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SA DAMAs Extended: What Employers and Sponsored Workers Need to Know
On 25 June 2026, the South Australian Government confirmed that the state’s two existing Designated Area Migration Agreements, known as DAMAs, had been extended for three months until 30 September 2026.
The extension is an interim arrangement while the South Australian and Australian governments finalise negotiations for a proposed new five-year statewide DAMA.
What Is the SA DAMA?
A DAMA is a labour agreement framework between the Australian Government and a designated state, territory or regional authority.
It allows eligible employers in the designated area to sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for approved occupations where suitable Australian workers cannot be found.
Depending on the occupation and visa subclass, DAMA applicants may have access to specific concessions relating to age, English language ability, work experience or income thresholds. These concessions are not automatic and vary between occupations.
South Australia currently operates two DAMAs:
- the Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement
- the South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement
The Adelaide City agreement focuses primarily on defence, space, advanced manufacturing and technology roles in metropolitan Adelaide. The regional agreement addresses workforce shortages across regional South Australia.
What Has Changed?
The expiry date of both existing SA DAMAs has been extended from 30 June 2026 to 30 September 2026.
The South Australian Government has confirmed that the current terms and conditions remain unchanged from the last variation made in June 2025.
This means the extension itself has not introduced a new occupation list or announced changes to the existing DAMA concessions.
However, employers must still check the terms of their own labour agreement, including:
- the agreement’s validity period
- the occupations approved under the agreement
- the number of nominations available for the relevant year
- whether an annual variation is required
- the salary and employment conditions applying to each position
The extension of the broader SA DAMAs does not automatically increase or reset an individual employer’s approved nomination numbers.
Which Visas Are Supported?
The SA DAMA currently supports the following labour agreement visa pathways:
- Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa
- Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Provisional visa
- Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa
Eligible Subclass 482 visa holders may later be nominated by their employer for a Subclass 186 permanent visa under the SA DAMA.
Eligible Subclass 494 visa holders may be able to apply independently for a Subclass 191 permanent visa after meeting the relevant requirements.
What Existing Employers Should Check
Employers that already have an SA DAMA labour agreement should review:
- their current labour agreement and its expiry date
- their remaining nomination allocation
- whether additional occupations or nomination places require a variation
- whether the intended occupation remains on the current published DAMA list
- whether the proposed salary meets the applicable market salary and income requirements
- whether planned nominations can be lodged before 30 September 2026
Employers should not assume that the three-month extension automatically alters the terms or annual allocation under their individual labour agreement.
What New Employers Need to Do
A new employer cannot lodge a DAMA nomination immediately simply because the agreements have been extended.
The general process is:
- Apply to the South Australian Designated Area Representative for DAMA endorsement.
- Apply to the Department of Home Affairs for a labour agreement.
- Lodge a nomination after the labour agreement is approved.
- Have the nominated worker lodge the relevant visa application.
Individual workers cannot apply under the SA DAMA without nomination by an eligible employer.
What Sponsored Workers Should Know
The three-month extension does not mean that existing Subclass 482, 494 or 186 visas have become invalid.
However, sponsored workers should seek advice where:
- a new nomination has not yet been lodged
- their employer’s annual nomination allocation may have been exhausted
- their application may not be ready before 30 September 2026
- they are planning to transition from a Subclass 482 visa to a Subclass 186 visa
- their employer is considering changing the nominated occupation or position
- their employment circumstances have changed
Key Takeaways
South Australia’s two existing DAMAs have been extended until 30 September 2026.
The extension is temporary while negotiations continue for a proposed new five-year statewide DAMA.
The existing DAMA terms, occupation arrangements and concessions have not been changed by the extension announcement.
Employers must still check the validity, occupations and annual nomination numbers approved under their own labour agreement.
Employers and sponsored workers with applications that may extend beyond 30 September 2026 should review their position early rather than assume a further extension will be granted.
The content of this article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration law is complex and subject to change. The information provided may not reflect the most current legal developments. For advice specific to your circumstances, please consult a registered Australian migration lawyer. For full terms governing use of this website and its content, please refer to our Website Terms and Conditions.
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