In short: No Cairns employer can nominate under the Far North Queensland DAMA without two documents: Chamber endorsement and a signed labour agreement. Each 482 nomination then costs the employer $330 plus a levy of $1,200 or $1,800 for every year requested.
When a Cairns employer asks us about the Far North Queensland DAMA, we ask for two documents before we open the deed. The first is the lease for the premises. The second is the employment contract the business intends to offer. The Chamber endorses a business that trades in the region and offers a genuine role at a lawful rate. This note sets out the Cairns process in the order it actually runs, and what each step costs.
Who signs what
The FNQ DAMA is a head deed between the Australian Government and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is the designated area representative. The deed runs for five years and lists the occupations and concessions available in the region. Beneath it, each employer signs its own labour agreement with Home Affairs. A worker is nominated under the labour agreement, never under the deed itself.
Do you need standard business sponsorship as well?
Which describes your business today?
Step one: what the Chamber wants to see
The Chamber checks four things. The business operates in Far North Queensland, with premises and staff there. The role is real and sits on the FNQ occupation schedule. Local recruitment was attempted and did not fill it. And the terms on offer meet the deed, including any salary concession. A lease in the business name, recent payroll and advertising records answer those questions. Our commercial team prepares the lease and contract side of the endorsement pack.
Step two: the labour agreement
With endorsement in hand, the employer requests a labour agreement from Home Affairs. The agreement generally runs five years and names the occupations, the ceiling on nominations and the concessions the employer may use. It also sets obligations that follow the entity that signed it. If you plan to sell the business within that term, tell us early. Our commercial practice drafts the sale contract so the labour agreement and the sponsored staff are dealt with expressly. We explain the instrument itself in labour agreements when the standard rules fail.
Step three: the visas the deed supports
| Visa | Nature | Main applicant charge | Employer charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| 482 Skills in Demand, labour agreement stream | Temporary | $4,015 | $330 nomination, plus $1,200 or $1,800 levy for each year |
| 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional | Provisional, regional | $6,140 | One-off levy of $3,000 or $5,000 |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, labour agreement stream | Permanent | $6,140 | $540 nomination, plus one-off levy of $3,000 or $5,000 |
The levy is set by turnover. A business under $10 million pays the lower figure and everyone else pays the higher one. For a 482 the levy is paid in full at nomination for each year requested, not year by year.
Cost per sponsored worker
The worker's own visa charge sits outside that total. It is $4,015 for the 482 and $6,140 for the 186, and either party may pay it. The nomination charge and the levy cannot be recovered from the worker under any arrangement.
Obligations that do not go away
A DAMA adjusts criteria. It does not remove sponsor obligations. The employer still pays the market rate as adjusted by the concession. It still keeps records, notifies Home Affairs of changes and bears the levy. The employment contract is the document an inspector reads first, so it should match the nomination line for line.
What concession does the FNQ deed offer on salary?
The deed allows a negotiated discount to the salary floor of $79,423 for listed occupations, within a set limit. The discount does not release the employer from the award or from paying what a Cairns local in the same role would earn. Confirm the current schedule line before you put a figure in an offer letter.
Where to start this quarter
Map the roles you cannot fill, keep the advertising records and check the schedule for each role. Then send us the lease and the draft contract, and we will tell you whether the endorsement pack is ready. Sam Kanjo runs the employer files within our migration practice, with the commercial team reviewing the documents the Chamber reads. If the Cairns deed does not cover the role, the fallback is often a mainstream 482, which we set out in 482 eligibility in order. Start with a conversation about the role.
Frequently asked questions
Does my business need premises inside the region, or is a Cairns client enough?
Premises. The Chamber endorses businesses operating in Far North Queensland, and the sponsored role must be performed there. A lease or title in the business name is the cleanest proof.
Can I advertise the role and nominate before the labour agreement is signed?
Advertise, yes, and keep the records. Nominate, no. A nomination lodged before the agreement is in force has nothing to attach to and will not be approved.
Is the levy paid each year or upfront?
For a 482 nomination it is paid upfront for every year requested, at $1,200 or $1,800 per year. For a 186 or 494 nomination it is a single payment of $3,000 or $5,000.
What happens to the labour agreement if I sell the business?
The agreement is with the entity that signed it. A share sale keeps the entity and the agreement in place. An asset sale usually does not, so the buyer needs its own endorsement. Time the sale with both practices in the room.
Can a worker already living in Cairns be nominated?
Yes, if the worker holds a visa that allows a further application and meets the occupation, skill and English terms of the agreement.
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.