Northern Territory (NT) DAMA | Complete Guide
Want to explore regional areas in Australia for work? Maybe consider the Nothern Territory (NT), as you can explore the labour agreement visa option as your visa pathway. The labour agreement visa under the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) allows individuals to access a labour agreement under the Northern Territory (NT) DAMA. Sponsoring employers and visa applicants can access the following visa programs:
The NT was the first jurisdiction to establish a DAMA in 2015. Its current third DAMA was published in March 2025 and will be valid until June 2030.
What are the Labour Agreements for the Northern Territory (NT) DAMA?
The Northern Territory DAMA (NT DAMA) is a 5-year period employer-sponsored visa program to build the economy with the local businesses and the Australian government to find suitable skilled workers to address the labour shortages.
The NT DAMA covers the entire Northern Territory.
Applicants must live and work in the Northern Territory (NT) as soon as they are sponsored under the labour agreement pathway.
Businesses in NT who wish to sponsor skilled workers through the labour agreement – DAMA:
The business must be operating for at least 12 months.
They must meet the sponsorship obligations and have no adverse information.
The employer will need to apply for an endorsement through the Designated Area Representative (DAR) to access the labour agreement.
The NT’s DAR is through the MigrationNT within the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations.
Ensure that the Labour Market Testing (LMT) has been conducted for a minimum of 28 days.
Employers must also show a genuine need for the nominated position.
The employer must provide the nominated applicant with an annual earnings amount that is equal to or greater than the Annual Market Salary Rate and Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT).
How to Nominate a Visa Applicant for the Northern Territory (NT) DAMA?
The NT DAMA has a total of 325 eligible occupations that reflect skilled and semi-skilled roles required.
There are some concessions available for NT DAMA for the visa applicants:
Age concessions of up to 55 years old for Skill Levels 1–4 occupations and up to 50 years old for Skill Level 5 occupations.
English concessions are available for certain occupations, unless registration or licensing requires a higher level of English, then the higher level of English applies:
SID (SC482) and SESR (SC494): overall score of IELTS 4.5 equivalent, with a minimum of 4.0 for each band score (or equivalent).
ENS (SC186): overall score of IELTS 5.0 with a minimum of 4.0 for each band score (or equivalent).
A reduced Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of 10% concession of the standard threshold amount is available for some nominated occupations under the CSIT/TSMIT scheme.
NT DAMA has some unique occupations that are in the non-ANZSCO list; these occupations are given the code 070499, which are:
Bar attendant (supervisor)
Civil construction site supervisor
Cook (specialist ethnic cuisine)
Electrical motor repairer or winder
High access maintenance and cleaning technician
Hospitality worker
Skilled horticultural worker
Waiter (supervisor)
Once the nomination application is submitted, you may be eligible to apply for a visa for the applicant.
How Can Agape Henry Crux Help
The Northern Territory DAMA allow local employers to sponsor overseas skilled workers with some exceptions to fill the labour shortages. If you are seeking professional assistance with the DAMA pathway, speak with one of our immigration lawyers at Agape Henry Crux. The team works together with two of 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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