FNQ DAMA Overview

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About the FNQ DAMA

The FNQ DAMA is a skilled migration program that is tailored to the needs of our Far North Queensland region (FNQ). The FNQ DAMA differs in many ways from standard skilled migration pathways, providing more flexibility and certainty for both employers and workers. The key differences are*:

• An FNQ DAMA Occupation and Concessions List designed for our region, with a greater range of occupations not linked to standard occupation lists, and with no caveats;
• The ability to have occupations added (or removed) as local demands determine;
• Semi-skilled as well as skilled occupations (Skill Levels 1-5 instead of Skill Levels 1-3);
• The facility to design and include unique local occupations not in ANZSCO (the standard classification of occupations);
• Access to age concessions of 55 or 50 (depending on occupation) rather than the general age limit of 45 applying to most standard skilled migration pathways;
• Multiple visa options - TSS 482, ENS 186, or SESR 494 (that leads to PESR 191);
• Access to well-defined permanent visa pathways for all occupations in Skill Levels 1-5 (including direct access to ENS 186 in some circumstances based on prior work experience in FNQ);
• Concessions to experience requirements, compared to those in standard skilled migration pathways;
• Salary concessions for Skill Level 3-5 occupations (90% of TSMIT) if market salary is demonstrated to be below TSMIT, ensuring that worker terms and conditions of employment are not eroded;
• English language concessions for numerous occupations;
• More lenient Labour Market Testing requirements than standard requirements;
• Priority processing times.

The FNQ DAMA operates under a Labour Agreement framework. This means that employers can seek one occupation/position or multiple occupations and positions in a single agreement. It also means that prospective workers do not necessarily need to have been identified at time of applying, allowing for future planning. Individuals can then be nominated against the occupations and numbers of positions in the Labour Agreement. A Labour Agreement is generally valid for five years and can be varied during its lifetime (such as adding further occupations/positions).

As with all skilled migration, the priority is employment for Australians first. However, the FNQ DAMA provides a tailored and accessible option for employers seeking to fill one or multiple occupations and positions where they are genuinely unable to fill positions from the Australian labour market.

For full details on how to access the program CLICK HERE

Which employers can access the FNQ DAMA?

To access a FNQ DAMA Labour Agreement, employers must first be endorsed by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce as the Designated Area Representative (DAR). Employers can access the FNQ DAMA if they*:

• are operating within the FNQ DAMA Designated Area which includes the Cairns Regional Council, Shire of Douglas, Shire of Mareeba, Tablelands Regional Council, Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Cook Shire Council, Croydon Shire Council, Etheridge Shire Council, Torres Shire Council, and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council local government areas (LGAs), and the Weipa Town Authority area, or in the postcode areas of 4852, 4854-4861, 4865, 4868-4876, 4878-4888, and 4895;
• are viable and have been operating for at least 12 months unless there are exceptional circumstances;
• have no history of not meeting obligations to employees;
• are looking to employ Overseas Workers to fill full-time positions with duties that align with one or more of the occupations on the FNQ DAMA occupation list;
• can demonstrate they cannot fill the position locally with Australian citizens or permanent residents;
• can provide terms and conditions of employment to overseas workers that are in accordance with those offered to Australian workers employed in the region.

For full details on how to access the program CLICK HERE

All enquiries about the FNQ DAMA may be directed to email/dama)(cairnschamber.com.au 

Note: * This is a summary only - do not make business decisions based on this summary. 

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Recent updates

FNQ DAMA update and TSMIT increase from 1 July 2024

As previously advised, when the government increased the TSMIT on 1 July 2023, they committed to annual CPI-adjusted increases. The government has announced a further increase to the TSMIT on 1 July 2024, from $70,000 to $73,150 (news article). The TSMIT concession under the FNQ DAMA is currently 90% of TSMIT, so the concession (for occupations where a TSMIT concession is available) will change from $63,000 to $65,835 from 1 July 2024.

Note that the level of TSMIT (and the TSMIT concession if endorsed) applies as at the date a nomination is submitted in respect of an FNQ DAMA endorsed position, regardless of whether the associated FNQ DAMA labour agreement has been executed yet or not.

The Chamber submitted a new Deed of Variation to Canberra earlier this year seeking further TSMIT concessions to more realistically reflect market salary rates in this region. The request is awaiting determination in Canberra. FNQ DAMA subscribers will be updated when information becomes available, and the outcome will be posted in this news page.  

The Chamber is in preliminary stages of preparing the business case for the next 5-year head agreement from April 2025, and will be undertaking stakeholder consultations in July-August.

Enhancements to FNQ DAMA head agreement approved by Minister on 19 December 2023

The Minister has recently approved a number of enhancements to the FNQ DAMA, effective from 19 December 2023. These include:

• The following occupations have been added to the FNQ DAMA Occupation and Concessions List: Sand Blaster, Industrial Spray Painter, Motor Vehicle Parts Interpreter (Automotive Parts Salesperson), Podiatrist, Plasterer (Wall and Ceiling), Wall and Floor Tiler, Outside School Hours Care Worker;
• Addition of English Language concession for the occupation of Chef;
• Qualification requirement for Child Care Worker (Skill Level 3) reduced from AQF Cert IV to AQF Cert III;
• Period of time required on a TSS 482 visa before an ENS 186 (permanent visa) nomination, reduced from 3 years to 2 years;
• Where being nominated directly for ENS 186 (permanent visa) under FNQ DAMA based on counting periods of time on non-DAMA visas in the FNQ DAMA Designated Area in the same occupation, removal of the need for those non-DAMA visas to be a TSS 482 or 457 (in other words experience on any non-DAMA visa with work rights can be counted, which can be either full-time or part-time pro-rata experience);
• Removal of ‘Conditional’ Permanent Visa pathway for TSS 482 to ENS 186 for Skill Level 5 occupations – now aligns with other skill levels;
• Realignment of the FNQ DAMA Designated Area to more explicitly also include the Etheridge Shire Council and the Croydon Shire Council LGAs, as well as to include some postcodes previously omitted from existing LGAs (4857, 4884, 4887 and 4888);
• Changes to the way FNQ DAMA ‘caps’ are allocated, that will allow the Cairns Chamber of Commerce to endorse employers for years in an employer labour agreement beyond the expiry of a current FNQ DAMA head agreement (the mechanics of this are still being arranged – further information in early 2024).

*This is a summary only. Details of the variations can be accessed in the Accessing the FNQ DAMA webpage on this site.

Preparation for next FNQ DAMA head agreement business case - (posted 22 May 2023)

The FNQ DAMA has been and continues to be a shining light in the options available to FNQ employers to address their skill shortages, where these cannot be met from the Australian labour market and are not available through standard programs. The current FNQ DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreement) between the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and government ends on 4 April 2024. The Chamber is in ongoing discussions with the Department of Home Affairs regarding a seamless transition to the next five-year FNQ DAMA head agreement and has commenced drafting the business case.

The Chamber will soon be writing to a range of businesses in FNQ inviting them to complete a short survey, to help inform the business case and the occupations and concessions sought in that new agreement. Their input to that survey will be vital for the Chamber to work towards meeting FNQ skill shortage needs for the next five years.

Government increase to TSMIT from 1 July 2023 - (posted 22 May 2023)

You may be aware that the TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold) will increase from $53,900 to $70,000 from 1 July. The FNQ DAMA provides access to a concession (equal to 90% of TSMIT) for many occupations in the FNQ DAMA occupation list (Skill Levels 3-5). The number of employers seeking access to this concession in their FNQ DAMA labour agreements decreased significantly in the last 12 months due to salary increases. However, with the TSMIT to increase on 1 July 2023, it is expected that many employers will now seek to have the TSMIT concession added to or included in their FNQ DAMA labour agreements. 

The current Department of Home Affairs advice is: 

"How will the TSMIT increase impact labour agreements?

On 27 April 2023 Minister O’Neil announced an increase to the Temporary Skilled Migrant Income Threshold (TSMIT) from 01 July 2023. Existing labour agreement holders with a TSMIT concession should carefully read through the terms of their labour agreement to determine how changes to TSMIT will impact them. Annual Market Salary Rate requirements will continue to apply. If you are unsure, you may wish to seek migration advice from an Australian Legal Practitioner or Registered Migration Agent." 

The Department of Home Affairs stated on Friday* that in respect of labour agreements, the TSMIT will be applied as at date of nominating an individual overseas worker, such that nominations lodged up to and including 30 June 2023 will continue to be subject to the current TSMIT (minimum $53,900 or $48,510 with an FNQ DAMA concession), and those lodged from 1 July 2023 onwards, will be subject to the increased TSMIT (minimum $70,000 or $63,000 with an FNQ DAMA concession). Note that this has not been confirmed in writing. We understand that the Department will confirm this publicly in coming days and we will post an update with that link when available.

* Department of Home Affairs rep speaking at Migration Institute of Australia Regional Migration Conference, Adelaide (19 May 2023). 

The Chamber is also able to advise that it has today submitted a variation request to the Department of Home Affairs, requesting amendments to the level of the TSMIT concession in the FNQ DAMA head agreement as soon as possible, for those occupations that have an award and/or market salary below 90% of the new post-1 July TSMIT, in our region (Skill Levels 2-5). This is added to our existing FNQ DAMA Deed of Variation, which we understand is currently under consideration. We will advise if and when this request is approved by government. 

For those employers seeking to add a TSMIT concession to an existing or pending FNQ DAMA labour agreement, this process is triggered by endorsement from the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has put together a fast-track and simplified endorsement process for this purpose. For details, see the TSMIT Concession Variations in our website here. Employers submitting their initial FNQ DAMA endorsement request can request the TSMIT concession as part of the normal endorsement process. They do not need to use the variation facility referred to above. 

Government increase to TSMIT from 1 July 2023 - (posted 9 May 2023)

The government recently announced that the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) will increase to $70,000 from 1 July 2023. The DAR has been in communication with the Labour Agreement Section at the Department of Home Affairs with a series of questions regarding whether and how this may affect the FNQ DAMA and the TSMIT concession. We understand that formal advice is not yet available but is being formulated. The DAR has a meeting with the Labour Agreement Section on 17 May and is attending a Migration Institute of Australia Regional Migration Conference in Adelaide on 19 May. The DAR hopes to be in a position to provide clarity to stakeholders soon afterwards. Meanwhile, the FNQ DAMA continues to operate in effect with labour agreements being decided by Canberra.    

Employer Labour Agreement Variation - simpler process - (posted 24 March 2023)

The Labour Agreement Section of the Department of Home Affairs has advised that, for variations to an existing FNQ DAMA employer labour agreement, it is no longer necessary for employers (or their agent) to complete a template or pro-forma for the Labour Agreement Section. The DAR (Cairns Chamber of Commerce) endorsement is sufficient to inititiate their assessment of a variation request.  

FNQ DAMA Deed of Variation request submitted - (posted 29 December 2022)

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce has submitted a request for a Deed of Variation to the Department of Home Affairs, requesting the addition of nine new occupations to the FNQ DAMA Occupation List, and requesting a small number of technical enhancements to the FNQ DAMA. The outcome of this request will be posted here and will also be automatically communicated to subscribers. 

Launch of FNQ DAMA Jobs Forum Facebook Group - (posted 22 August 2022)

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce has launched this group as a forum to help link FNQ employers with skills shortages in FNQ DAMA occupations, with jobseekers in those occupations. Agents and recruiters are also able to become members within certain parameters.  

Minister approves FNQ DAMA variations - effective 30 March 2022 - (posted 31 March 2022)   

On 30 March 2022 the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke, signed a Deed of Variation giving effect to a range of variations that serve to enhance the FNQ DAMA, ensuring it remains fit for purpose in the changing economic climate. The variations included:

• removal of some unused occupations and replacing them with additional occupations identified as subject to skill shortages;
• removal* of some non-ANZSCO and obsolete occupations resulting from a government ANZSCO review, and replacing them with the new equivalents;
• an increase in the age concession, accessible for all occupations;
• greater flexibility with the English language concession for those occupations that are eligible;
• reduced experience concessions for some occupations where the Overseas Worker's qualification was obtained in Australia;
• removal of postcode limitations that previously applied to some occupations;
• extension of the permanent residence pathway to all occupations (conditional for Skill Level 5);
• addition of the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) to the FNQ DAMA Designated Area.

*The variations include transitional arrangements to ensure Overseas Workers in any occupations removed will remain eligible for a permanent visa pathway under the FNQ DAMA.    

A new FNQ DAMA Occupation and Concessions List and FNQ DAMA Information Guide have been uploaded in the Accessing the FNQ DAMA page of this website.

The Minister and the Federal Member for Leichhardt the Hon Warren Entsch MP issued a joint media release on 31 March 2022 announcing the FNQ DAMA variations. 

FNQ DAMA Request for Endorsement fee change from 1 May 2022 - (posted 1 March 2022)   

On 1 May 2022 there will be an increase in the Request for Endorsement fee to $885 for Cairns Chamber of Commerce members, and $985 for non-members. This fee continues to be per position sought. The change has been necessary due to the high costs of managing the FNQ DAMA including labour market analyses and variations due to the ever-changing labour market. The results of the latest Deed of Variation are expected shortly, that will see further enhancements to the FNQ DAMA. 

FNQ DAMA Deed of Variation request - (7 February 2022)   

On Monday 7 February the Cairns Chamber of Commerce submitted a Deed of Variation request to the Department of Home Affairs for consideration by the Minister for Immigration. The request seeks updates to the occupation list in response to a January 2022 labour market survey and analysis, as well as some enhancements to existing concessions. The outcome of the variation request will be posted on this page. If you wish to be informed automatically, please subscribe for FNQ DAMA updates. 

FNQ DAMA Media Release - (19 January 2022)*   

Click here for the latest FNQ DAMA Media Release.

FNQ DAMA important update - (1 September 2021)*   

As of 1 September 2021, more lenient Labour Market Testing requirements apply to the FNQ DAMA than to non-DAMA programs, at time of requesting the Labour Agreement and also when lodging any nominations associated with that Labour Agreement. These more lenient requirements are detailed here. These will be reflected in all FNQ DAMA Labour Agreements signed on or after 1 September 2021, regardless of when the Labour Agreement was requested from the Department of Home Affairs. As with any FNQ DAMA updates, holders of existing FNQ DAMA Labour Agreements can request that these changes be varied in their existing agreement.   

FNQ DAMA important update - (11 August 2021)*   

An additional variation has been added to the FNQ DAMA as of 11 August 2021. An age concession is now available for the SESR 494 pathway, in addition to the existing age concession for the TSS482/ENS186 pathway. For details, refer to the FNQ DAMA Occupation List and the FNQ DAMA Information Guide in the next page.

Note: * These updates are a summary only - do not make business decisions based on these summaries.