Far North Queensland DAMA and the 482 Visa: Occupations, Concessions and Endorsement

The FNQ DAMA lets employers in Cairns and the surrounding Far North Queensland council areas sponsor 482 workers in occupations outside the standard lists, once the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, the designated area representative, endorses the business. The Australian Government entered into the agreement on 4 April 2019, and it is one of two Queensland DAMAs with Townsville’s. Check the Chamber’s current occupation list and area, then request endorsement before lodging a labour agreement request with Home Affairs.

“Not published” means no government page states it; the Chamber’s website hosts the occupation list.

Who endorses FNQ DAMA positions?

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is the designated area representative (DAR) for the Far North Queensland DAMA. Home Affairs lists it against the agreement, and Migration Queensland states that “FNQ DAMA is operated by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce”. The Chamber accepts endorsement requests and hosts the occupation list on its website.

The Minister’s release of 16 September 2019 noted that businesses may apply through a lawyer. Individuals cannot apply to the DAMA themselves: an employer operating in the area nominates them.

Which Far North Queensland areas does it cover?

The FNQ DAMA covers nine areas, as named in the Minister’s release of 31 March 2022:

1. Cairns Regional Council
2. Douglas Shire Council
3. Mareeba Shire Council
4. Tablelands Regional Council
5. Cassowary Coast Regional Council
6. Cook Shire Council
7. Torres Shire Council
8. Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council
9. Weipa Town Authority

In 2019 the agreement covered the Cassowary Coast, the Tablelands, Mareeba, Cairns and the Douglas Shire; the 2022 list adds Cook Shire, Torres Shire, the Northern Peninsula Area and Weipa. The Chamber’s website sets out the current area for a given address.

Far North Queensland is one of two Queensland regions among Australia’s 13 Designated Area Migration Agreements, with Townsville the other.

When did the FNQ DAMA start?

• 4 April 2019: the Australian Government entered into the five-year agreement with the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.
• 16 September 2019: the agreement opened to endorsement requests, with a cap of 200 applications for the first year.
• March 2022: the occupations were varied after a labour market analysis in January 2022.
• 24 September 2026: Home Affairs lists the FNQ DAMA as in place.

The five-year term that began in 2019 has passed and the agreement is still listed, but no government page states its current end date.

Which sectors does the FNQ DAMA serve?

The FNQ DAMA serves five sectors named when it opened in 2019: tourism, hospitality, agriculture, shipping and health. Three occupations were added at opening, most notably in agriculture. The current occupation count is not published on a government page, so the Chamber’s list is the reference; an FNQ occupation list dated before March 2022 is out of date, because the occupations were varied then.

Which concessions does the FNQ DAMA give, including age?

FNQ concessions are not published on a government page. The head agreement sets them occupation by occupation, and three rules frame what any concession changes:

• Age: the 482 has no age requirement, so an age concession matters at the 186 or 494 step, where the limit is under 45 unless the labour agreement provides otherwise. The general rule is explained in the guide to the 482 age limit.
• English: the standard 482 level is 5.0 in each of the four components; an English concession sets that aside only for the occupations the agreement names.
• Salary: pay never falls below what an Australian earns for the same job. The 2019 release put it plainly: “Migrant workers cannot be paid less than an Australian”. The standard threshold is $79,423 from 1 July 2026, and pages that quote the figures from 1 July 2025 are a year out of date.

Nominating an FNQ DAMA position

Home Affairs assesses the nomination against the labour agreement’s terms. The evidence it asks for at this step is covered in the guide to the 482 visa nomination.

Because the FNQ occupation list, postcodes and concessions are published only by the Chamber and change with each variation, an immigration lawyer who checks the endorsed terms against the nomination makes it more likely the nomination is lodged for an area and occupation the agreement still covers.

Does the FNQ DAMA lead to permanent residence?

Yes, through the 186 Labour Agreement stream, but only where the labour agreement includes it. The Home Affairs 186 Labour Agreement stream page says permanent residence is available only if it “has been included as an option” in the 482 labour agreement. The 2019 release said selected occupations could lead to permanent residence after three years in the region; the current terms are set in each labour agreement. The 186 nomination fee is nil for a labour agreement position in regional Australia.

The Townsville DAMA to the south

South of the FNQ area, the Townsville DAMA covers nine North Queensland council areas from the Burdekin to Mount Isa, with Townsville Enterprise Limited as the endorsing body.