A Broome restaurant employs a cook on a temporary visa. The visa ends in a few months, and national advertising has found no local replacement. So the owner faces one decision. Can the Kimberley DAMA move fast enough to keep this worker?
Often it can, because of one feature many employers miss. For an initial labour agreement, you can usually nominate before Home Affairs approves the agreement. We checked the East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EKCCI) pages and Information Guide on 29 September 2026.
The timing rule that changes the decision
The Kimberley DAMA works in four steps. First, the EKCCI endorses your request as the Designated Area Representative. Next, you lodge a labour agreement request online with Home Affairs. Then you nominate the worker, and finally the worker lodges a visa application.
Approving the labour agreement itself can take a number of weeks. However, the EKCCI says an initial request lets you nominate within a couple of days. In most cases, you do not wait for the agreement to be signed.
That matters for our cook. In the meantime, a worker already in Australia may be eligible for a bridging visa. Eligibility depends on their own immigration history, though. So get advice on the individual before you rely on it.
Note one limit. The early nomination window applies to an initial agreement, not to a later variation.
Step one is the one you control
The EKCCI aims to finalise properly prepared endorsement requests within ten business days. Elsewhere on its site, it says five working days. Therefore plan around ten, and treat anything faster as a bonus.
In practice, speed depends on your file. The EKCCI forwards your supporting documents to Home Affairs with its endorsement letter. As a result, it asks for PDFs, with the credit card authority attached separately.
The chamber weighs five matters before it endorses:
- at least 12 months of lawful operation inside the designated area;
- a genuine need for each occupation and position;
- genuine testing of the Australian labour market;
- salary and conditions at least equal to those of an Australian worker in the region; and
- a justified case for each concession you request.
For labour market testing, the Kimberley is a Category 3 region. Moreover, testing must cover each occupation and fall within the previous 12 months.
Expect a real assessment, too. The EKCCI describes the process as not a “tick and flick” exercise, and it sometimes declines.
What the cook’s file costs
Cook appears on the current list, version 6.1, at skill level 3. Better still, it carries salary, English and age concessions. So the example uses a real listed role.
| Cost item (one Cook, 482 pathway) | Amount |
|---|---|
| EKCCI endorsement, per position, member | $885 incl. GST |
| EKCCI endorsement, per position, non-member | $985 incl. GST |
| Variation or rollover of unused positions (flat fee) | $275 incl. GST |
| Labour agreement request to Home Affairs | No charge |
| 482 nomination | $330 |
| SAF levy, per year, turnover under $10 million | $1,200 |
| SAF levy, per year, turnover $10 million or more | $1,800 |
| 482 visa charge, main applicant | From $4,015 |
Importantly, chamber membership only changes the fee. The agreement is open to every employer operating in the region.
Also, the labour agreement replaces standard sponsorship. You do not need separate approval as a standard business sponsor.
The salary floor, and why it is not the wage
Home Affairs sets the Core Skills Income Threshold at $79,423 for nominations from 1 July 2026. Under the Kimberley concession, the reduced figure is 90 per cent of that threshold. On our calculation, that is about $71,481.
Food and board can count in some cases, but only up to 10 per cent of the threshold. Even so, the market rate still governs. The cook must earn what an Australian cook in the Kimberley would earn.
Where the business and the job must sit
First, check the map. The designated area covers four shires. They are Wyndham-East Kimberley, Broome, Derby-West Kimberley and Halls Creek.
The position must be located within your operations inside that area. In addition, the worker is expected to live there. Short work trips elsewhere are possible. However, Home Affairs must agree before a worker spends more than three months in twelve outside the area.
The agreement also has firm limits. It cannot fill seasonal or casual roles. Instead, it targets full-time permanent positions in your core workforce.
What the concessions buy at the permanent stage
Age is the concession most employers value. For the 494 and 186, workers in skill level 1 to 4 roles must not have turned 55. For skill level 5, the limit is 50. The 482 has no age requirement.
You must request the age concession at endorsement, however. Without it, you cannot nominate a worker aged 45 or over for the 494 or 186.
The English concession allows an IELTS average of 5.0 with no minimum component for the 482 and 494. For the 186, no component may fall below 4.0. Licensing bodies can still demand more.
Next, consider the pathway itself. A 482 lasts up to four years. After two years of full-time work in the area, the worker may reach the 186. That step needs its own endorsement, which you can request alongside the 482 or later.
Alternatively, a 494 lasts up to five years. After three years, the worker may reach the 191 without further endorsement or nomination.
For the wider framework, read what a DAMA is and who signs it. Kimberley employers should also read why the regional WA DAMA comes first. Our guide to DAMA age and English concessions goes deeper on the permanent stage. Finally, our employer sponsorship page sets out the standard routes.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to wait for the labour agreement to be approved before we nominate?
Usually not, for an initial agreement. The EKCCI says you can generally nominate within a couple of days of lodging the request. A later variation does not work this way.
What happens if our sponsored worker leaves after one year?
Their DAMA permanent pathway may end. It survives only if another Kimberley DAMA employer nominates them in the same occupation inside the area. Your used position stays used, but you can request more.
Can we use the Kimberley DAMA for seasonal or casual staff?
No. The agreement only covers full-time permanent roles, usually in your core workforce.
Do we need to join the chamber to use the agreement?
No. Any employer operating in the designated area can apply. Membership only lowers the endorsement fee from $985 to $885 per position.
Our occupation is also on the standard lists. Can we still use the DAMA?
The government expects you to use a standard option if it meets your needs. However, the DAMA may suit where you need its concessions or permanent pathway.
This article is general information only, current at 29 September 2026. It is not legal advice and does not address your circumstances. DAMA terms and Commonwealth charges change. So confirm the position with the EKCCI and Home Affairs, and seek tailored advice before you act.