sa Wikang Filipino

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

Landas sa Permanenteng Paninirahan

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.

Mga Madalas Itanong

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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Claim ang iyong konsultasyon

Townsville North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement

Claim ang iyong konsultasyon

Claim ang iyong konsultasyon

Pangkalahatang ideya

A Region Covering North and North West Queensland

Who Administers This DAMA

Who This DAMA Is For

Ang Australian Migration Abogado pagkakaiba

Nakapirming presyo

Makipag ugnayan nang direkta sa isang abogado

Malinaw na komunikasyon

Garantisadong kasiyahan

Mga installment na magagamit

Eligibility for Employers

Eligibility for Skilled Workers

50+ taon

100% rate ng tagumpay

Naranasan na

Nagwagi ng parangal

Occupation List and Concessions

Pag endorso ng DAR

1–50 staff

51–100 staff

101–200 staff

201–500 staff

Over 500 staff

How the Process Works for This DAMA

Pag endorso ng DAR

Kasunduan sa Paggawa

Nomination and Visa Application

Varying an Existing Labour Agreement

Landas sa Permanenteng Paninirahan

Talk to Our Migration Lawyers About the TNQ DAMA

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Perry Q kahoy

Cindy Zhao 趙青

Madeleine Scanlon

Benjamin Magill

Don (Susantha) Katugampala

Saemeh Ghasemi

Arthur Seremetis

Cherlyn Teo (CPA)

Neil Williams

Shereen El Ali

Kate Colston

Andrew Euan

Walt Calis

Nicholas Merlin Esq.

Joshua Coulson

Oliver Thomas Christensen

Ella Pullin

Larisa Stoian

Olivia Parrott

Taahira Rajudin

Mika Schembri

Carolyn Salman

Yasmin Hicks

Mariam Hassan

Terrance Chu

Papa Annalise

Moniroth Ieng

Myra Sehgal

Sam Prasad

Jessica Myers-Denton

Tabarak Nader

Maryam Sadah

Ali Shefaju

Evette Sheridan

Jenny Zhou

Crystal Johnston

Gerard Gupit

Zhara Papa

Sophia Smith

Hannah Warner

Hayley Kim

Mimi Tran

Adele Papon