494 DAMA Visa Requirements 2026: The Labour Agreement Stream

A regional employer has told you they can sponsor you “through the DAMA”. Maybe you are over 45, or your English score is just short of Competent, and you have heard the DAMA can help.

Then you search and find a dozen agreements, each with different rules. It is hard to tell which ones apply to you.

The structure is easier than it looks. A DAMA is not a separate visa. It is a regional labour agreement, and the 494 visa under it is the 494 Labour Agreement stream.

The 494 DAMA visa requirements start from the standard 494 rules. The DAMA for your region can then relax some of them, such as age, English or salary.

This guide lists the 13 current DAMAs and the base rules. It then covers the concessions, your employer’s role, the 2026 costs and the route to PR.

Not sure if your job offer falls under a DAMA? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can check your employer, region and occupation. Book a 494 DAMA check.

What Is a 494 DAMA Visa?

A “494 DAMA visa” is a 494 visa granted in the Labour Agreement stream. Your employer’s labour agreement sits under a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA). You get the same 5-year regional visa as any other 494 visa.

A DAMA is a deal between the Australian Government and a region. It lets employers there hire for more jobs than the standard skilled lists allow, including some semi-skilled roles.

DAMA labour agreements can be used for three visas: the 482, the 494 and the 186. This guide covers the 494. The general DAMA visa guide compares all three.

How Does a DAMA Work?

A DAMA has two tiers. The region signs a head agreement with the Australian Government, and then each employer signs its own labour agreement under it.

The two tiers

• Head agreement: a 5-year deed between the Australian Government and a Designated Area Representative (DAR). The DAR is usually a state government, council or chamber of commerce. The deed lists the jobs and concessions for that region.
• Employer labour agreement: a deal between the Australian Government and one business. It usually lasts 5 years.

How an employer gets access

1. The employer applies to the DAR for endorsement.
2. The employer shows it has genuinely tried to recruit Australians first.
3. Once endorsed, the employer lodges a labour agreement request in ImmiAccount.
4. After Home Affairs approves the agreement, the employer can nominate you.

A DAMA won’t be endorsed where an Industry Labour Agreement already covers that industry. Aged care, dairy, fishing, horticulture and meat are examples of industries with their own agreements.

Which Regions Have a DAMA in 2026?

Home Affairs lists 13 DAMAs, as at its page update of 7 October 2026. Each one is run by a Designated Area Representative who knows the local rules.

Home Affairs links each DAR on its DAMA page. The DAR site shows which towns and shires each agreement covers.

For a 494, the work site must also be in a designated regional area. That is all of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, so Adelaide and Perth jobs qualify.

What Are the 494 DAMA Visa Requirements?

You need a nomination under your employer’s labour agreement, 3 years of full-time work in the occupation, the skills and English the agreement sets, and an age under 45 unless the agreement says otherwise. These come from the Home Affairs Labour Agreement stream criteria.

Requirements for you

• Nomination: your employer nominates you for a job that its labour agreement covers.
• Work experience: at least 3 years full-time in the occupation, at the right skill level, usually within the last 5 years. Part-time work may count. Casual work does not.
• Skills assessment: only if the labour agreement asks for one. Without it, you still show your skills through qualifications and references.
• English: the level set in the labour agreement.
• Age: under 45 when you apply, unless the agreement sets a different limit.
• Health and character: for you and your family members.

Rules once the visa is granted

• Start work for your sponsor within 90 days of arriving, or of grant if you are already in Australia.
• Work only in the job you were nominated for, and only for the employer who nominated you.
• Live, work and study only in designated regional areas.

Applicants in Australia must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging visa A, B or C. The 494 Labour Agreement stream page lists the stream’s documents.

What Concessions Can a DAMA Offer?

A DAMA can relax some standard 494 requirements, but the exact concessions differ by region and change at each annual review. Your employer’s labour agreement sets the ones that apply to you.

• Age: a higher age limit than 45 for some occupations.
• English: a lower English score than Competent.
• Salary: a lower salary threshold, while pay must still meet the market rate for the role.
• Occupations: roles that aren’t on the standard skilled lists, including some semi-skilled jobs.
• Experience: some agreements set their own work history rules.

Check the current terms on the DAR’s website, then confirm them against your employer’s own agreement. Concessions in one DAMA don’t carry over to another.

Relying on an age or English concession? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can check it against your employer’s agreement before anything is lodged. Have your DAMA concession checked.

What Does the Employer Have to Do?

Your employer carries most of the early work. It must be endorsed, sign the labour agreement and then nominate you.

• Get DAR endorsement and an approved labour agreement.
• Offer terms and conditions no less favourable than an Australian doing the same work in the same place.
• Pay you at least the annual market salary rate.
• Pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy with the nomination. It is not refunded if the nomination is refused.
• Meet any recruitment or labour market testing terms in the agreement.

An approved nomination lasts 12 months. It also ends early if the labour agreement ends, so the visa should be lodged soon after approval. Employers can read how to sponsor an overseas worker for the wider process.

How Much Does a 494 DAMA Visa Cost and How Long Does It Take?

The 494 DAMA visa costs the same as any 494: AUD 6,140 for the main applicant. It is usually faster than the Employer Sponsored stream, with half of Labour Agreement applications decided in 86 days.

Fees and times as published by Home Affairs on 4 November 2026. Processing figures were updated on 2 November 2026. Confirm both in the Visa Pricing Estimator and the processing time guide.

Under Ministerial Direction 122, jobs in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources go first. Many DAMA roles sit in these sectors.

Does the 494 DAMA Visa Lead to PR?

Yes. After holding the 494 for 3 years, you can apply for the subclass 191 visa, the same as any other 494 holder. The 191 needs no new nomination and no income threshold.

Until you have held the 494 for 3 years, Home Affairs won’t grant you a 186, 189 or 190 visa. After that, a DAMA employer may also be able to nominate you for the 186 Labour Agreement stream if its agreement allows it.

The 494 to 191 visa guide explains the 3-year clock and the evidence to keep.

What Mistakes Hold Up a 494 DAMA Application?

Most problems come from assuming the DAMA covers more than it does. Each one can be checked before the nomination is lodged.

• The employer isn’t endorsed yet. You can’t apply until the employer’s labour agreement is approved.
• The occupation isn’t in the agreement. A role on the DAMA list must also be in your employer’s own agreement.
• The work site is outside the DAMA area. Head office location doesn’t count. The job’s location does.
• Casual work is counted as experience. Home Affairs doesn’t count casual work towards the 3 years.
• A concession is taken from another region. Only your employer’s agreement applies.

How The Migration Helps With 494 DAMA Visas

The Migration has helped regional employers and skilled workers with Australian visas for more than 7 years. Its MARA-registered migration agents (MARN 2518738) work on the employer and worker sides together, and you can confirm registration on the MARA public register.

• DAMA match: the team checks the region, the occupation and the concessions against your job offer.
• Employer steps: the agents walk the employer through each step, from the DAR to the nomination.
• Worker evidence: the team reviews references, skills and English against the agreement’s settings.
• PR planning: your 191 evidence plan starts in year 1.

Employers can also compare the 482 Labour Agreement stream and other employer-sponsored visas.

Conclusion

The 494 DAMA visa requirements are the 494 Labour Agreement stream rules, adjusted by your region’s DAMA. You need a nomination under an approved labour agreement and 3 years of full-time experience. The age, English and skills settings come from that agreement.

Thirteen DAMAs are in place as at October 2026. The visa costs AUD 6,140; half of applications are decided in 86 days, and the 191 is open after 3 years.

Ready to check a DAMA job offer? Book a 494 DAMA consultation with a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738).

Frequently asked questions