The Western Australia DAMA: A State-Wide Agreement for WA Employers
Western Australian employers now have a state-wide Designated Area Migration Agreement. As a result, a Perth business can access occupations that standard skilled migration leaves out. This guide sets out the terms as the Designated Area Representative publishes them.
WA DAMA terms checked on 14 September 2026. DAMA terms are reviewed each year and can change. Therefore confirm the current terms with Migration Services before you rely on them.
What the WA DAMA is
A DAMA is an agreement between the Commonwealth and a regional representative. Home Affairs confirms 13 DAMAs operate nationally. Moreover, each one carries its own occupation list and its own concessions. Our plain guide to DAMAs explains the framework in general terms.
The WA DAMA started in July 2024. Its Designated Area Representative is the Department of Training and Workforce Development, through Migration Services. Consequently WA employers deal with a state agency, not a council or a chamber of commerce.
The structure has two tiers. First, a five year head agreement sits between the Commonwealth and the DAR. Then individual employers negotiate their own labour agreements underneath it. Those individual agreements generally run for five years as well.
Who the WA DAMA covers
The designated area is the whole State of Western Australia. However the DAR splits it into two categories by postcode.
- Category 2, Metropolitan Perth: postcodes 6000 to 6038 and 6050 to 6083. It also covers 6090 to 6182, 6208 to 6211, 6214, and 6556 to 6558.
- Category 3, Regional Western Australia: every other Western Australian postcode.
Up to 50 per cent of available places go to Metropolitan Perth. The other 50 per cent go to Regional WA. In addition, a metropolitan business must show its request sits inside that ratio.
Two exclusions also apply. Fly in fly out positions between regions cannot be considered. Furthermore, work at secondary locations outside the primary region should not exceed 30 per cent of work time.
How it sits with the four regional WA DAMAs
Four regional DAMAs already operate in Western Australia. They cover the Goldfields, the Kimberley, the Pilbara and the South West. The WA DAMA complements them instead of replacing them. So the order in which you check matters.
First, check your local regional DAMA occupation list. If your occupation sits there, and your business operates in that region, apply to that DAR. If it does not appear there, and the WA DAMA lists it, apply to Migration Services instead. Meanwhile Industry Labour Agreements take priority. An occupation covered by an ILA can only be endorsed under a DAMA for a different industry.
The occupation list
The DAR publishes a live occupation filter rather than a static PDF. On 14 September 2026 it displayed 358 occupations. All 358 were open to the 482, the 494 and the 186.
Availability still differs by category. On that date, 271 occupations were available in both Metropolitan Perth and Regional WA. Another 87 were available in Regional WA only.
The list leans skilled rather than semi-skilled. Skill level 1 covered 173 occupations. Skill level 2 covered 54, skill level 3 covered 84, and skill level 4 covered 47.
The concessions the WA DAMA can offer
Age
There is no age limit on the subclass 482 itself. For the 494 and the 186, the worker must be under 55 at nomination. The standard limit is 45, so this is a real concession.
English language
English concessions apply to some occupations, not all. On 14 September 2026, 131 of the 358 entries carried one. The remaining 227 stated that no English concession is available.
Where a concession applies, the 482 and 494 ask for IELTS 5.0 with no minimum band score. Meanwhile the 186 asks for IELTS 5.0 with no band below 4.0. However the DAR may still decline it. Client facing roles, workplace safety risk and licensing rules all weigh against approval.
Work experience
The 482 asks for at least one year of relevant full time experience, or the pro rata part time equivalent. For the 494 and the 186, the requirement splits by category. Metropolitan Perth asks for three years, while Regional WA asks for two.
Permanent residence
Regional WA gets the shorter route again. A 482 worker in Regional WA can reach the 186 after two years. In Metropolitan Perth the same route takes three years. For all SESR occupations, the 494 pathway takes three years. Our note on DAMA permanent residency concessions covers this.
What the WA DAMA does not concede: salary
Many DAMAs cut the income threshold. The WA DAMA does not. No salary concession appears on any of the 358 occupation entries. Instead the DAR requires salary at or above the current Commonwealth threshold.
Home Affairs confirmed those thresholds today. The Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. The TSMIT, which applies to the 494, sits at the same figure. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD146,576.
The DAR eligibility PDF was updated in May 2025 and still quotes the older thresholds. Therefore budget from the Home Affairs figure, not from that document.
WA DAMA at a glance
| Item | WA DAMA position, checked 14 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Covered area | The whole of Western Australia, split into Metropolitan Perth and Regional WA by postcode |
| Occupations | 358 on the DAR filter, all open to the 482, 494 and 186 |
| Salary concession | None published by the DAR |
| English concession | IELTS 5.0 on 131 of the 358 entries, subject to DAR approval |
| Age concession | Under 55 for the 494 and the 186 |
| Experience concession | One year for the 482, two years regional and three years metropolitan for the 494 and 186 |
| Annual ceiling | Not published by the DAR, with places split 50 per cent metropolitan and 50 per cent regional |
| DAR endorsement fee | No charge |
Getting endorsed
Migration Services charges no fee for a WA DAMA endorsement application. Applications go through the Migration WA Portal only, and paper applications are not accepted. Businesses must first register as a verified employer on the Skilled Migrant Employment Register.
The DAR asks for registration documents, audited financials and an accountant’s letter. It also asks for an organisation chart less than six months old, with the requested positions highlighted. Furthermore the business must show 12 months of trading and no adverse compliance findings.
Labour market testing applies to the 482 and 494 pathways. Metropolitan Perth needs at least two separate advertisements. Regional WA needs two as well, with at least one of national reach. Each advertisement must run 28 consecutive days. Social media and general classifieds are not accepted.
An approved endorsement is valid for 12 months only. Current processing for decision ready applications is 20 working days. Unusually, the DAR also offers a review right. A declined business can request a review within 28 calendar days, on the original documents alone.
The Commonwealth costs still apply
The DAR charges nothing, yet the Commonwealth does. The subclass 482 labour agreement stream starts from AUD4,015, confirmed on Home Affairs today. Nomination charges and the Skilling Australians Fund levy also apply. Check both on Home Affairs before you budget.
See the Northern Territory DAMA guide for the other territory-wide agreement. The South Australia Regional DAMA guide covers the other state-wide option. Victorian employers should read our Victorian DAMA overview instead.
Frequently asked questions
Does the WA DAMA reduce the salary threshold?
No. The DAR publishes no salary concession on any WA DAMA occupation. Employers must meet the current Commonwealth income threshold in full.
Can a Perth business use the WA DAMA?
Yes. The designated area covers metropolitan Perth as Category 2. However up to 50 per cent of places are reserved for Regional WA.
Does Migration Services charge for WA DAMA endorsement?
No. Migration Services does not currently charge a fee for a WA DAMA endorsement application. Commonwealth nomination and visa charges still apply.
How long does a WA DAMA endorsement last?
An approved WA DAMA endorsement is valid for twelve months only. Businesses seeking changes must lodge a subsequent endorsement application.
Sam Kanjo, Migration Lawyer, Skyline Migration Lawyers, Melbourne.
Talk to us about your WA 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 and does not address your circumstances. DAMA terms change, so seek tailored advice before you act.
