Riverina Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a regional, state or territory authority. It provides access to more overseas workers than the standard skilled migration program. DAMAs operate under an agreement-based framework, providing flexibility for regions to respond to their unique economic and labour market conditions. - Department of Home Affairs

Regional Development Australia (RDA) Riverina are working on a DAMA for the Riverina region.

A DAMA will allow us to create some concessions or specific variations to the eligibility requirements for employer sponsored skilled migration, after negotiation with the Australian Government. These arrangements allow some flexibility to recruit staff members who may not quite meet the standard visa criteria but are still able to safely perform the functions of the intended role.

Not all concessions will be available for all roles, and for some roles there may be no available concessions. The DAMA Occupations List will summarise the ANZSCO occupations included in the Riverina DAMA and the concessions that are available for employers to request in their endorsement application.

A DAMA will not bring skilled migrants to our region without employer sponsorship. The employer still needs to be assessed as suitable for employer sponsor skilled migration and pay the necessary fees.

If you are an employer who may be interested in this program please take the survey below to provide your feedback.