The Department of Home Affairs has issued new policy advice regarding endorsements under the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA), effective 30 July 2026.
Under the updated guidance, Designated Area Representatives (DARs) are now encouraged to consider a business’s full current and future workforce requirements when endorsing applications, rather than limiting endorsement to a single year. DARs should endorse eligible visa streams across all five years of the agreement where appropriate, including consideration of Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) pathways for Skilled International (SID) visa holders.
This change is intended to reduce the need for multiple variation requests and avoid subsequent processing delays for employers and applicants.
Importantly, Home Affairs has confirmed that any previous advice recommending endorsement of only the first year of an initial application is no longer valid.
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