In short: Most Designated Area Migration Agreements let an endorsed regional employer sponsor a worker aged under 55, ten years past the mainstream limit. The worker still pays $4,015 for the 482 stage and $6,140 for the permanent 186 in the labour agreement stream.
A recruiter told a 48-year-old diesel mechanic in Katherine that permanent residence was closed to him. She was reading the mainstream rule, which stops at 45. She was not reading the regional agreement that covers his employer. The age line moves under a DAMA, and so do the English and salary lines. This note explains what moves, in what order, and what the employer must sign first.
Start at the end: the permanent stage
We read a DAMA file backwards. The destination is a subclass 186 nomination in the labour agreement stream. That stream carries the concessions written into the agreement, so a worker aged 50 can still be nominated. The mainstream 186 streams test age at 45, with narrow exemptions. The visa charge is $6,140 for the main applicant. The employer pays a nomination charge of $540 and a one-off training levy of $3,000 or $5,000, set by turnover.
Two things must be true first. The employer must hold a current labour agreement under the regional deed, and the worker must have completed the qualifying period it sets.
Then the temporary stage that feeds it
Almost every DAMA worker arrives on a subclass 482 in the labour agreement stream. The worker pays $4,015. The employer pays $330 to nominate, plus a Skilling Australians Fund levy of $1,200 or $1,800 for each year of the nomination. The concession sits in the criteria, not in the price.
The three lines that move
| Criterion | Mainstream rule | Typical DAMA position |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Under 45 for the permanent 186 | Under 55 in most agreements, sometimes for listed occupations only |
| English | A fixed test band for each visa | A lower band where the occupation allows it |
| Salary | Core Skills Income Threshold of $79,423 | A discount within the agreement's limit, never below the market rate |
Age is the concession that changes lives. The other two change budgets. A salary concession lets the employer pay below $79,423, within the limit the agreement sets. It never lets the employer pay below the award or below what a local would earn in the role.
Decide which concession you actually need
Which line stops you under the mainstream rules?
What the employer signs, and in what order
Nothing reaches Home Affairs until the regional body has endorsed the employer. Each DAMA names a designated area representative: a chamber of commerce, a development board or a state department. That body checks that the business trades in the region, that the role is genuine and that local recruitment was tried. Endorsement comes first, the labour agreement with the Commonwealth second, and nominations third. We cover the instrument in labour agreements when the standard rules fail. A worked regional example is in the Far North Queensland DAMA for Cairns employers.
The contract and the lease
The employment contract must state the salary the labour agreement allows, the hours, and the work location in the region. If the concession is a percentage below $79,423, the contract still has to clear the award and the market rate. We draft it so the nomination and the contract say the same thing.
The regional body endorses a business that trades inside the designated area. A sponsor whose premises lease expires halfway through a five-year labour agreement has a problem the migration team cannot fix alone. Our commercial practice checks the term and the renewal options before the endorsement application goes in.
Records the worker must keep from day one
What if the worker turns 55 during the temporary stage?
Age for the 186 is tested when that application is lodged, not when the 482 was granted. A worker who will pass the ceiling before the qualifying period ends needs the timeline mapped before accepting the role. Some agreements set a higher ceiling for listed occupations, so read the schedule line rather than the summary page.
Where the agreements sit
The Northern Territory has a territory-wide agreement. Regional Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales each have agreements covering defined areas. The same occupation can carry a different age ceiling in two regions. A worker who can choose where to live should compare schedules before accepting an offer. Our migration practice runs that comparison in a first consultation, and Sam Kanjo acts on the employer-sponsored files.
Frequently asked questions
Does the age concession apply at the 482 stage or only at the 186?
The 482 has no age limit in any stream. The concession matters at the permanent stage, where the mainstream 186 stops at 45 and most DAMA agreements stop at 55.
If I change employers inside the region, do I keep the pathway?
Only if the new employer holds its own labour agreement under a DAMA and nominates you again. The qualifying period is counted under the agreement that nominates you, so check the new agreement's terms before you resign.
Does a lower English score follow me into the permanent stage?
Sometimes. Each agreement sets the English concession per occupation and per stage. Some restore the standard band at the 186, so check the schedule line before relying on the temporary result.
Can a Melbourne head office use a DAMA for a regional branch?
The regional body endorses the business operating in the designated area, and the role must be based there. A branch with its own premises, staff and payroll in the region can qualify, and the lease and contracts should show it.
Do the government charges drop under a DAMA?
No. The 482 charge is $4,015, the 186 charge is $6,140, and the levies and nomination charges match the mainstream program. The saving is in eligibility, not in fees.
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing as at 1 July 2026.
General information as at 2 September 2026. Not legal advice. Speak to us about your own circumstances before acting on it.