DAMA Visa Occupation List Australia 2026

There is no single national DAMA visa occupation list. Each Designated Area Migration Agreement has its own designated locations, occupations, employer-endorsement rules and possible concessions. A role listed in one DAMA may be unavailable, or subject to different conditions, in another.

DAMA is not a standalone visa subclass. It is an employer-led labour-agreement framework that may support the Skills in Demand visa subclass 482, Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa subclass 494 or Employer Nomination Scheme visa subclass 186. VEM’s DAMA visa Australia guide explains the wider eligibility and application sequence.

How a DAMA occupation list works

A DAMA has two tiers. First, the Australian Government signs a head agreement with a state, territory or regional authority acting as the DAR. That agreement defines the region, occupation schedule, nomination ceilings and possible concessions. Second, a business operating in the designated area seeks DAR endorsement and an individual labour agreement before nominating a worker.

The occupation list therefore belongs to the regional agreement, not to the worker. An individual cannot obtain a DAMA invitation, lodge an EOI, or self-sponsor merely because their job title appears in a spreadsheet.

A listed occupation is not a guaranteed concession

Read the whole row and its notes. One occupation may permit an English, age, salary or experience concession while another in the same DAMA does not. Some concessions apply only to a later permanent pathway or only where the individual employer agreement expressly includes them.

Current DAMA regions and occupation-list sources

Home Affairs currently identifies 13 DAMAs. Use its DAMA page as the central directory to the relevant DAR rather than trusting an old combined list.

DAMA occupation lists by state and territory

The tables below set out the DAMAs operating in each state or territory and representative occupations verified from the current regional sources reviewed. They are navigation tables, not substitutes for the complete live DAR schedules, which can contain hundreds of rows and occupation-specific concessions.

Western Australia: WA DAMA, Goldfields, East Kimberley, Pilbara and South West

WA has five DAMAs. Migration WA directs employers in an active regional DAMA area to use that regional DAR first where the occupation is available; the state-led WA DAMA may be considered where the regional list does not provide the role and the WA DAMA does.

The WA DAMA list is different from WASMOL and the graduate occupation list used for state nomination. VEM’s Western Australia migration-list guide explains the distinction.

New South Wales: Orana DAMA

The NSW DAMA is Orana. RDA Orana currently publishes 129 occupations. The selected rows below show why each occupation must be read with its TSMIT, English, age and permanent-pathway columns.

Orana DAMA is not the NSW subclass 491 occupation list. See VEM’s NSW state nomination guide for the separate points-tested pathway.

Queensland: Far North Queensland and Townsville North Queensland

Queensland has two DAMAs. Cairns belongs to the Far North Queensland DAMA administered by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. The FNQ source reported 51 additional or new occupations from 22 March 2025, while Townsville Enterprise describes a list exceeding 200 occupations.

South Australia: Adelaide City and South Australian Regional

South Australia publishes both DAMA streams through one government occupation source. Adelaide City targets technology, defence, space and advanced-manufacturing-linked work; the South Australian Agreement covers the wider state. Non-ANZSCO roles use the DAMA code 070499.

Victoria: Goulburn Valley and Great South Coast

Northern Territory: NT DAMA

The NT DAMA is territory-wide and the NT Government currently states that overseas workers can be nominated across 325 occupations. The live table should be filtered by code and then read across all concession and pathway columns.

Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory do not appear in Home Affairs’ current list of 13 DAMA head agreements. Do not confuse their skilled nomination programs with a DAMA occupation list.

Which visas can use a DAMA occupation?

For a broader comparison, read VEM’s employer-sponsored visa Australia guide, its current 482 Skills in Demand guide, subclass 494 guide and subclass 186 guide.

How to check a DAMA occupation correctly

Occupation title versus actual duties

A creative job title does not change the nominated occupation. The day-to-day duties, skill level, qualifications, employment context and remuneration must support the chosen ANZSCO classification. If the position combines several roles, identify its genuine core rather than selecting whichever DAMA row has the most attractive concession.

Skill assessment visa requirements under DAMA

A positive skills assessment may be required for some DAMA occupations or visa routes, but it is not a universal checkbox for every case. The assessing authority, standard or DAMA-specific assessment pathway, validity period, qualification level and employment evidence must match the occupation and agreement.

Do not pay for an assessment before confirming the code and pathway. An assessment for a similarly named occupation, a different ANZSCO version, or a standard route may not satisfy the DAMA case. VEM’s skills assessment Australia guide explains authorities, timing, and evidence.

DAMA list versus Skills in Demand visa occupation list

VEM’s Skills in Demand visa occupation list organises the current CSOL. Do not confuse either Australian list with the E-3 visa specialty occupation list: E-3 is a United States visa category for eligible Australian nationals and has no role in Australian DAMA eligibility.

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