HomeServicesPracticesEmployer-Sponsored Visas & Labour Agreements
Practice

Employer-sponsored visas, labour agreements and DAMA for Australian businesses

Sponsorship, nominations and visas for the people your business needs — structured so that compliance obligations are met and the next renewal is already planned.

AustraliaNew Zealand

For an employer, a visa is a workforce decision with legal obligations attached. We advise businesses on becoming a sponsor, nominating positions, choosing between temporary and permanent pathways, and meeting the record-keeping and salary obligations that follow.

Where the standard programs do not fit — regional labour shortages, occupations not on the lists, whole-of-company needs — we negotiate labour agreements and use Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) to open pathways that would otherwise be closed.

Who this is for

  • Businesses hiring from overseas for the first time
  • Employers with a sponsored workforce and compliance questions
  • Regional employers considering DAMA
  • Companies relocating staff between Australia, New Zealand, Portugal and Brazil

What we do

  • Standard business sponsorship approval and renewal
  • Skills in Demand (subclass 482) and Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) applications
  • Labour Market Testing and salary benchmarking
  • Company-specific labour agreements and DAMA endorsements
  • Sponsorship compliance, monitoring and audit responses
  • Transition from temporary to permanent residence for sponsored staff
  • New Zealand accredited-employer pathways

How it works

Workforce consultation

We look at the roles, the candidates and the timing, and recommend the program that fits — with costs and obligations set out in writing.

Sponsorship and nomination

We prepare the sponsorship, nominations and visa applications together, so nothing waits on a missing step.

Compliance calendar

You receive the obligations, renewal dates and reporting duties as a single calendar, and we act on them with you.

Questions

How long does employer sponsorship take?

It depends on the stream, the occupation and departmental processing times, which change. We give you a realistic timeline at the consultation and plan around it.

What is a DAMA?

A Designated Area Migration Agreement lets employers in a designated region sponsor workers in occupations, and with concessions, not available under the standard program.

Can a sponsored employee become permanent?

In most cases yes, through the Employer Nomination Scheme after a qualifying period — we plan the transition from the start.

Talk to us about employer-sponsored visas & labour agreements.

A short message with the countries involved is enough to start. We reply within one business day.