The Goldfields (WA) DAMA and the 482 Visa: Occupations, Concessions and Endorsement

The Goldfields DAMA lets employers in eight Goldfields council areas sponsor 482 workers in about 145 occupations until 31 December 2026, once the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder endorses the business. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder says the region will then transition to the statewide WA DAMA, with the arrangements still being finalised, and labour agreements already signed keep their terms for their full length. Check the occupation on the Goldfields list, then send the City a request for endorsement with the sponsor’s checklist documents before requesting the labour agreement in ImmiAccount.

Who endorses Goldfields DAMA positions?

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the designated area representative (DAR) and employs a full-time migration agreement officer to process endorsement applications. The agreement is between the Commonwealth and the eight local government authorities of the Goldfields. The City’s DAMA pages list what an employer must show:

• it is a registered Australian entity, operating lawfully with a physical office in one or more of the eight council areas for at least 12 months;
• it is financially viable, with signed financial statements for the latest financial year;
• it has completed labour market testing showing no Australian citizen or permanent resident can be recruited;
• the position is inside the Goldfields DAMA area and on the current occupation list;
• the salary and conditions are at least those an Australian would accept for the same job in the Goldfields.

The worker must live and work in the Goldfields DAMA area. Fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) roles are not eligible, and individual job seekers cannot apply.

How long does the Goldfields DAMA run?

The Goldfields DAMA runs until 31 December 2026, after three changes to its end date:

1. March 2019: the initial five-year agreement starts.
2. May 2025: the agreement is extended to April 2026 (Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission).
3. Transition dates: Home Affairs first advises the City of a move to the WA DAMA on 4 April 2026, then sets the move for 1 July 2026.
4. 29 June 2026: Home Affairs extends the agreement by six months to 31 December 2026, so that it and the Department of Training and Workforce Development can finalise the transition. Migration WA confirmed the extension on 3 July 2026.

Existing labour agreements and deeds of variation keep their entitlements for their full term. The April 2026 end date still seen on some pages is out of date.

Goldfields DAMA or the statewide WA DAMA: which applies?

Until 31 December 2026, the Goldfields DAMA applies whenever the occupation is on its list and the position is in the eight council areas: under the WA eligibility criteria, endorsement then “must be sought directly” from the City. An occupation that is only on the WA DAMA list goes to Migration Services in the Department of Training and Workforce Development.

After 31 December 2026, the Goldfields is to transition to the WA DAMA. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s notice of 29 June 2026 says Home Affairs and the Department of Training and Workforce Development are still finalising the arrangements, and no transition date is published. The WA DAMA’s concessions may differ: it publishes no salary concession, and its age limit is 55 with no split by skill level. How the 13 agreements compare is set out in the guide to DAMA visa Australia.

Which occupations can a Goldfields employer nominate?

A Goldfields employer nominates from about 145 occupations, with key roles in hospitality, health and social services, mining, construction and transport, according to the Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission. The list shows each occupation’s ANZSCO skill level and whether it carries the English concession, the TSMIT concession and the permanent residence pathway.

The 20 occupations added in April 2024 include barista, cook, delivery driver, earthmoving plant operator, enrolled nurse, truck driver (general) and waiter. Two of the additions, bar attendant (supervisor) and waiter (supervisor), are described as equivalent to ANZSCO skill level 4.

Which concessions does the Goldfields DAMA give, including English?

The 90% concession is set against the current threshold, $79,423 from 1 July 2026, so a reduced-threshold dollar figure quoted in 2025 is out of date. The English rules for the standard stream, and the tests accepted, are covered in the guide to the English test for 482 visa applicants.

Nominating a Goldfields DAMA position

The City requires approved labour market testing showing that no Australian citizen or permanent resident could be recruited, and its concessions page sets out the advertising rules. Home Affairs also expects a genuine attempt to recruit Australians before it approves a DAMA labour agreement. The nomination rules that sit behind each approval are covered in the guide to 482 visa nomination approval.

The City advises lodging Goldfields endorsements as a labour agreement or deed of variation as soon as possible to keep Goldfields terms, so an Australian migration lawyer who lodges the ImmiAccount request promptly makes it more likely the position keeps those terms rather than falling to the WA DAMA’s different concessions.

Does the Goldfields DAMA lead to a 186?

Yes, for occupations the Goldfields list marks for the permanent residence pathway. The City’s concessions page sets the work, residence and age terms for that 186 nomination. The Home Affairs 186 Labour Agreement stream page adds that permanent residence is available only if it “has been included as an option” in the labour agreement, and that the applicant must be under 45 “unless the labour agreement provides otherwise”. The 186 nomination fee is nil for a labour agreement position in regional Australia.

The South West DAMA

The other WA regional agreement ending in 2026 is the South West DAMA, run by the Shire of Dardanup, which closes to new applications on 30 October 2026.