The new five-year Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA III) has been executed between the Northern Territory and the Australian Federal Government on 19 March 2025 and is open for business.
The Northern Territory (NT) DAMA is an employer-sponsored visa program that enables businesses across the Northern Territory to sponsor workers for positions that are unable to be filled with local workers.
Under the NT DAMA, employers can sponsor eligible foreign workers under the NT DAMA for a four-year Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa under the Labour Agreement Stream, which provides a pathway to permanent residence after two years via the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa.
The five-year Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa is another alternative under the Labour Agreement Stream, with an independent pathway to permanent residence after three years with a Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa.
Under the NT DAMA, individual workers are not able to apply for a visa on their own. Instead, they must first secure a job offer from a Northern Territory employer who is approved and willing to sponsor them.
What Does the New NT DAMA III Entail?
The new NT DAMA agreement is valid for five years, until 30 June 2030.
The new NT DAMA features an expanded occupation list, more nomination places and streamlined applications processes for Northern Territory employers.
The number of occupations has expanded to 325 occupations across a variety of industries whilst the approved nominations per year for the Subclass 482 SID Visa and Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa has more than doubled to 1500.
There is also a pathway to permanent residency for temporary skilled workers under the NT DAMA III, through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination (ENS) Scheme, Temporary Transition Stream.
A DAMA is another form of Labour Agreement that provides access to more occupations and concessions than the standard employer sponsored migration programs.
The Northern Territory DAMA covers the entire Northern Territory and not just a region of the NT.
With NT DAMA III, Northern Territory based businesses can look forward to enhanced migration pathways and greater flexibility to address workforce needs.
We recommend that you seek professional advice of one our Migration Agents before you proceed with applying for a Labour Agreement under the NT DAMA III, as being fully informed about the process and requirements that apply will give you the best chance of achieving a successful outcome.
