Employer support / Local needs, considered carefully
Regional sponsorship & labour agreements.
Local needs. A practical next step.
Hard-to-fill roles need a clear starting point. We help you explore regional sponsorship and labour agreement options for your location, industry and workforce needs.
- Support
- Regional and agreement enquiries
- Start with
- Your location and workforce need
- Check
- The relevant program and terms
- Plan
- Endorsement and application steps
A clearer plan for your business
Start with the place. Check the possibilities.
A regional address or skills shortage is a starting point. The business, role and relevant program still need review.
Check the coverage
Confirm the worksite and whether a regional or agreement option is relevant.
Explain the hiring need
Bring together your recruitment history and the skills your business needs.
Understand the terms
Check the occupations, conditions and any approved concessions.
The requirements in context
Different frameworks. One business need.
The right enquiry depends on your location, industry and role.
Regional sponsorship
The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) has location and stream requirements. For its Employer Sponsored stream, a regional body assesses the annual market salary rate.
Designated Area Migration Agreements
A DAMA covers a defined area. An employer needs the regional representative's endorsement before requesting its own labour agreement.
Industry or company-specific agreements
Industry agreements have set terms. Company-specific requests need a business case and are not the default where another suitable program already applies.
Start with the right questions
What needs to line up.
We start with your actual worksite, roles and recruitment efforts.
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01
The location and role
Check the official regional postcodes, agreement coverage and available occupations.
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02
The workforce need
Review recruitment efforts, duties, salary and the skills shortage you need to address.
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03
The terms
Check the current agreement. Occupation access and any concessions vary.
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04
The application steps
Review business eligibility, endorsement, any consultation and the nomination and visa steps that follow.
An agreement sets the framework. Applications follow.
A DAMA is not a visa a worker can apply for independently. The employer needs the relevant endorsement and agreement.
Use the actual approved terms. A concession available elsewhere may not apply to your business.
Plan workforce needs early. Current guidance generally allows one variation per agreement year, with none requested in the first six months. DAMA variation requests go through the regional representative.
A plan you can follow
From the hiring need to the next step.
A focused first review helps identify which process is worth exploring.
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1
Discuss the shortage
Tell us about the business, roles, worksite and recruitment history.
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2
Check the framework
Review relevant regional, industry, DAMA or company-specific options.
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3
Prepare the agreed enquiry
Gather the business case and required supporting records.
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4
Plan what follows
If approved, check the nomination and worker requirements against the agreed terms.
Preparation that makes sense
The right records. A clearer picture.
We will confirm what is needed. Useful records may include:
- Business, trading and financial information.
- Worksite addresses and role descriptions.
- Recruitment records and shortage evidence.
- Workforce plans and proposed salaries.
- Existing agreements, endorsements or consultation records.
A little more clarity
Your questions, made clearer.
A few answers to help you plan your next move.
Does a regional business automatically qualify?
No. The location, role, business and worker must meet the relevant requirements.
Can a worker apply for a DAMA alone?
No. Access is through an endorsed employer and the relevant labour agreement.
Are concessions the same in every agreement?
No. Check the occupations and terms approved for your business and region.
Can any business request a company-specific agreement?
Specific criteria apply. Current guidance generally requires at least 12 months of active Australian operations, financial viability and a documented exceptional need.
Does an agreement guarantee permanent residence?
No. Any permanent pathway has separate nomination and visa requirements.
How is the work scoped and priced?
We agree the work, fees and responsibilities before starting. Government charges and any levy depend on the applications needed. See official sponsorship cost guidance for the relevant pathway.
Your next step starts with you
Local hiring needs. A clearer starting point.
Tell us where you operate and which roles you need. We will help you understand the relevant enquiry process.