Step by step guide for employers

There are several steps in the Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement (NT DAMA) process.

Before you apply

Check whether the position you need to fill is on the NT DAMA occupations list.

Check your business’ eligibility for the NT DAMA.

Determine your workforce demand: how many overseas workers will you need to nominate under the program in each occupation over the 5-years period of the labour agreement. This should be based on your genuine workforce need. Note, the number of endorsed workers can only be increased during the 5-year period if there is a strong business case outlining why the increased demand was not foreseen when you made the initial application.

Determine the visa subclass that you wish to nominate against. You can nominate workers under the:

  • 4-year Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa
  • 5-year Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visa, or
  • permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.

Each of these have different requirements as to the worker’s skills and age.

For further details, refer to the NT DAMA occupation list and the qualifications and experience requirements.

Your business needs to apply to MigrationNT within the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations for endorsement to access the NT DAMA.

To create an online application, go to the NT DAMA website.

Submit with the supporting documentation in the checklist below.

You will need to register an account before you can make an application.

Registered migration agents/lawyers who have an online account for lodging NT nominations under the General Skilled Migration program can use the same account for lodging NT DAMA applications.

Endorsement applications completed by registered migration agents/lawyers will be provided to the business representative to verify. If the business representative requests any changes, it will be reverted to you to make amendments. Once the business representative confirms that the application is accurate, it will be submitted for assessment.

If your business is eligible to access NT DAMA, a letter of endorsement and copies of the supporting documents will be sent to the Australian Government and your business.

Checklist for supporting documents

ItemDescription
1. Business registration documents including:
  • business registration and business name change registrations (if any)
  • ASIC extract
  • ABN, ACN extract
  • trust deed (if applicable).
2. Evidence the business has been actively operating in the Northern Territory for at least 12 months. Evidence may include:
  • lease agreements
  • contracts and invoices from suppliers / customers
  • letter from accountant stating 12 months operation, net assets, profit / loss and turnover
  • business capability statement / promotional material referencing NT operation.
3.

Business case submission on business letterhead outlining:

  • overview of business (i.e. entity name, business structure, size/scale, how long the business has been operating in NT, industry etc)
  • genuine need for occupations and number of positions sought over the duration of the 5-year labour agreement including:
    • details of positions sought and how they fit within ordinary activities of the business
    • justification for number of positions sought (i.e. vacancies, attrition, labour market need, business expansion).

Note: the number of positions you’re seeking should be based on your genuine workforce need. The number of endorsed workers can only be increased during the 5-year period if there is a strong business case outlining why the increased demand was not foreseen when you made the initial application.

4. Job descriptions for each requested position.
5. Organisation chart which is less than 6 months old. Highlight the positions requested for endorsement, vacancies, and provide the following information for all the staff:
  • positions titles
  • visa status (visa type, Australian permanent resident or Australian citizen)
  • employment status (full-time, part-time or casual)
  • reporting lines of all staff.
6.

Audited financial statement for the mostly recently concluded financial year and business activity statement for each quarter of the current financial year.

If the information is not available, provide a letter from an accountant detailing the business net profit and financial capability to sponsor workers in the requested positions.

7.

If the business has any adverse information (e.g. adverse finding made by a government authority) - a statutory declaration detailing the information, evidence of outcome (if any), and details of steps taken by the business rectify identified issues should be attached.

For more information on adverse information, go to the Department of Home Affairs website.

8. Evidence of domestic recruitment efforts, i.e. labour market testing advertising, for each requested position including all of the following:
  • copies of at least 2 job advertisements in a reputable website / newspaper / industry websites (not general classifieds or social media) one of which must be of national reach
  • invoices received by recruitment agencies (if used)
  • evidence to prove the nominated positions have been advertised publicly for 28 consecutive days. For example, screenshots from the start and end of advertising, and receipts showing duration. Note: the Department of Home Affairs requires that the advertising must have been completed within the 12 months period prior to submitting a nomination, and each advertisement must include key information such as salary (or salary range), description of the position, location of the position, and required skills and experience.

Evidence must be compliant with current Department of Home Affairs labour market testing requirements. For more information, refer to the labour market testing requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Note, for applications lodged from 1 July 2025, one of the local advertising platforms used must be the NT Government’s WorkerConnect.

9.

Evidence to prove overseas workers who will be employed in the requested position will receive terms and conditions no less favourable than those provided to an Australian citizen or permanent resident:

  • employment contract and 3 recent payslips for a current Australian or permanent resident employee in the same level position, or
  • enterprise agreement specific to the business, or
  • evidence of market salary levels for similar positions in the NT, which can include:
    • 2 recent advertisements placed for similar positions by other NT employers, and/or
    • salary reports specific to the NT market from reputable sources sources (only  accepted if no relevant and recent advertisements in the NT can be found).

This evidence is required for each requested position.

Read more information on the salary requirements to nominate a worker on the Department of Home Affairs website.

10.
  • Template employment contract (i.e. it does not need to include the name of the prospective overseas workers) outlining terms and conditions of employment, including a breakdown of the salary, superannuation and any non-monetary components.
  • Pay slips - if nominee is already employed in the position.

Evidence is required for each requested position.

If successfully endorsed by the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations, your business can then apply for a labour agreement with the Department of Home Affairs through their ImmiAccount.

The labour agreement will be valid for a period of 5 years which commences on the date the agreement is signed between your business and the Department of Home Affairs.

The labour agreement will outline the number of workers the business can nominate over the 5-year agreement period in specified occupations and the available concessions.

Further instructions on how to lodge the labour agreement request will be sent via email if the business is successfully endorsed.

Your business identifies an overseas worker that is suitably skilled and experienced for the occupation that has NT DAMA approval. You must provide each worker with a settlement package (which will be provided to you) before the worker lodges their visa application.

Some occupations require skills assessment. Read more about qualifications and experience.

If the nominated occupation requires a skills assessment from MigrationNT, fill in and submit the skills assessment application form together with supporting documents by email to migration@nt.gov.au.

Get the MigrationNT skills assessment application DOCX (65.5 KB).

Where the overseas worker's skills are assessed positively, MigrationNT will issue a skills verification letter to be included with the overseas worker’s visa application.

Your business submits a nomination application to the Australian Government for each overseas worker you want to employ under the NT DAMA using your ImmiAccount.

Your overseas worker can then apply for a visa.

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