Orana (NSW) DAMA and the 482 Visa: Occupations, Concessions and Endorsement

The Orana DAMA lets employers in central and western New South Wales, from Dubbo and Mudgee to Bourke, Cobar and Walgett, sponsor 482 workers in occupations outside the standard lists, once Regional Development Australia Orana endorses the business. It is the only DAMA in New South Wales, in place since 3 April 2019, and the NSW Government is now consulting on a state-led NSW DAMA that would make the NSW Government the representative. Check the occupation and location against RDA Orana’s current list and area, then request endorsement before lodging a labour agreement request with Home Affairs.

Who endorses Orana DAMA positions?

Regional Development Australia - Orana, NSW (RDA Orana) is the designated area representative (DAR), as Home Affairs lists it. The Minister’s release of 31 March 2022 says RDA Orana administers the process for accessing the DAMA and supports businesses through it. Individuals cannot apply to the DAMA: an employer operating in the Orana area nominates them.

Which part of NSW does it cover?

The Orana DAMA covers 12 council areas in the government record, set out in the Minister’s release of 5 April 2019: Dubbo Regional Council and Mid-Western Regional Council, the two larger centres around Dubbo and Mudgee, plus ten smaller local government areas:

• Bogan
• Bourke
• Brewarrina
• Cobar
• Coonamble
• Gilgandra
• Narromine
• Walgett
• Warren
• Warrumbungle

RDA Orana’s website, linked from the Home Affairs DAMA page, sets out the current area for a given address. Unlike the statewide Western Australia DAMA, the Orana DAMA covers a defined group of council areas; how each of the 13 agreements draws its boundary is compared in the guide to DAMA visa Australia.

What is changing for the Orana DAMA?

• 3 April 2019: the Australian Government enters a five-year DAMA with RDA Orana, with up to 500 places in the first year.
• 31 March 2022: the agreement is strengthened to 65 occupations, adding skill level 4 and 5 roles and “more flexible permanent residency pathways”.
• September 2026: the NSW Government opens consultation on a state-led NSW DAMA, closing on 16 October 2026.

The proposed NSW state-led DAMA

The NSW Government’s DAMA consultation page and its fact sheet propose:

• the NSW Government as designated area representative;
• two designated areas: Tier 1, Inland Regional NSW, and Tier 2, Coastal Regional NSW;
• no coverage of Greater Sydney (with the Blue Mountains and Central Coast), Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Southern Highlands (Wingecarribee), Wollongong and the Illawarra, or Queanbeyan and Jerrabomberra;
• age limits of up to 55 (Tier 1) or 50 (Tier 2) for skill level 1 and 2 occupations, and up to 50 (Tier 1) or 47 (Tier 2) for skill level 3;
• a salary concession to 90% of the CSIT or TSMIT for selected Tier 1 occupations;
• a pathway to permanent residence for every occupation on the list.

The occupations under consideration include some “previously utilised in the Orana DAMA occupation list”. The fact sheet leaves English and skills concessions for possible later versions, and says standard skills requirements would apply to all occupations.

Which occupations does the Orana list include?

The Orana list held 65 occupations after the March 2022 changes, the last count on a government page. The Minister’s release named automotive trades, teachers, aged care and health professionals, and skill level 4 and 5 roles such as clerks, aged care workers, mobile plant operators, security officers and waiters. RDA Orana publishes the current list; its count is not on a government page.

Which concessions does the Orana DAMA give?

Orana concessions are not published on a government page; the head agreement sets them occupation by occupation. Because the 482 has no age requirement, an age concession matters only at the 186 or 494 step, where the standard limit is under 45. An English concession, where the agreement grants one, replaces the standard 482 level of 5.0 in each component.

What salary must an Orana DAMA position pay?

An Orana DAMA position pays at least the annual market salary rate for the job and the income threshold the labour agreement sets. The DAMAs that publish their terms use the CSIT or TSMIT, $79,423 from 1 July 2026, and express any salary concession as a percentage of it: 90% in most, 85% in the NT. An Orana salary concession is not published on a government page. How the market rate and threshold are tested is set out in the guide to the minimum salary for 482 visa nominations.

Does the Orana DAMA lead to a 186?

Yes, where the labour agreement includes it. The March 2022 changes added “more flexible permanent residency pathways”. Under the Home Affairs 186 Labour Agreement stream page, permanent residence is available only if it has been included as an option in the 482 labour agreement, and the applicant must be under 45 unless the agreement provides otherwise. The 186 nomination fee is nil for a labour agreement position in regional Australia, against $540 elsewhere. The steps are covered in the guide to 482 visa to 186 visa requirements.

With the Orana area and list published only by RDA Orana and a state-led NSW DAMA under consultation, a migration lawyer who confirms the position’s council area and occupation against the current endorsed terms makes the nomination more likely to succeed and an out-of-area nomination less likely.

The Goulburn Valley DAMA across the Murray

The neighbouring DAMA across the Murray is the Goulburn Valley DAMA in Victoria, covering the Greater Shepparton, Moira and Campaspe council areas.