South Australia DAMA and the 482 Visa: Occupations, Concessions and Endorsement

South Australia’s two DAMAs, Adelaide City and SA Regional, let SA employers sponsor 482 workers in occupations and on concessions outside the standard program until 31 January 2027, once Skilled and Business Migration endorses the business. The Adelaide City agreement covers Greater Adelaide roles in defence, space, advanced manufacturing and technology; the SA Regional agreement covers the whole state. Check the occupation on the SA DAMA occupation list, which shows where each occupation is available and which concessions apply, then apply for endorsement before requesting a labour agreement from Home Affairs.

Adelaide City or SA Regional: which South Australian DAMA covers the position?

The position’s location and industry decide which agreement applies. A Greater Adelaide technology role may appear on both lists, so the occupation’s entry on the SA DAMA list settles which agreement and which concessions it uses. An occupation that is also on an industry labour agreement is approved under the SA DAMA only if the worker will be employed in a different industry.

South Australia is one of six states and territories with a DAMA on the Home Affairs list. The other regions, from the statewide WA agreement to the council-run Victorian ones, are compared in the guide to DAMA visa Australia.

Who endorses SA DAMA positions?

Skilled and Business Migration, part of the South Australian Government’s Department of State Development, is the designated area representative (DAR) for both agreements. Its About the DAMA page gives the DAR four jobs:

• it manages and administers the DAMA program in South Australia;
• it assesses applications to endorse an employer’s request for a labour agreement;
• it acts as the skills assessing authority for certain occupations;
• it monitors, reports and reviews DAMA activity with Home Affairs.

Home Affairs governs the legislative requirements under the Migration Act and Regulations, works with endorsed employers to establish their DAMA labour agreements, processes nominations and visa applications, and reviews and approves the annual nomination ceilings. Individuals cannot apply under the labour agreement streams on their own: an eligible South Australian business must nominate them.

How long do the SA DAMAs run?

Both SA DAMAs run to 31 January 2027, after four extensions:

1. 15 April 2024: extended to 30 June 2025, with 128 occupations added to the SA Regional list and its ceiling raised from 750 to 2,000 nominations a year (Department of State Development).
2. 30 June 2025: extended to 30 June 2026, with the 482-to-186 pathway cut to two years and industry labour agreement occupations excluded from 1 July 2025.
3. 25 June 2026: extended for three months to 30 September 2026.
4. 21 September 2026: extended “for a further four months until 31 January 2027”, according to Skilled and Business Migration.

The terms have not changed since the June 2026 variation. The SA Government is negotiating a new five-year statewide DAMA, and the transition arrangements will be announced once negotiations conclude. Pages that still give 30 June 2026 as the end date are out of date.

Which sectors and occupations does each SA list include?

The SA Regional list gained 128 occupations in April 2024 in construction and trades, agribusiness, ICT, cyber, start-ups, health, education and renewable energy. The Adelaide City list serves defence, space, and advanced manufacturing and technology employers in the Adelaide metropolitan region. Neither total is published as a number.

Each entry on the SA DAMA occupation list shows:

• where the occupation is available, such as Greater Adelaide, inner or outer regional SA, or the whole state;
• its skill level and job duties;
• the requirements the nominee must meet and the concessions available.

Occupations outside ANZSCO carry the code 070499. From 1 July 2025, an occupation that is also available on an industry labour agreement can no longer be used under the SA DAMA unless the worker is employed in a different industry. Aged care is the example Skilled and Business Migration gives: providers use the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement for those roles.

Which concessions do the SA DAMAs give?

The concessions attach to each occupation and location, so the list entry decides what a position can use. No English concession applies where registration or licensing requires a higher level of English.

Nominating an SA DAMA position

Home Affairs assesses each nomination against the labour agreement’s terms; the general process is set out in the guide to nominating a position.

With both SA agreements extended only to 31 January 2027 and a statewide DAMA still being negotiated, an Australian migration lawyer who times the endorsement, labour agreement and nomination makes it more likely the position is locked in under the current terms before an endorsement lapses.

Does an SA DAMA lead to a 186?

Yes. Since 30 June 2025, a 482 holder under an SA DAMA can apply for the 186 after holding the 482 for two years, according to Skilled and Business Migration. Where the occupation carries the age concession, the worker must be under 55 at the 186 nomination; otherwise the standard limit of under 45 applies. A 494 holder moves to the 191 after 3 years. The documents and timing are covered in the guide to the transition from 482 to 186.

The Great South Coast DAMA across the Victorian border

Positions in south-west Victoria, from Portland to Warrnambool and Colac, fall under the Great South Coast DAMA, run by Warrnambool City Council, not under either SA agreement. It also sets a 90% salary concession, but charges an endorsement fee of $850 or $1,000 per worker.