The Pilbara DAMA: How Pilbara Employers Sponsor Overseas Workers
Finding skilled staff in the Pilbara can be hard. However a Designated Area Migration Agreement can help local businesses fill the gaps. This guide sets out the terms the Designated Area Representative publishes.
Pilbara DAMA terms checked on 17 September 2026. DAMA terms are reviewed each year and can change. Therefore confirm the current terms with RDA Pilbara before you rely on them.
What the Pilbara DAMA is
A DAMA is an agreement between the Commonwealth and a regional representative. Home Affairs lists 13 DAMAs in place nationally. Our plain guide to DAMAs explains the framework.
The Minister signed the Pilbara head agreement on 28 March 2022. It runs for five years. Regional Development Australia Pilbara developed it with the City of Karratha and the Town of Port Hedland.
A variation followed on 18 January 2024. It brought in the Shire of East Pilbara and added 69 occupations. RDA Pilbara acts as the Designated Area Representative, or DAR.
Who the Pilbara DAMA covers
Three local government areas sit inside the designated area. They are the City of Karratha, the Town of Port Hedland and the Shire of East Pilbara.
Workers must live and work inside those three areas. As a result, fly in fly out and drive in drive out roles cannot use the DAMA.
The occupation list
The DAR states that 146 occupations are eligible. We counted its March 2025 list on 17 September 2026 and found 146 entries.
The list reaches well beyond mining. For example, it includes child care workers, aged or disabled carers, chefs, electricians, truck drivers and registered nurses.
Two entries sit outside ANZSCO. They are Bar Attendant (Supervisor) at skill level 4 and Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner at skill level 1.
The concessions the Pilbara DAMA can offer
Concessions are not automatic. Instead employers must give a business case for each occupation and each concession.
Salary
The DAR offers up to a 10 per cent concession to the TSMIT or CSIT. In other words, base pay can sit at 90 per cent of the threshold. On 17 September 2026, 75 of the 146 entries carried it.
Home Affairs confirmed both thresholds today at AUD79,423. That covers nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. So on our arithmetic, 90 per cent is about AUD71,481.
Type 1 simply reduces the threshold. Type 2 also counts non monetary earnings, such as a phone, vehicle, food and board. The DAR caps those at AUD4,851 a year.
English language
English concessions attach to some occupations only. On 17 September 2026, 72 of the 146 entries carried one.
Where one applies, the 482 and the 494 ask for IELTS 5.0 overall with no minimum band. However the 186 asks for 5.0 overall with no band below 4.0. The DAR also accepts OET, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and CAE.
Registration and licensing rules still override the concession.
Age
Age concessions apply to the 494 and the 186. The limit rises to 55 for skill level 1 to 4 occupations. For skill level 5 it rises to 50 instead.
In practice, 131 entries carried the age 55 concession. The other 15 carried age 50.
Work experience
Experience must be relevant and fall within the last five years. For listed skilled occupations, the 482 needs one year where the qualification was gained in Australia. Similarly the 494 needs two years.
Pilbara DAMA at a glance
| Item | Pilbara DAMA position, checked 17 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Covered area | City of Karratha, Town of Port Hedland and Shire of East Pilbara |
| Occupations | 146, including two outside ANZSCO |
| Salary concession | Up to 10 per cent below TSMIT or CSIT, flagged on 75 entries |
| English concession | IELTS 5.0 overall, flagged on 72 entries |
| Age concession | Up to 55 for skill level 1 to 4, and up to 50 for skill level 5 |
| Annual ceiling | Not published by the DAR |
| DAR endorsement fee | AUD350 plus GST per position, non refundable |
Which employers qualify
The DAR sets five threshold questions. First, the business must operate in one of the three areas. Second, it must have traded there lawfully for 12 months.
Third, every position must be filled by someone living locally. In addition, the employer needs a genuine need for each occupation. Finally, pay and conditions must match those for an Australian worker in the Pilbara.
Labour market testing in the Pilbara
Employers must first try to recruit Australians. The DAR asks for at least two job advertisements for each requested position.
One must have national reach, such as Seek or Jora. The other can be local, for example a business website or Facebook page. Moreover each must run for 28 consecutive days.
Advertising must finish within 12 months before nomination, and the DAR prefers six.
Getting endorsed
First, the employer emails the Request for Endorsement form and evidence to RDA Pilbara.
After that, RDA Pilbara invoices AUD350 plus GST for each position. Assessment starts only once the fee is paid. The DAR aims to give initial feedback within five business days.
Once granted, endorsement lasts 12 months. However the endorsed occupations and position numbers hold for one year only.
Next, the employer requests its labour agreement through ImmiAccount. Home Affairs charges nothing for that request. Once approved, the business has 12 months to nominate.
The DAR publishes no region wide ceiling. However an agreement can be varied to raise its own nomination ceiling.
The Commonwealth costs still apply
Home Affairs confirmed these charges today. Sponsorship costs AUD420. Meanwhile a 482 nomination costs AUD330 and a 186 nomination AUD540.
Visa charges sit on top. The 482 labour agreement stream starts from AUD4,015. The 186 and 494 streams each start from AUD6,140.
The Skilling Australians Fund levy applies to labour agreement sponsors too. For a 482, it costs AUD1,200 or AUD1,800 a year, depending on turnover. For a 186 or 494, it is AUD3,000 or AUD5,000 once.
The permanent residence pathway
All 146 occupations carry a permanent residence pathway. It runs through the 494 and the 186.
There is no direct entry to the 186, though. Instead the worker needs three years of full time work under the Pilbara DAMA first. They must also have worked in the designated area throughout.
The employer then commits to two more years of full time work. Our note on DAMA permanent residency concessions explains the wider framework.
The Western Australia DAMA guide covers the state wide agreement. Similarly the Goldfields DAMA guide shows a different WA model. Meanwhile the Victorian DAMA overview covers two regional agreements.
Frequently asked questions
What does RDA Pilbara charge for endorsement?
RDA Pilbara charges a non refundable AUD350 plus GST for each position. Assessment starts once the fee is paid. Commonwealth charges still apply.
Can a fly in fly out role use the Pilbara DAMA?
No. Workers must live and work in Karratha, Port Hedland or East Pilbara. Fly in fly out and drive in drive out roles are excluded.
How long before a Pilbara DAMA worker can apply for the 186?
The DAR requires three years of full time work under the Pilbara DAMA first. There is no direct entry pathway to the 186.
Can labour hire businesses use the Pilbara DAMA?
No. The DAR accepts direct employers only. Home Affairs runs a separate labour agreement for on hire businesses.
Sam Kanjo, Migration Lawyer, Skyline Migration Lawyers, Melbourne.
Talk to us about your Pilbara DAMA application
We help employers scope positions, assemble endorsement evidence and lodge labour agreement requests. Call 03 8108 8748 or email info@skylinemigrationlawyers.com.au.
This article is general information only. It is not legal advice. DAMA terms change, so seek tailored advice before you act.
For employers: how we run sponsorship and DAMA matters
The seven stages, who does what, how documents are collected, privacy, payments, and a working cost estimator. See how we work with employers.
