The TNQ DAMA is a labour agreement covering Townsville and surrounding regional local government areas, negotiated by Townsville Enterprise as the Designated Area Representative.
Following a 2025 update, the TNQ DAMA now covers over 200 occupations, including 14 added in that update, up from the earlier occupation count.
Concessions can include occupations not otherwise available, and reduced age, English, or skills requirements depending on the role.
The process happens in three stages, DAR endorsement, labour agreement request with the Department, then nominations and visa applications.
Age concessions for the 186 visa can go up to 54 for certain high demand occupations under the current agreement.
There are no salary concessions under this DAMA, nominated salaries must still meet the relevant income threshold.
In early 2025, the Federal Government expanded the TNQ DAMA, adding 14 new occupations, adjusting income thresholds for select roles, and broadening age and English language concessions for occupations in high demand, including cooks, chefs, fruit pickers, aged carers, truck drivers, childcare workers, and motor mechanics. The agreement now covers over 200 occupations across the region.
The age limit for the 186 visa is increased to 50 or 55 instead of 45, depending on the occupation. Following the 2025 update, some high demand occupations now carry an age concession of up to 54 for the 186 visa pathway. The specific age limit that applies depends on the individual occupation, so this should always be checked against the current occupation list rather than assumed.
Occupations with an English language concession will have the IELTS requirement reduced to an overall score of 5.0, with no minimum for each component, for the 482 or 494 visa. For the permanent 186 ENS visa, the concession is an overall score of 5.0 with a minimum of 4.0 per component.
At Australian Migration Lawyers, we can help with all stages of the DAMA process, from an assessment of your business and the benefits that the DAMA might bring, to the DAR endorsement, labour agreement request and visa and nomination applications. This includes advice for employers weighing a DAMA against a standard of 482 or 494 applications. Since a DAMA is not always the better option, it depends on whether the concessions on offer actually address the specific barrier your business is facing.
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