Living in Western Australia (WA) and seeking work visa pathways that are not on the standard occupation list or the specific WA regions’ DAMA? Labour agreement visa streams under the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) may be a possible pathway to access a labour agreement under Western Australia’s DAMA. Sponsoring employers and visa applicants can access DAMA through the following visa programs:

What Are the Labour Agreements for Western Australia (WA)?

The Western Australia (WA) DAMA is a 5-year employer-sponsored visa program that partners with local businesses and the Australian government to find suitable skilled workers to address labour shortages in Western Australia.

The WA's DAMA includes the following, and the postcodes are representative of main shires, cities, and towns, but not limited to:
- The Goldfields: City of Kalgoorlie
- East Kimberley: Shire of Wyndham
- The Pilbara: City of Karratha and Town of Port Hedland
- South West: Shire of Dardanup
- Perth Metropolitan Area (Category 2)
  - 6000 to 6038,
  - 6050 to 6083,
  - 6090 to 6182,
  - 6208 to 6211,
  - 6214 and
  - 6556 to 6558
- Regional WA (Category 3)
  - Gascoyne Region
    - Carnarvon: 6701
    - Exmouth: 6707
    - Denham (Shark Bay): 6537
    - Gascoyne Junction: 6705
    - Coral Bay: 6701
  - Mid West Region
    - Geraldton: 6530
    - Dongara: 6525
    - Kalbarri: 6536
    - Mullewa: 6630
    - Northampton: 6535
    - Morawa: 6623
    - Meekatharra: 6642
    - Cue: 6640
    - Mount Magnet: 6638
  - Peel Region
    - Mandurah: 6210
    - Pinjarra: 6208
    - Waroona: 6215
    - Boddington: 6390
    - Dwellingup: 6213
  - Wheatbelt Region
    - Northam: 6401
    - Merredin: 6415
    - Narrogin: 6312
    - Moora: 6510
    - Jurien Bay: 6516
    - York: 6302
    - Kellerberrin: 6410
    - Wagin: 6315
It is required for the applicant and their dependents must live and work in the designated area abovementioned once being sponsored under the labour agreement pathway.
Businesses in the WA region who wish to employ and sponsor skilled workers through a labour agreement:
- The business must be operating for at least 12 months and have no adverse information.
- The employers will need to first apply for an endorsement through the Designated Area Representative (DAR) to access for a labour agreement.
- The WA DAR is through The Department of Training and Workforce Development, through Migration Services.
- Businesses can apply for endorsement without a fee and then be eligible to request a Labour Agreement.
- Ensure that the Labour Market Testing (LMT) has been conducted for a minimum of 28 days within the last 12 months.
The WA DAMA has 39 skilled and semi-skilled occupations that are exclusively in the Western Australia region. The occupations are distributed accordingly:
- 50% of places are allocated to Perth Metropolitan (Category 2).
- 50% of places are allocated to Regional WA (Category 3).
There are some concessions for the WA DAMA that have applied for, which may be applied for:
- Age concession of 45 - 55 years old, depending on the occupation.
- English concessions are available, unless registration or licensing requires a higher level of English, then the higher level of English applies:
  - For Skill Level 1-2 occupations: no English language concession
  - SID (SC482) and SESR (SC494) for Skill Level 3-4 occupation: overall score of IELTS 5.0 equivalent, with no minimum band score.
  - ENS (SC186) for Skill Level 3-4 occupation: average score of IELTS 5.0 with no band less than IELTS 4.0.
- CSIT (previously known as TSMIT) concession may be available for some occupations.
- Permanent Residence (PR) pathway may be available through the ENS (SC 186) visa.

Read Western Australia (WA)’s DAMA Occupation List

How Can Agape Henry Crux Help

If you have questions on the labour agreement visa pathway under Western Australia DAMA, consult with one of our immigration lawyers for professional guidance at Agape Henry Crux. The team works together with our Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law, who specialise in handling highly complex matters. You can schedule an appointment with one of our lawyers or agents to seek professional advice by calling 02-8310 5230 or emailing us at info@ahclawyers.com.

We speak fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese. We can also help you arrange an interpreter if this isn't your language.

This article/presentation (“publication”) does not deal extensively with important topics or changes in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you find this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances, please contact our office.

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