South West (WA) DAMA and the 482 Visa: Occupations, Concessions and Endorsement

The South West DAMA closes to new applications and variation requests on 30 October 2026 and its head agreement expires on 14 December 2026, so South West employers who want its occupations and concessions for a 482 worker must be endorsed by the Shire of Dardanup before then. Home Affairs has told the Shire the agreement will not be renewed, and the region will then move to the statewide WA DAMA run by the Department of Training and Workforce Development. Labour agreements already approved keep their terms, and their visa holders keep their conditions and permanent pathways.

Who endorses South West DAMA positions?

The Shire of Dardanup is the designated area representative (DAR) for the South West DAMA. A positive endorsement lets the business request a labour agreement from Home Affairs, and the Shire’s South West DAMA page sets out how to apply. The Shire charges $290 per nomination.

The Shire and Home Affairs check:

• location: the business operates in one of the 12 council areas, and the worker will live and work there;
• occupation: the position is on the South West DAMA occupation list;
• recruitment: the business made a genuine attempt to recruit a suitably qualified Australian, with the advertising evidence attached;
• terms: pay at the market salary rate and terms no less favourable than an Australian’s;
• concessions: a business case for any TSMIT or English concession;
• the business: no adverse information, at least 12 months’ operation and financial viability.

An endorsement covers the occupations and worker numbers for the first year only. Businesses that want new workers in later years must apply to the Shire for endorsement again each year.

When does the South West DAMA close?

• 13 December 2021: the Immigration Minister announces the agreement with the Shire of Dardanup, which takes effect in January 2022.
• 2024: an updated agreement with an expanded occupation list takes effect.
• 30 October 2026: last day for new labour agreement applications and variation requests, so that labour agreements can be processed before the head agreement expires.
• 14 December 2026: the head agreement expires and is not renewed.

The Shire asks employers to limit variation requests to one a year, and Home Affairs has said it makes no variation in the first six months of an active labour agreement. Pages that present the South West DAMA as open-ended are out of date.

South West DAMA or the statewide WA DAMA: which applies?

Until 30 October 2026, an occupation on the South West list, for a position in the 12 council areas, goes to the Shire: under the WA eligibility criteria, endorsement “must be sought directly” from the regional DAMA. An occupation only on the WA DAMA list goes to Migration Services in the Department of Training and Workforce Development.

After the head agreement expires, the WA DAMA covers the South West as part of Regional WA (Category 3), with WA’s own concessions: no salary concession, and an age limit of 55 at the 186 or 494 step. The Shire says it is working with Home Affairs and the WA DAMA team on the transition. The DAMA visa requirements under the statewide agreement are set out in this guide’s DAMA overview.

Which occupations does the South West list include?

The South West list covers skill levels 1 to 5. The Shire’s occupation list, updated August 2024, shows for each occupation whether it has the English and TSMIT concessions, its age limit and its skills assessing authority:

Skill level 5 roles, such as aquaculture worker, carry the age limit of 50; every other occupation carries 55. Assessing authorities on the list include VETASSESS and, for architects, AACA. Some roles sit outside ANZSCO, with their skills and requirements set in the Shire’s Schedule 4. The Shire notes that skills assessment for DAMA purposes may differ from the general migration system.

Which concessions does the South West DAMA give?

Nominating a South West DAMA position

Before the worker starts, the employer gives the worker settlement information about the South West, unless the worker has already lived and worked there for 12 months. The nomination tests Home Affairs applies at step 3 are covered in the guide to the 482 visa nomination.

Endorsement, the labour agreement and any variation must all be lodged before 30 October 2026 to keep South West terms, so a migration lawyer who prepares the application and concession business case now is more likely to secure the position before the agreement closes.

Which 482 stream does a South West DAMA worker hold?

A South West DAMA worker holds a visa in the Labour Agreement stream 482, the only 482 stream a DAMA uses. The worker works only for the nominating employer and only in the nominated occupation, for up to 4 years. The 2021 announcement described the agreement as using the Temporary Skill Shortage visa; since 7 December 2024, the same labour agreement feeds the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482).

The permanent pathway runs through the 186. Under the Shire’s Schedule 8, a worker can be nominated after at least two years’ full-time work in the South West on a 482 granted under the South West DAMA, in the nominated or a closely related listed occupation, with a full-time position offered for at least two years. A 494 holder can apply for the 191 after 3 years.

The Kimberley DAMA

WA’s northernmost regional agreement, the East Kimberley DAMA, now covers all four Kimberley shires and has no closing date published on a government page.