494 regional · DAMA labour agreements

Regional sponsorship & DAMA labour agreements

Hospitality, aged care, agriculture and regional trades — a Designated Area Migration Agreement unlocks occupations and concessions the standard program won't. We negotiate your DAMA, then lodge every worker under it.

Registered (MARA) migration agentsFixed-fee, quoted up frontWe manage your sponsor obligationsEmployer & worker handled end-to-end

Get a fixed-fee quote

Free & no obligation. Takes 60 seconds.

Step 1 of 2 · your situation

Where is your business up to?

How soon do you need to hire / act?

By continuing you agree we may contact you about your enquiry. VisaChief is a technology-enabled platform; advice is provided by registered migration agents.

Who should we send it to?

A registered migration agent will review your case and get back to you.

Step 2 of 2 · your details

Company / organisation

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Full name

Work email

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We help with

Registered migration agents across every employer sponsorship and business-immigration matter.

DAMA labour agreementdesignated area migration agreement help494 sponsorship employerregional employer sponsorshipDAMA occupationsregional worker visa employer494 regional nomination

Why employers choose VisaChief

Occupations others can't access

A DAMA opens semi-skilled and regional occupations, salary and age concessions the standard program excludes.

We negotiate the agreement

DAMA endorsement and the labour agreement itself are specialist advisory work — we run the whole negotiation.

Then every worker follows

Once your DAMA is in place, we lodge nominations and 494/482 visas under it, worker by worker.

Regional PR pathway

The 494 leads to permanent residence via the 191. We plan retention from the outset.

How it works

Tell us your workforce need

Industry, region and the roles you can't fill locally.

We secure the DAMA

Endorsement and labour agreement negotiated for your business.

Sponsor under the agreement

We lodge each worker's nomination and visa under your DAMA.

Frequently asked questions

What is a DAMA?

A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a regional labour agreement giving employers access to more occupations and concessions than the standard skilled program, tailored to a region's workforce needs. We handle endorsement and the agreement.

Which industries use DAMAs?

Commonly hospitality, aged and disability care, agriculture, food processing and regional trades. Occupation lists differ by region — we match your roles to the right DAMA.

How much does DAMA advisory cost?

The agreement itself is a specialist advisory matter, typically $10,000–$20,000+, after which per-worker nominations follow. We scope and quote before you commit.

Does the 494 lead to PR?

Yes — the regional 494 provides a pathway to permanent residence through the subclass 191. We build retention into your plan.