An Adelaide defence contractor asked us about a naval architect aged 51. Under the standard permanent rules, that age closes the file. Under the Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement DAMA, it does not. The same employer then asked for a salary discount. There, the answer ran the other way. This agreement moves age and experience. It does not move money, and it does not move English.
Figures below come from the South Australian Designated Area Representative and from Home Affairs, checked on 14 September 2026.
The age rule is the real prize
Every one of the 57 occupation entries carries an age concession. So a nominee must be under 55 at nomination for the 494 and for the 186. The usual cut off is 45.
Of course, the 482 itself sets no age limit. However, the age test returns at the permanent stage. That timing matters for senior hires. A lead engineer of 51, for example, can start on a 482. Even so, the 186 must land before the birthday that ends it. A hire at 53 leaves very little room, because the two year transition eats the gap. Therefore, map the age against the calendar before you sign the contract. Our guide to the 186 visa covers the transition stream in detail.
One year of experience, but only for Australian graduates
A reduced work experience requirement also sits on all 57 entries. One year of relevant experience can support a 482 or a 494 nomination. That shorter figure applies where the nominee gained the AQF qualification in Australia.
Otherwise the DAR asks for two years for the 494, and three years for the 186. In addition, the experience must sit in the nominated occupation or a related role at the same skill level. It must also fall inside the last five years. Australian graduates therefore gain the most from this agreement. Recent overseas hires gain the least.
What this agreement will not give you
Here the Adelaide City list breaks from the rest of the DAMA family. No occupation entry carries a salary concession. None carries an English concession either.
The DAR does publish a concession framework for South Australia. It sets three salary types and three English tiers. Those settings run occupation by occupation, though. As a result, none of them reaches this list. The DAR explains why, in short. Concessions were negotiated occupation by occupation with the Commonwealth, and not every occupation won one.
Full Commonwealth rules therefore apply here. Home Affairs sets the Core Skills Income Threshold at $79,423. That figure covers nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The annual market salary rate must also be met, and the higher figure governs. Our post on DAMA concessions sets out how the four concession types normally interact.
The 57 roles, and the skills trap inside them
We counted 57 entries under the Adelaide City Agreement on 14 September 2026. They fall into eight groupings, from chief executives and specialist managers through to science technicians.
Moreover, the list leans hard towards science. Twenty three entries sit in the design, engineering and science group. They include Biotechnologist, Microbiologist, Medical Laboratory Scientist and Naval Architect. Managers feature too, for example Chief Information Officer and ICT Project Manager. Every entry sits at skill level 1 or skill level 2. So this is a professional list, and not a semi-skilled one.
Meanwhile, nine entries carry the non-ANZSCO code 070499. They cover newer titles such as Clinical Researcher, Data and Analytics Manager and Senior Digital Artist. For those roles, the DAR assesses skills itself. Watch the sequence, though. The DAR only offers those assessments to employers who already hold an executed labour agreement.
Your address decides the agreement
Every entry we checked shows the same availability, Greater Adelaide. A business outside that footprint uses the South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement instead. That agreement runs statewide, and on a far longer list. We compared the two maps in our post on how the SA postcode picks the agreement.
What the Adelaide City route costs
First, the good news. The DAR charges nothing. No fee applies to endorsement, to a variation or to the labour agreement itself. Commonwealth charges still land in full.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sponsorship application | $420 |
| 482 nomination | $330 |
| 186 nomination | $540 |
| Skilling Australians Fund, 482 | $1,200 or $1,800 a year |
| Skilling Australians Fund, 186 | $3,000 or $5,000 once |
| Income threshold | $79,423, no concession on this list |
| DAR endorsement fee | Nil |
Turnover decides which levy figure applies. Still, employers cannot pass that levy to the worker.
The file, and the 12 month clock
First, check the business qualifies. It must operate lawfully in South Australia for at least 12 months, and it must show financial capacity. The nominating business must also employ the worker directly, so labour hire and self sponsorship both fall away.
Second, build the pack. The DAR wants an accountant’s letter, the ASIC certificate and a lease. In addition, it wants a profit and loss report, two recent BAS and an organisational chart. Finally, it wants adverse information from the last five years.
Third, evidence the advertising. Two advertisements must have run in the last 12 months. Each one must run 28 days, on a platform with national reach. Where the base salary sits under $96,400, the advertisement must also show the salary range.
Then watch the clock after approval. An endorsement letter lasts 12 months only. Endorsement also carries no guarantee. Indeed, no review rights apply if the DAR says no.
Ask for your 186 places in the first application
Employers can now flag how many 186 nominations they expect in years three to five of the agreement. Those ceiling requests get considered inside the first endorsement application. As a result, that option saves a fight later, because variations run on a tight leash. The DAR supports one variation in each year of the agreement, and none in the first six months.
Yet one more filter applies before any of this. Where an Industry Labour Agreement already covers your industry for that occupation, the DAMA closes for it. Our employer sponsorship page sets out the alternatives when that happens.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Adelaide City DAMA endorsement letter last?
Twelve months only. The labour agreement itself runs five years, but the endorsement does not. Where a business needs more workers in the second year, it requests a variation through the DAR.
Can a 51 year old engineer still reach permanent residence here?
The age concession on this list allows nomination under 55 for the 186 and the 494. The 482 carries no age limit. So plan the two year transition period, and keep the nominee under 55 at the 186 nomination.
Who assesses skills for the non-ANZSCO roles on this list?
The DAR, Skilled and Business Migration, assesses those nine roles coded 070499. Those assessments open only to employers who already hold an executed labour agreement, so sequence the agreement first.
Does the one year experience concession apply to an overseas qualification?
No. One year applies where the nominee gained the AQF qualification in Australia. Otherwise the DAR asks two years for the 494 and three years for the 186.
Can we request 186 places before year three of the agreement?
Yes. Employers may indicate expected 186 ceilings for years three to five inside the first endorsement application. Later requests run as variations, and only one variation is supported each year.
This article is general information only, current at 14 September 2026. It is not legal advice and it does not create a lawyer and client relationship. Occupation counts, concessions and process steps come from the South Australian Designated Area Representative, checked on 14 September 2026. Migration law changes often, so seek advice for your circumstances.