Starting from 1 July 2024, Western Australia introduced a new DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreement) to provide employer-sponsored visa options in key sectors that previously lacked this opportunity. This DAMA focuses on critical industries such as health, engineering, education, and construction trades, aiming to address workforce shortages and support the state's economic growth.

The Western Australia DAMA may be especially interesting for those already working in Perth, who may not be eligible for other visas because:

• Their occupation is not on the standard list
• They are 45 years of age or older
• They cannot meet the English requirements
• They do not have enough work experience

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WA DAMA Occupation List

There are 310 occupations available on the WA DAMA including Fitter, Diesel Motor Mechanic, Registered Nurse, Truck Driver and Hotel Manager.

39 of the occupations are just for regional Western Australia. These include Teachers' Aide, Vineyard Worker, Excavator Operator, Dietitian, and Scaffolder.

You can check the WA DAMA occupation list here. 

Concessions

The Western Australia DAMA provides a lot of important concessions that are similar to those in other DAMAs.

These are concessions to:

• Age appears to be under 55 for all occupations.
• English - for some occupations 5.0 with no minimum band score, where the 482 normally requires 4.5 in each of the bands for short-term stream or 5.0 in each of the bands for medium-term stream.
• Skills requirements which are reduced for some occupations, such as Diesel Motor Mechanic to only one-year full-time experience required.
• New occupations that cannot be accessed under other programs, such as Decarbonisation Advisor.

While a lot of the other DAMAs have concession to salary, there are no salary concessions under the Western Australia DAMA. This means that employers under the WA DAMA will need to pay salary of at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, which is $73,150.

It’s always best to check the rules for your particular occupation on the WA DAMA occupation list.

Apply for Permanent Residency

The 186 visa is only available under the WA DAMA after working on the 482 DAMA for 3 years in Metropolitan Perth, or 2 years in Regional Western Australia.

 What are the employer requirements?

To sponsor under the WA DAMA, the employer first needs to be endorsed by Western Australia.

To get that endorsement:

1. The employer is required to show that there is no adverse information about the business, such as problems with migration, industrial relations or occupational health and safety.
2. The employer is required to register on Western Australia's special "Skilled Migrant Employment Register".
3. The employer must have been operating for more than 12 months in Western Australia.
4. The employer must have completed at least 2 job advertisements that meet the requirements, including showing the salary.

Once approved, the employer will also need to:

1. Permit skilled migrants to attend employment law information sessions
2. Provide information yearly to Western Australia government about all employees under the DAMA

This shows that Western Australia is taking a more hands-on approach with their employers than is usual in the employer-sponsored programs.

What about the DAMAs that are already in Western Australia?

Western Australia already had 4 DAMAs: Kimberley, Goldfields, Pilbara and South West. These only covered a modest area around the local area that had arranged the DAMA. The new WA DAMA covers the whole state.

WA has stated that if you are already covered by an existing DAMA, it is preferable that you use that program instead of the new WA DAMA. Only if you need concessions that aren't in the local DAMA, then you should use the Western Australia DAMA.

For example, you might be a 50-year-old secondary school teacher in the Pilbara. The DAMA there did not include that occupation, but now you could access it under the WA DAMA.

Do you need help to apply for an Australian Visa?

If you need assistance with applying for a WA DAMA or another Australian visa, please contact us.

You can book an appointment online or call us at (+61) 8 8351 9956.

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your visa application.

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, we provide Australian immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

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Sources: 

https://migration.wa.gov.au/our-services-support/designated-area-migration-agreement