A Shepparton food processor found its diesel fitter in March. The offer went out, the visa question came later, and the answer was uncomfortable. The company sat inside the Goulburn Valley DAMA footprint, yet the depot the fitter would run sat outside it. The role had to move before anything else could start.
Short answer: The Goulburn Valley DAMA covers businesses in Greater Shepparton, Campaspe and Moira, across 138 approved occupations on the August 2026 list. Endorsement costs $750 plus GST per worker, and it comes before any labour agreement. Run four checks before you make the offer.
Check one: where the business sits, and where the job sits
The Designated Area Representative for the Goulburn Valley is Greater Shepparton City Council. It endorses businesses inside the City of Greater Shepparton, Campaspe Shire and Moira Shire.
The DAR also publishes the eligible Victorian postcodes. They begin at 3559 and end at 3730. The published set includes 3561 to 3566, 3616 to 3618, 3620 to 3624 and 3635 to 3641. Check your exact postcode against that list rather than the shire name.
Two further location points catch employers out. First, the position must sit inside the footprint, not only the head office. Second, the business must have operated lawfully in the region for more than 12 months.
Check two: the occupation, and the four columns beside it
The approved occupation list runs to 138 occupations, and the current overview carries an August 2026 date. It spans skill levels 1 to 5, so semi skilled roles sit alongside professional ones.
Each occupation carries four separate flags. One column shows any salary concession and one shows an English concession. The others show the age concession and the permanent residence pathway. Therefore the concession follows the occupation, not the employer.
Read that row before you shortlist. If the role is not on the list, no concession is available and the standard program applies instead. Our note on checking an occupation against ANZSCO duties explains how the Department reads the tasks.
Check three: what the concession actually changes
| Concession | Goulburn Valley DAMA position |
|---|---|
| Salary | Reduced threshold of 90% of TSMIT or CSIT, so about $71,480 against the 2026-27 figure of $79,423 |
| Salary, type 1 | Reduced threshold, with earnings able to include guaranteed overtime |
| Salary, type 2 | Type 1 settings plus quantifiable monetary and non monetary benefits |
| English | Available for listed occupations, with OET, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and CAE results accepted |
| Age | Under 55 for skill level 1 to 4 roles, under 50 for skill level 5 roles |
| Skills | Qualifications assessed by the relevant skills assessing authority |
The age concession applies to the subclass 494 and subclass 186 programs. It replaces the general limit of 45 that applies on standard pathways. The subclass 186 route also requires at least two years on a subclass 482 visa.
Meanwhile the salary concession never stands alone. You must still pay the annual market salary rate for the role. The DAR also wants a strong business case for any salary concession.
Does a salary concession let us pay under the award?
No. The reduced threshold sits underneath the annual market salary rate, not over it. You must pay whichever amount is higher, and your award or enterprise agreement still applies in full. Guaranteed overtime counts only where equivalent Australians receive it under an industrial arrangement. The hours must also appear in the contract.
Check four: the cost, and who has to carry it
The DAR charges $750 excluding GST per worker for a request for endorsement. Home Affairs charges then sit on top.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| DAR request for endorsement | $750 per worker, excluding GST |
| Sponsorship application | $420 |
| Subclass 482 nomination | $330 |
| Subclass 186 nomination | $540 |
| SAF levy, subclass 482 | $1,200 a year under $10 million turnover, otherwise $1,800 |
| SAF levy, subclass 186 or 494 | $3,000 or $5,000, paid once |
Your worker pays their own visa application charge, which starts at $4,015 on the subclass 482 and $6,140 on the subclass 186. However, the sponsorship, nomination and recruitment costs stay with your business permanently. Our guide to the costs you cannot pass to a worker sets out the line and the penalties behind it.
The sequence, and why endorsement is not approval
- Endorsement requestYou apply to the DAR for endorsement, with a declaration that you meet the requirements.
- DAR assessmentThe DAR checks the occupations, the concessions sought and the ceiling for that year.
- Letter of endorsementA positive assessment produces a letter to you and a notification to the Department.
- Labour agreement requestYou then ask the Department to enter an individual DAMA labour agreement.
- Departmental assessmentThe Department assesses that request against your evidence.
- Nomination and visaOnly then do you lodge the nomination, and your worker lodges the visa.
Read step three carefully. Endorsement opens the door, and the Department still decides the agreement, the nomination and the visa. Our overview of what a DAMA is and who signs it covers that two tier structure.
Where Goulburn Valley offers come unstuck
Three problems repeat. First, employers borrow another region’s terms, because DAMA concessions differ region by region. Our Far North Queensland guide shows how far those settings can diverge.
Second, businesses recruit before they check this year’s list and the available positions. The GV DAMA carries a limited number of positions. The DAR therefore asks employers to make contact before they apply.
Third, employers plan the permanent stage too late. The permanent residence pathway is set occupation by occupation, so confirm it before recruitment starts rather than two years in.
Frequently asked questions
Our office is in Shepparton but the job site sits outside the region. Does the GV DAMA cover it?
No. Both the business and the position must sit inside the designated area. Check the job site postcode against the DAR list, which runs from 3559 to 3730. If the site falls outside, move the role or look at a standard sponsorship pathway instead.
Is there a limit on how many workers we can bring in?
Yes. The GV DAMA has a limited number of positions available for nomination each year. The DAR must be satisfied that the ceiling has not already been reached before it endorses your request. For that reason, the DAR asks employers to contact the coordinator before they apply.
Our candidate is 52 and the role is skill level 5. Can we nominate them for the subclass 186?
No. The age concession stops at 50 for skill level 5 occupations. It reaches 55 only for skill level 1 to 4 roles. Age is measured at nomination. Check the skill level of the occupation before you plan the permanent stage.
Can we lodge the endorsement request while we are still advertising?
Speak to the DAR first. The endorsement checklist asks whether you have met the labour market testing requirements. It also covers the genuine vacancy and adverse information tests. Weak recruitment evidence causes delay, so finish and document your advertising properly.
Which English tests count towards the concession?
The DAR accepts IELTS and equivalent results in the Occupational English Test, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge English: Advanced. The concession applies only to occupations flagged for it on the approved list. Registration or licensing rules can still require a higher level of English.
Region, occupations, concessions and the endorsement fee verified against the Goulburn Valley DAMA employer eligibility page and the approved occupation overview dated August 2026, as at 8 September 2026. Home Affairs charges are the 2026-27 figures.
General information about Australian migration law as at 8 September 2026. Not legal advice. DAMA occupations, concessions and fees change at each review, and the outcome in any case turns on its own facts, so obtain advice before you act.