Not every role fits into Australia’s standard visa framework. If you’re trying to sponsor a skilled worker but getting blocked by the occupation list, age cap, or English threshold — you’re not alone. That’s where Labour Agreements (and DAMAs) come in. These aren’t off-the-shelf visas. They’re complex, strategic, and — when done right — game-changers for growing your workforce.
Labour Agreements are custom visa frameworks that allow employers to sponsor roles outside the standard occupation list — or with tailored concessions. These are ideal for:
- Hospitality groups needing cooks or supervisors excluded from current lists
- Regional aged care facilities needing PCAs or ENs
- Religious organisations needing overseas clergy
- Trades blocked by skill caps or age limitsLabour Agreements
DAMA = Designated Area Migration Agreement. It’s a regional version of a Labour Agreement, where broader occupation lists and concessions are pre-negotiated by local governments.
If you’re a business in regional Australia, a DAMA could:
- Lower the required English level
- Waive age limits
- Allow access to occupations not normally available
- Full religious labour agreement for an entire ministry team
- Hospitality group hiring offshore chefs excluded from standard 482 list
- Aged care DAMA set up in a regional QLD facility
- Construction firm needing non-ANZSCO role approval
- Multi-site franchise needing scaled agreements across locations
At Cornerstone, we don’t just lodge paperwork — we negotiate, draft, and secure agreements that hold up to DHA scrutiny.
Most migration agents avoid Labour Agreements for a reason:
- They require policy arguments and business case development
- They demand salary benchmarking and industry justification
- You often negotiate directly with the Department
That’s why you need a partner who’s done it before — not someone guessing their way through Labour Agreements.
- One of the few firms with real experience in Labour Agreement drafting
- Sector-specific knowledge: hospitality, aged care, trades, religion, and more
- Full integration with recruitment: sourcing + visa = one seamless pipeline
Need Skilled Staff But Standard Visas Don’t Work? Let’s Build You the Right One.
We’ll confirm your eligibility, map the right stream, and deliver a Labour Agreement that scales with your workforce.
