The Pilbara DAMA lets employers in the City of Karratha, the Town of Port Hedland and the Shire of East Pilbara sponsor 482 workers in occupations outside the standard lists, once RDA Pilbara, the designated area representative, endorses the business. It is a five-year agreement approved on 30 March 2022, with an overall ceiling of 1,000 nomination places, and it is moving toward the statewide WA DAMA framework. Check whether the occupation is on the Pilbara list; if it is only on the WA DAMA list, apply to Migration Services in the Department of Training and Workforce Development instead.
| Setting | Pilbara DAMA, 24 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Endorsing body | Regional Development Australia Pilbara (RDA Pilbara) |
| Area | City of Karratha, Town of Port Hedland, Shire of East Pilbara |
| Agreement | Five years, approved 30 March 2022; applications from 9 May 2022; moving toward the WA DAMA, date not published |
| Ceiling | 1,000 nomination places over five years |
| Occupations | Not published on a government page |
| Most-used occupations | The childcare occupation group (Regional Development Australia case study) |
| Age, English and salary concessions | Not published on a government page |
| Endorsement fee | Not published on a government page |
| Checked | 24 September 2026 |
“Not published” means no government page states it; RDA Pilbara publishes its current list and concessions.
| Item | Amount | Applies from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) | $79,423 | 1 July 2026 | Home Affairs: salary requirements |
| 186 nomination fee (nil for a TRT or labour agreement position in regional Australia) | $540 | current | Home Affairs: 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream |
| Goldfields DAMA extended to | 31 December 2026 | 29 June 2026 | City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder: Goldfields DAMA extended |
Who endorses Pilbara DAMA positions?
RDA Pilbara, the Regional Development Australia committee for the region, administers endorsement, and Home Affairs lists the designated area representative (DAR) as “RDA Pilbara”. The Town of Port Hedland describes the Pilbara DAMA as a five-year agreement between the Commonwealth and RDA Pilbara, in partnership with the City of Karratha and the Town of Port Hedland. Individuals cannot apply: an employer operating in the area applies for endorsement and then sponsors the worker.
Which part of the Pilbara does it cover?
The Pilbara DAMA covers three local government areas, as defined in the WA DAMA eligibility criteria published by the Department of Training and Workforce Development:
- City of Karratha
- Town of Port Hedland
- Shire of East Pilbara
A WA position outside those three areas goes to another regional DAMA where one covers the area, or to the WA DAMA, under its Regional WA (Category 3) list unless the postcode is in Metropolitan Perth.
Pilbara DAMA or the statewide WA DAMA: which applies?
The Pilbara DAMA applies first when the occupation is on its list. Under the WA eligibility criteria, where the occupation is on the Pilbara list and the position is in the three areas, endorsement “must be sought directly” from RDA Pilbara. Where the occupation is not on the Pilbara list but is on the WA DAMA list, the employer applies to Migration Services.
The WA DAMA’s published terms are the benchmark for comparison: 358 occupations for a 482 in Regional WA, an age limit of 55 at the 186 or 494 step, IELTS 5.0 with no minimum band for skill level 3 and 4 occupations, and no salary concession, so pay stays at least $79,423. Its full terms are set out in the WA DAMA section of this guide’s DAMA overview.
The Australian Government’s Regional Development Australia case study says the Pilbara program “transitions toward the WA State DAMA framework”. No government page gives a date for that move.
How long does the Pilbara DAMA run, and how full is it?
The Pilbara DAMA is a five-year agreement. The City of Karratha says the Immigration Minister approved it on 30 March 2022, and the Town of Port Hedland says businesses could apply from 9 May 2022. The Regional Development Australia case study puts its overall ceiling at 1,000 nomination places over five years. No government page states the agreement’s end date.
Which occupations does the Pilbara list favour?
Childcare is the most used occupation group, according to the Regional Development Australia case study. The full list and its count are published by RDA Pilbara, not on a government page.
Which concessions does the Pilbara DAMA give?
Pilbara concessions are not published on a government page. The head agreement sets them occupation by occupation, and RDA Pilbara publishes them. For a 482 worker, a concession usually concerns English, salary or access to an occupation off the Core Skills Occupation List, because the 482 has no age requirement; an age concession takes effect only at the 186 or 494 step.
Skills assessments for Pilbara DAMA nominations
In the Labour Agreement stream that a DAMA uses, the labour agreement sets the skills test:
- Labour agreement terms: under clause 482.242A of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994, the worker must have the skills, qualifications and employment background the labour agreement specifies for the occupation, and a skills assessment only where the agreement requires one.
- Age of an assessment: where the agreement requires one, the assessment must come from the relevant assessing authority and be no more than 3 years old, or within a shorter validity period the assessment states.
- IMMI 18/039: the mandatory skills assessment instrument on the Federal Register of Legislation names 24 occupations, most of them only for holders of the passports it lists, such as chef, cook, carpenter and electrician, but item 1240(3)(g) of Schedule 1 applies it as a lodgement rule only to Core Skills and Specialist Skills stream applications.
- Home Affairs discretion: Home Affairs may ask for an assessment even where none is mandatory.
The Pilbara DAMA’s own assessing-authority rules are not published on a government page. Under the WA DAMA, by comparison, Migration WA requires a skills assessment for a 482 nominee whose occupation is not on the CSOL, unless the nominee is exempt. The national rules are explained in the guide to the mandatory skills assessment.
A Pilbara nomination can fail on a skills assessment the labour agreement requires even when the DAMA list includes the occupation, so an immigration lawyer who checks the labour agreement’s own skills terms before lodging makes approval more likely.
Does the Pilbara DAMA lead to a 186?
Yes, through the 186 Labour Agreement stream, if 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, 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 and $540 elsewhere. Pilbara-specific permanent residence terms are not published on a government page. The steps are covered in the guide to the 482 to 186 visa.
The Goldfields DAMA
Another of WA’s four regional agreements is the Goldfields DAMA, run by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and in place until 31 December 2026, after which the City says the region will transition to the WA DAMA.
Unregistered agents
An unregistered agent who gives immigration assistance on a sponsorship, nomination or visa is breaking the law (Migration Act 1958 s 280). They also carry no professional indemnity insurance, so if their mistake leads to a refusal, lost fees or a closed pathway, the worker or employer has no insurer to claim against. A practising Australian lawyer must carry that insurance.
Questions people ask
What occupations are included on the Pilbara DAMA list?
The list is set in the head agreement and published by RDA Pilbara. Childcare roles are the most used; no government page states how many occupations the list holds.
Can I get PR through the Pilbara DAMA?
Yes, if the employer's labour agreement includes the 186 Labour Agreement stream. The age and experience terms for that step are set in the agreement.
Is the Pilbara DAMA moving to the WA DAMA?
The Australian Government's Regional Development Australia site says the program is transitioning toward the WA State DAMA framework. No government page gives a date.
Do Pilbara DAMA workers need a skills assessment?
Only where the labour agreement requires one for the occupation, or Home Affairs asks for one. The IMMI 18/039 mandatory assessment is a lodgement rule for the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, not the Labour Agreement stream a DAMA uses.