Northern Territory Approves New 5-Year Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

Designed to address acute labour shortages and support local business activities, the Australian government has negotiated for the establishment of a scheme called the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) for the Northern Territory that will last five years. This agreement kicks off immediately, allowing Northern Territory businesses to sponsor skilled and semi-skilled workers from overseas into occupations for which sufficiently qualified Australian workers are not available.

This new DAMA is more favourable in terms of nomination quotas, the application scheme is made easier, and there is a broader range of occupations under consideration than under the previous agreement, thus assisting businesses that may have previously had limited options.

The new agreement will also be flexible and aims to meet job requirements specifically in this state of the Northern Territory.

Factors Considered For a New Northern Territory DAMA to be Approved 

Approval for DAMA demands multiple essential elements to help address labour shortages without jeopardizing Australian job opportunities. Home Affairs Department states the following aspects determine DAMA approval:

1. Trying to hire Australians first: Employers who seek overseas workers must demonstrate serious attempts to recruit Australian employees first. The approval process ensures DAMA programs serve as workforce support rather than job substitution for residents.
2. Limit on overseas workers: The agreement implements yearly restrictions for hiring overseas workers while safeguarding local job positions and welcoming necessary foreign labour.
3. Support from migrant workers: Offering quality support programs to migrant workers delivers dual benefits because it aids their community integration while maintaining their general health.

The renewed NT DAMA demonstrates why these points matter. The new agreement has leaders from various industries expressing both optimism and apprehension about its future operation. 

“Cathy Simmonds from Hospitality NT emphasized the significance of skilled migration for hospitality while urging for fast processing to prevent workforce challenges. “

“According to Damien Moriarty from Master Builders NT, both the economy and construction project timelines rely heavily on the DAMA since it helps address skilled worker shortages.”

Key Features of the New Northern Territory DAMA:

• Focus on Select Industries: The DAMA focuses on specific industries where there are shortages of jobs in the Northern Territory, such as agribusiness, hospitality, tourism, and healthcare.
• Pathways to Permanent Residence: The agreement provides a way for eligible workers to obtain permanent residency through the ENS (subclass 186) visa that further assists in retaining skilled migrants in the region for the longer term.
• Expanded List of Occupations: An extended list of jobs for sponsorship has been available on the DAMA, which is in tune with the various industries and needs of the Northern Territory.
• Flexible Language and Payment Rules: The rules get easier as far as the issues about English language skills are concerned for Northern Territory’s unique job scenario.

How the DAMA Works:

Before using the DAMA, businesses need to seek the Northern Territory Government’s endorsement to prove their case for needing overseas workers and for treating them fairly. Once approved, businesses may invite individual employees to be nominated under Labour Agreement requests associated with the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa.

Conclusion

Through its five-year DAMA, the Northern Territory seeks to solve critical skill deficiencies by creating specialised migration programs. Through this agreement, the local workforce becomes stronger while economic growth becomes more accessible to businesses, which allows the region to thrive through long-term development.