The Northern Territory DAMA: How Employers Sponsor Skilled and Semi-Skilled Workers
The Northern Territory runs on construction, hospitality, health care, resources services and agriculture. However, Territory employers often cannot fill roles locally. The NT DAMA gives them another route. It is an agreement between the Australian Government and the Northern Territory Government. MigrationNT acts as the Designated Area Representative, or DAR.
This is the broadest DAMA in the country by occupation coverage. All regional figures below come from the DAR’s own website, checked on 8 September 2026.
NT DAMA III has replaced NT DAMA II
The NT DAMA II agreement expired on 13 December 2024. Then, on 19 March 2025, the two governments executed NT DAMA III. The online portal now accepts new endorsement applications under that third agreement.
Businesses holding a labour agreement under NT DAMA II can still lodge nominations within their approved ceilings. However, they need a fresh endorsement to gain extra places. The same applies if they want new occupations or concessions.
Which employers can use it
The agreement covers the whole Northern Territory. In addition, the business must be actively operating there for at least 12 months. It must be financially viable and have met its obligations to employees. The role must be full time and on the NT DAMA occupation list. Finally, the position must sit in the Territory. Fly-in fly-out workers living outside the NT are excluded.
The program is employer sponsored, so a worker cannot apply alone.
The occupation list
The NT DAMA covers 325 occupations across the 482, 494 and 186 programs. Also, each occupation carries a category from A to P. That category sets the required qualifications and experience. Meanwhile, the DAR’s table flags whether an occupation attracts an English or age concession. Not every occupation carries one, so check yours first.
The Territory list also reaches beyond ANZSCO. Eight occupations sit outside the standard classification under code 070499. For example, they include hospitality worker, skilled horticultural worker and civil construction site supervisor. For those roles, the worker must match the published occupation description.
The concessions the agreement allows
Salary
Home Affairs sets the Core Skills Income Threshold and the TSMIT at AUD79,423. That figure applies to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. However, the NT DAMA allows a concession to 85 per cent. The DAR states that this equals AUD67,510 from 1 July 2026.
Importantly, the annual market salary rate still applies. Therefore the worker must receive the higher of the two amounts. In addition, the reduced threshold must be made up of guaranteed annual earnings. Non-monetary benefits can count for up to 10 per cent, or AUD6,751, on the DAR’s conditions.
English
Where the occupation carries an English concession, lower scores apply. For the 482 and 494, the worker needs an overall IELTS 4.5 or equivalent, with 4.0 in each band. For the 186, the overall score rises to 5.0. Meanwhile, occupations without a concession still need IELTS 6.0 for the 186.
Age
The 494 and 186 normally require applicants under 45. Under the NT DAMA, however, that limit rises. Skill level 1 to 4 occupations run to under 55, and skill level 5 occupations to under 50.
The NT DAMA at a glance
| Item | Northern Territory position |
|---|---|
| Covered area | The whole of the Northern Territory |
| Occupations | 325 occupations, including eight non-ANZSCO roles under code 070499 |
| Salary concession | 85 per cent of CSIT or TSMIT, stated by the DAR as AUD67,510 from 1 July 2026 |
| English concession | IELTS 4.5 overall with 4.0 bands for 482 and 494; 5.0 overall with 4.0 bands for 186 |
| Age concession | Under 55 for skill level 1 to 4; under 50 for skill level 5 |
| Annual ceiling | Set per business across the five year agreement; no Territory wide number is published |
| DAR endorsement fee | No charge for endorsement or skills verification |
What the process costs
MigrationNT charges nothing for endorsement. It also charges nothing for skills verification. Likewise, Home Affairs charges nothing to request a labour agreement. Therefore the NT DAMA carries no regional access fee.
Commonwealth charges still apply. First, sponsorship approval costs AUD420. A 482 nomination costs AUD330 and a 186 nomination costs AUD540. The Skilling Australians Fund levy also applies. For a 482, it is AUD1,200 per year under AUD10 million turnover, and AUD1,800 above it. For 186 and 494 nominations, it is a one-off AUD3,000 or AUD5,000. Importantly, employers cannot pass the levy to the worker.
How endorsement works
The DAR runs a six step process. First, apply online to MigrationNT for endorsement. That application needs twelve categories of supporting documents. These include a business case, job descriptions, an organisation chart, audited financials and an accountant’s letter.
Second, request a labour agreement through ImmiAccount once endorsed. That agreement runs for five years. It names the occupations, the numbers and the concessions. Third, identify a suitable worker and give them the settlement package. Fourth, obtain a MigrationNT skills assessment if the occupation requires one. Fifth, lodge the nomination. Finally, the worker lodges the visa application.
The DAR sets your ceiling from your assessed workforce need. Therefore it covers the full five years, and can only rise on a strong business case.
Labour market testing
The NT DAMA also applies its own advertising standard. Employers must produce at least two job advertisements from the last 12 months. Each must run for 28 consecutive days. In addition, one must appear on the NT Government’s WorkerConnect. The other must sit on a platform of national reach.
The permanent residence pathway
Two routes exist. First, a 494 holder may become eligible for the subclass 191 after three years with an endorsed employer. Employers do not sponsor that step. Alternatively, an employer can nominate a worker for the 186. That worker needs two years of full-time NT work within the prior three years.
However, the nominating business must hold a current NT DAMA III endorsement. A labour agreement under an earlier NT DAMA is not enough.
DAMA terms are reviewed annually and they do change. We checked the terms above on 8 September 2026. Please confirm current terms with the DAR before you rely on them.
For background, see our guide to what a DAMA is and the DAMA permanent residency pathway. Meanwhile, southern employers can compare our Victorian overview, our Goulburn Valley guide and our Great South Coast guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many occupations does the NT DAMA cover?
The DAR lists 325 occupations across the 482, 494 and 186 programs. Eight of them sit outside ANZSCO under code 070499. Each occupation also carries a category from A to P, which sets the experience requirement.
What salary concession does the NT DAMA allow?
The agreement allows a concession to 85 per cent of the CSIT or TSMIT. The DAR states this equals AUD67,510 from 1 July 2026. However, the annual market salary rate still applies, so the higher amount governs.
Does MigrationNT charge a fee for NT DAMA endorsement?
No. The DAR states there is no charge for endorsement or for skills verification. Home Affairs also charges nothing to request a labour agreement. However, nomination charges, visa charges and the levy still apply.
Do businesses on NT DAMA II need to reapply?
They can keep lodging nominations within their existing approved ceilings. However, they need a new endorsement to obtain extra places, new occupations or new concessions under NT DAMA III.
Sam Kanjo, Migration Lawyer, Skyline Migration Lawyers, Melbourne.
Talk to us about your NT DAMA endorsement
We help Territory employers scope the occupation and build the endorsement application. We also manage the labour agreement and nomination stages. Call us on 03 8108 8748 or email info@skylinemigrationlawyers.com.au.
This article is general information only. It is not legal advice and it does not consider your circumstances. DAMA terms and charges change, so please seek tailored advice.
