Posted on November 05 2020
What is DAMA?
DAMA is a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) that is used in migration to Australia. It is a type of labor agreement.
A labor agreement is a work agreement that permits approved employers to sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for positions which they find difficult to fill with local workers due to the shortage of local workers in the market.
The DAMA is an agreement that is made between the Designated Area Representative (DAR) and the Australian Government. Other types of labor agreements also include: Company specific labor agreements, Project agreements, Global Talent Scheme (GTS) agreements and Industry labor agreements.
The DAMA provides an opportunity for applicants who are too old to apply for a PR visa through the normal visa pathways. Apart from this, a DAMA helps applicants obtain a PR visa through employer sponsorship especially when this is not possible through traditional visa pathways.
The DAMA agreement provides access to additional occupations and concessions to standard migration programs under the:
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (Subclass 482)
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (Subclass 494)
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
With a DAMA agreement, local businesses can apply for endorsement and enter into individual labor agreements under the conditions of the relevant DAMA.
Active DAMAs
There are currently seven DAMA lists in place these are:
Why opt for DAMA?
How to apply under a DAMA?
Since the DAMA is an employer-sponsored visa program, it is not possible for individual workers to make a visa application on an independent basis. The employers in this case must apply to the relevant DAR to access the DAMA for information on occupations, concessions and the number of workers.
Requirements for DAMA application
Steps in the application process
Step 1. Your employer should apply to the relevant DAR for endorsement.
Step 2. The DAR will assess the endorsement application.
Step 3. If the assessment is positive the DAR issues a letter of endorsement to the employer and notifies the Department.
Step 4. The sponsoring business will now make an application to enter into an individual DAMA labor agreement with the Department.
Step 5. The Department will assess the DAMA application.
Step 6. Once the employer receives a positive assessment, the employer can then lodge a nomination for the employee and the employee in turn can lodge a visa application under the labor agreement stream with the Department.
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