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South West WA Designated Area Migration Agreement

The South West DAMA Is Closing, Here's What That Means for You

If your South West business is considering the DAMA pathway, time matters. New applications and variation requests close on 30 October 2026, and the current agreement is not being renewed. Existing labour agreements remain valid for their full term, and the region is transitioning to the statewide WA DAMA. At Australian Migration Lawyers, we can confirm whether you can still act under the current agreement, or whether the incoming WA DAMA is the right pathway for your business.

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A Closing Agreement, Transitioning to the WA DAMA

The South West DAMA was signed in December 2021 and took effect in January 2022, a labour agreement between the Australian Government and the Shire of Dardanup covering 12 local government areas: the City of Bunbury, the City of Busselton, the Shire of Augusta Margaret River, the Shire of Boyup Brook, the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, the Shire of Capel, the Shire of Collie, the Shire of Dardanup, the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup, the Shire of Harvey, the Shire of Manjimup, and the Shire of Nannup. An updated agreement with an expanded occupation list was signed and took effect in November 2024.

The Department of Home Affairs has informed the Shire of Dardanup that the South West DAMA will not be renewed at the end of its current term. New applications for labour agreements, and variations to existing labour agreements, can still be made until 30 October 2026. The Shire of Dardanup is working with the Department of Home Affairs and the WA State DAMA team to support a smooth transition to the statewide WA DAMA.

Businesses with an existing South West DAMA labour agreement are not affected by this change. Terms and conditions continue for the duration of the agreement, visa conditions remain unchanged, and permanent residency pathways remain available to those who need them.

Who Administers This DAMA

The Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the South West DAMA is the Shire of Dardanup. The Shire 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.

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Eligibility for Employers

To be endorsed by the Shire of Dardanup for the South West DAMA, a business must be able to demonstrate:

Active operation within one of the region's 12 participating local government areas

That the position on offer is genuinely needed and could not be filled through the local labour market

Thorough, documented evidence of advertising attempts to recruit a suitably qualified Australian citizen or permanent resident, provided at both the endorsement stage and again at the labour agreement and nomination stages

That the nominated worker will live and work within the South West region

Employers already holding a South West DAMA labour agreement should note that the Shire of Dardanup now asks businesses to limit variation requests to one per year to help manage processing, and the Department of Home Affairs will not process a variation within the first six months of an active labour agreement.

Eligibility for Skilled Workers

To be sponsored under the South West 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, noting that new applications close 30 October 2026

An occupation listed on the current South West DAMA occupation list, including a small number of non-ANZSCO occupations set out in a separate schedule

Skills, qualifications, and experience matching the requirements set out for the occupation, with a more flexible approach negotiated for some roles under the agreement's qualifications and experience schedule

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

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Occupation List and Concessions

The South West DAMA covers a defined list of occupations recognised as in demand across the region, only occupations on the current list can be nominated under an endorsement application. The full, current occupation list is published directly by the Shire of Dardanup and should be checked before relying on any occupation eligibility.

Qualifications and Experience

For some occupations, a more flexible approach to skills and experience requirements has been negotiated under the South West DAMA. Separate schedules set out the requirements for non-ANZSCO occupations and for qualifications and experience generally. Skills assessment for DAMA purposes may differ from the requirements under the general migration system.

Salary Concession

Where a business case can be made, eligible occupations can access one of two salary concession types against the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT):

Type 1: a reduced threshold of at least 90 per cent of the current TSMIT
Type 2: the same reduced threshold, with non-monetary earnings such as food and board making up no more than 10 per cent of TSMIT

Based on the current TSMIT of $79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the Type 1 reduced threshold works out to approximately $71,481.

Konsesi Bahasa Inggeris

Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) and Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional): eligible occupations can access 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 (Employer Nomination Scheme): the standard English language requirement that applies to non-labour agreement ENS visas applies, no concession is available for this pathway

Fee image

Sokongan DAR

The Shire of Dardanup charges an endorsement fee of $290 per nomination. This is separate from the nomination and visa application charges paid to the Department of Home Affairs, and the Skilling Australians Fund levy.

New applications for endorsement, and requests for a labour agreement, can be made until 30 October 2026.

How the Process Works for This DAMA

1

Step 1: DAR Endorsement

The employer applies to the Shire of Dardanup for endorsement, with evidence of business operations, genuine need, and thorough labour market testing, along with the endorsement fee.

2

Step 2: Labour Agreement and Nomination

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

3

Langkah 3: Permohonan Visa

The worker lodges a Subclass 482, 494, or 186 visa application against the approved nomination.

4

Ongoing Variations

Employers with an existing labour agreement are asked to limit variation requests to one per year. The Department of Home Affairs will not process a variation within the first six months of an active labour agreement.

Residency image

Laluan ke Penduduk Tetap

The South West DAMA includes a genuinely shortened pathway to permanent residency for eligible workers. As of August 2024, a worker sponsored under the South West DAMA on a Subclass 482 visa can be nominated for the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa after just 2 years, rather than the standard 3.

Workers on a Subclass 494 visa under this DAMA can apply for the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence Skilled Regional) visa independently after 3 years, the standard federal timeframe, this concession applies to the Subclass 186 pathway specifically, not the 494 to 191 route.

Talk to Our Migration Lawyers About the South West WA DAMA

Time is limited if you want to apply under the current South West DAMA. Our migration lawyers can confirm whether you can still act before the 30 October 2026 closing date, or guide you toward the incoming WA DAMA if that's the better fit for your business.

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Soalan Lazim

Yes, but only until 30 October 2026. The agreement's head agreement expires on 14 December 2026 and will not be renewed. After the closing date, new applications will need to go through the statewide WA DAMA instead.

Existing South West DAMA labour agreements are unaffected. Terms and conditions continue for the full duration of the agreement, and visa holders' conditions and permanent residency pathways remain available.

The Shire of Dardanup administers endorsement for the South West DAMA.

Yes. The Shire of Dardanup currently charges $290 per nomination.

Yes, for the Subclass 482 to Subclass 186 pathway. Eligible workers can be nominated for the Subclass 186 after 2 years, rather than the standard 3. The Subclass 494 to Subclass 191 pathway follows the standard 3-year timeframe.

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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