Victoria DAMA 2026: What Employers Can Use Now — and What Could Change Next
Victoria DAMA 2026 is suddenly a major search topic after the new Migration (Designated Areas) Instrument 2026 listed Victoria — Entire State. But Victorian employers should be careful: the instrument does not itself create a statewide DAMA.
What it does do is arrive at a time when the Australian Government is openly moving toward state and territory-led DAMAs. For employers struggling to recruit workers, that makes the distinction between what exists now and what may come next particularly important.
Does Victoria currently have a statewide DAMA?
No statewide Victorian DAMA is currently listed by the Department of Home Affairs.
Victoria presently has two DAMAs:
- Goulburn Valley DAMA; and
- Great South Coast DAMA.
These are specific labour-agreement frameworks covering defined locations and occupations. They are not the same thing as a statewide Victorian arrangement.
Why did “Victoria — Entire State” appear in the new instrument?
The Migration (Designated Areas) Instrument 2026 specifies areas for the separate migration-law definition of “designated area”. Victoria is listed as “Entire State”.
Importantly, Victoria was also listed as “Entire State” in the previous 2016 designated-areas instrument. The wording therefore does not, by itself, amount to a new Victorian DAMA.
What does a DAMA actually give employers?
Home Affairs describes a DAMA as a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a state or territory government or regional authority. It can allow participating employers to access occupations and negotiated settings that are not available through the standard skilled migration program.
Depending on the particular DAMA head agreement, concessions may be available in areas such as occupation eligibility, English, age, work experience or salary requirements. These concessions are agreement-specific and should never be assumed.
Read our detailed guide to labour agreement concessions.
Which visas can be used under DAMA labour agreements?
Home Affairs states that DAMA labour agreements generally use one or more of the following visa programs:
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482);
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494); and
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186).
The relevant head agreement determines which pathways and concessions are actually available.
Can a Melbourne employer use a Victorian DAMA?
Not simply because the business is in Victoria.
A Melbourne employer must identify an applicable employer-sponsored or labour-agreement pathway. The new designated-areas instrument does not turn metropolitan Melbourne into a regional area and does not automatically bring Melbourne employers within either of Victoria’s existing DAMAs.
Home Affairs continues to treat Melbourne as a Category 1 Major City for regional migration purposes.
Why a future statewide Victorian DAMA would be a major development
The Commonwealth has confirmed that it is supporting a transition to state and territory-led DAMAs. The Department’s 2026 administration paper says the Government is working with jurisdictions to establish state and territory-led DAMAs to replace existing regional DAMAs when they expire.
If Victoria ultimately enters a statewide head agreement, it could potentially create a more centralised framework for Victorian employers experiencing persistent labour shortages. But the eventual scope cannot be predicted until the agreement is formally announced.
A statewide DAMA would still need to specify:
- which parts of Victoria are covered;
- which occupations are included;
- which concessions apply;
- the annual nomination settings or ceilings;
- which businesses can obtain endorsement; and
- which visa pathways may be used.
What Victorian employers should assess now
Businesses should not wait for a possible future DAMA if a current pathway may already exist. Depending on the facts, employers should assess:
- whether the occupation is available under the standard subclass 482, 186 or 494 programs;
- whether the business is located within an existing DAMA region;
- whether the occupation appears on the relevant DAMA occupation list;
- whether an industry labour agreement is available;
- whether the business can demonstrate genuine recruitment efforts and labour-market need; and
- whether a company-specific labour agreement needs to be considered.
For more detail, see our Labour Agreement Australia guide.
The key takeaway for 2026
The surprise is not that Victoria has suddenly become one statewide DAMA. It has not.
The important development is that the Commonwealth is moving toward state and territory-led DAMAs, while Victoria continues to operate the Goulburn Valley and Great South Coast arrangements. The new 2026 designated-areas instrument should therefore be read carefully, not treated as proof that a statewide Victorian DAMA already exists.
For the legal terminology behind the issue, read Designated Area vs Designated Regional Area vs DAMA: Why Victoria’s 2026 Instrument Is Being Misread.
Reviewed 21 September 2026. General information only; not legal advice. DAMA lists, concessions and migration policy can change.
Madhab Kharel
Principal Lawyer & Director, Emigrate Lawyers
Madhab Kharel is the Principal Lawyer and Director of Emigrate Lawyers, an Australian law firm assisting clients across Australia and internationally. His migration law practice includes Partner Visas, Protection Visas, visa refusals and cancellations, Administrative Review Tribunal matters, health and character issues, Schedule 3, Section 48, sponsorship limitations and employer-sponsored migration. He regularly advises clients with complex immigration histories and matters requiring detailed legal submissions and evidence strategy.
Reviewed by Madhab Kharel, Principal Lawyer
Date reviewed: 21 September 2026
