A Colac Otway food processor budgeted once. The Request for Endorsement went in, Warrnambool endorsed the business, and the plan looked settled for five years. Then the second season arrived and the approved worker numbers had run out. The endorsement was still live. The new vacancies were not covered.
Short answer: Great South Coast DAMA endorsement runs up to five years. However, your occupations and worker numbers cover the first year only. Each later year needs a fresh request, plus another fee of about $850 to $1,000 excluding GST per worker.
Five years of access, one year of numbers
Warrnambool City Council acts as the Designated Area Representative, or DAR, for the Great South Coast region. Importantly, it endorses a business to access the agreement, and that endorsement can run for up to five years.
However, the initial allocation of occupation types and vacancies covers the first year only. Therefore a business that wants new workers in year two lodges again. Meanwhile, the form for that stage is the Request for Endorsement Subsequent Year, a deed of variation.
Plan your hiring in yearly blocks as a result. Also request only the numbers you can fill, because a regional ceiling applies. Early requests matter when demand runs high. Our comparison of the two Victorian agreements sets out the regional footprints.
What the DAR must be satisfied of
The Commonwealth does not prescribe how a DAR assesses employers. Instead, it asks the DAR to weigh the risk a request poses to the integrity of the program. Nevertheless, Warrnambool publishes the five points it must reach before it endorses you.
- The occupations and concessions you seek are actually available under the agreement.
- The annual ceiling numbers have not already been reached.
- The concessions are reasonable against current labour market conditions in the region.
- The request supports the objectives set out in the DAMA.
- You have completed the Commonwealth declaration form.
That declaration form changed the evidence load. Previously the DAR collected documents. Now you declare that you will meet the requirements. The detailed evidence then goes to Home Affairs, at the labour agreement stage, the nomination stage, or both.
So a light endorsement file does not mean a light matter. The proof simply moves downstream, where a weak claim costs you more time.
The gates you clear before you lodge
Warrnambool also publishes an eligibility checklist. So run it honestly before you spend anything.
The last line catches employers most often. Because sponsorship and nomination costs stay with the business by law, recovery is not an option. Our note on the costs you cannot pass to a worker covers what a breach costs.
What you pay, stage by stage
The DAR fee changed on 1 July 2026. Warrnambool now charges per worker nominated, and the rate scales with turnover.
| Stage | Charged by | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Request for Endorsement, turnover under $10 million | Warrnambool City Council | About $850 ex GST per worker |
| Request for Endorsement, turnover $10 million or more | Warrnambool City Council | About $1,000 ex GST per worker |
| Sponsorship approval | Home Affairs | $420 |
| Subclass 482 nomination | Home Affairs | $330 |
| Subclass 186 nomination | Home Affairs | $540 |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy, subclass 482 | Home Affairs | $1,200 or $1,800 per year |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy, permanent and regional | Home Affairs | $3,000 or $5,000 one off |
Treat the DAR amounts as approximate. The council publishes these figures from 1 July 2026, and it charges per worker nominated. Therefore confirm the exact amount in writing before you budget. Our fees and process page sets out what we charge on top.
The 7 to 10 working day clock
Warrnambool aims to decide a request within 7 to 10 working days. However, that clock assumes a complete file. If the DAR chases information, the assessment takes longer. A decision can also be made on what you filed.
Consequently, two habits pay off. First, talk to your local council before you lodge. Second, work through the document list inside the form rather than around it.
Home Affairs then sets its own timeframes for the later stages. The DAR does not control them, and no one can promise a date.
What the endorsement letter actually gives you
An approved request produces a letter of endorsement. Copies then go to your business and to the Australian Government. However, an attachment does the real work.
That attachment names each endorsed occupation. It also sets the maximum number of approved nominations. Then it records the salary concession type and the English concession for each role. So concessions land occupation by occupation, not business wide.
Check the row for your exact role before you interview. The salary concession sits at 90 per cent of the income threshold. That is about $71,480 against the 2026-27 figure of $79,423. Even so, the market salary rate still applies, and you pay the higher amount. Our article on DAMA age, English and salary concessions explains how far each one reaches.
The sequence from request to visa
- Step 1Speak to your local council and scope the occupation and the concessions.
- Step 2Lodge the Request for Endorsement with the declaration form and supporting documents.
- Step 3Receive the endorsement letter, with occupations, numbers and concessions listed.
- Step 4Request the labour agreement from Home Affairs and provide the detailed evidence.
- Step 5Lodge the nomination and pay the levy once the agreement is executed.
- Step 6The worker lodges the subclass 482 or subclass 494 application.
Remember the industry agreement rule at step one. Since 26 March 2026, an occupation covered by an Industry Labour Agreement is harder to reach. The DAR can endorse it only where the worker will work in a different industry. Otherwise you use that industry agreement instead. Our employer sponsorship page sets out the alternatives.
Can a worker start this process without an employer?
No. The Great South Coast DAMA is employer sponsored, so only a business can request endorsement. The worker needs an employer in the region that holds a labour agreement covering the occupation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Warrnambool take to decide a Request for Endorsement?
The Designated Area Representative aims to complete the process within 7 to 10 working days. However, missing information extends that timeframe, and a decision may be made on the material supplied. Home Affairs sets separate processing times for the labour agreement and the nomination.
Do we give our evidence to the council or to Home Affairs?
You complete a Commonwealth declaration form at the endorsement stage, which reduces the documents the DAR collects. The detailed evidence then goes to the Department of Home Affairs at the labour agreement stage, the nomination stage, or both.
Our endorsement runs for five years. Do we still apply each year?
Yes, where you need new workers or new occupations. The initial allocation of occupation types and vacancies covers the first year only. Later years run through the Request for Endorsement Subsequent Year form, which varies the labour agreement.
Is the endorsement fee charged per business or per worker?
Warrnambool charges per worker nominated. From 1 July 2026 the fee is about $850 excluding GST where turnover sits under $10 million. Above that level it is about $1,000 excluding GST. Treat both as approximate and confirm the exact amount before you budget.
When can we lodge a Request for Endorsement?
Employer applications are accepted at any time of year. However, an annual ceiling applies across the region, so timing still matters. Lodging early in the program year protects your numbers when regional demand is strong.
Regional terms, fees and timeframes verified as at 8 September 2026 against the Great South Coast DAMA pages published by Warrnambool City Council. Thresholds, charges and levies are the 2026-27 Home Affairs figures.
General information about Australian migration law as at 8 September 2026. Not legal advice. DAMA occupations, concessions, ceilings and fees change at each review, and every case turns on its own facts, so obtain advice before you act.