Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) are formal agreements between the Australian Government, represented by the Department of Home Affairs, and the State or Territory Governments, known as the Head Agreement, to supplement the workforce strategies of States, Territories and regions, to support employers in designated areas and help them adjust to changing economic conditions. DAMA is a two-tier framework and requires individual labour agreements with employers operating in designated areas upon the execution of the Head Agreement.
DAMA focuses on providing flexibility to employers based on their specific economic and labour market conditions. Once executed, individual DAMAs are generally in effect for five years and allows employers to bring overseas skilled and semi-skilled workers to work for them.
Currently, there are seven Head Agreements in place in defined regions of Northern Territory, The Goldfields WA, Great South Coast VIC, Adelaide City and Regional SA, Orana NSW and Far North Queensland. This blog is focusing on DAMAs in South Australia.
South Australian Government, represented by the Department for Innovation and Skills, has two DAMAs with the Australian Government:
- Adelaide Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement – to fill skills shortage in metropolitan Adelaide’s high-tech growth industries including defense, space, technology and advanced manufacturing industries; and
- South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement – to fill skills shortage in South Australia’s regional high growth industries including agribusiness, forestry, health and social services, tourism and hospitality, construction and mining.
Recent changes announced by Skilled & Business Migration in October 2020
After the annual review, the Commonwealth Government has agreed to certain significant changes in South Australia’s DAMA, including:
- Adding new occupations to focus on health care, manufacturing, high-tech sectors, agribusiness, and food production. South Australia’s DAMA Occupation List is provided below.
- Granting additional English language and age concessions to visa applicants, offering a pathway to permanent residency through the Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa or the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 494) visa.
- Approving South Australian Government as a skills assessment authority for occupations that require a skills assessment and have no alternative skills assessment authority.
DAMA Occupation List
Metro Occupations
| Advancement Manager
Advancement Professional Clinical Researcher Data and Analytics Manager Digital Artist Digital Producer Digital Production Manager Digital Supervisor Senior Digital Artist Chief Executive or Managing Director Corporate General Manager Public Relations Manager Corporate Services Manager Policy and Planning Manager Research and Development Manager Importer or Exporter Chief Information Officer Laboratory Manager Quality Assurance Manager Specialist Manager nec Dancer or Choreographer Actors, Dancers and Other Entertainers nec Artistic Director Film and Video Editor Training and Development Professional Mathematician Statistician Librarian Other Spatial Scientist Graphic Designer |
Illustrator
Multimedia Designer Web Designer Naval Architect Chemist Environmental research Scientist Environmental Scientists nec Geophysicist Hydrogeologist Life Scientist (General) Biochemist Biotechnologist Botanist Marine Biologist Microbiologist Zoologist Life Scientists nec Meteorologist Natural and Physical Science Professionals nec Dance teacher (Private Tutor) Multimedia Specialist Web Developer Analyst Programmer Developer Programmer Medical Laboratory Technician Chemistry Technician Earth Science Technician Life Science Technician |
Regional Occupations
| Care Supervisor
Cold Store Manager Cold Store Operator Cook (ethnic cuisine) Dairy Cattle Farm Operator Electrical Motor Repairer or Winder Irrigation Technician Poultry Farm Supervisor Poultry Stockperson Production Horticultural Supervisor Senior Dairy Cattle Farm Worker Senior Piggery Stockperson Skilled Horticultural Worker Vineyard Manager Vineyard Supervisor Welding Engineer Welding Inspector Welding Specialist Supervisor Welding Technologist Aquaculture Farmer Fruit or Nut Grower Grape Grower Mixed Crop Farmer Vegetable Grower Beef Cattle Farmer Dairy Cattle Farmer Mixed Livestock Farmer Pig Farmer Poultry Farmer Mixed crop and Livestock Farmer Sales and Marketing Manager Construction Project Manager Engineering Manager Manufacturer Production Manager (Forestry) Production Manager (Manufacturing) Production Manager (Mining) Supply and Distribution Manager Procurement Manager Child Care Centre Manager Facilities Manager Civil Engineer Structural Engineer Transport Engineer Electrical Engineer Electronics Engineer Industrial Engineer Mechanical Engineer Production or Plant Engineer Engineering Technologist Agricultural Consultant Agricultural Scientist Food Technologist Wine Maker Exercise Physiologist Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher Special Needs Teacher Teacher of the Hearing Impaired Teacher of the Sight Impaired Special Education Teachers nec Dietician Sonographer Optometrist Orthoptist Orthotist or Prosthetist Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals nec Chiropractor Osteopath |
Dental Specialist
Dentist Occupational Therapist Physiotherapist Podiatrist Audiologist Speech Pathologist Registered Nurse (Aged Care) Registered Nurses nec Rehabilitation Counsellor Counsellors nec Clinical Psychologist Educational Psychologist Organizational Psychologist Psychotherapists Psychologists nec Interpreter Social Worker Welfare Worker Agricultural Technician Meat inspector Primary Products Inspectors nec Civil Engineering Draftsperson Electrical Engineering Draftsperson Electrical Engineering Technician Electronic Engineering Draftsperson Electronic Engineering Technician Mechanical Engineering Draftsperson Mechanical Engineering Technician Sheetmetal Trades Worker Metal Fabricator Pressure Welder Welder (First Class) Fitter (General) Fitter and Turner Fitter-Welder Metal Machinist (First Class) Metal Fitters and Machinists nec Vehicle Body Builder Vehicle Trimmer Vehicle Painter Stonemason Veterinary Nurse Nurseryperson Plastics Technician Dental Hygienist Dental technician Dental Therapist Diversional Therapist Enrolled Nurse Community Worker Disabilities Services Officer Family Support Worker Residential Care Officer Youth Worker Aged or Disabled Carer Dental Assistant Nursing Support Worker Personal Care Assistant Therapy Aide Driller Miner Shot Firer Agricultural and Horticultural Mobile Plant Operator Backhoe Operator Meat Boner and Slicer Slaughterer Fishing Hand |
If you want to know more DAMA occupations, skilled migration or are looking for other options to migrate to Australia, Contact Us or call us on (02) 4626 100 to speak to one of our Registered Migration Agents.
