Regional Migration
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is the Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement (FNQ DAMA).
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is also a Regional Certifying Body (RCB) for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa program.
FNQ DAMA and RCB news updates are posted below. To be notified of updates automatically, consider signing up to our subscriber list for the service.
Regional Certifying Body (RCB) Services
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is an authorised Regional Certifying Body (RCB) for northern Queensland.
Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is the Designated Area Representative (DAR) for the FNQ DAMA.
Important update regarding Labour Market Testing (LMT) and ENS (12 December 2025)
Although LMT is not a legislative requirement for occupations/positions seeking the ENS option, note that it is policy that both the DAR and the Department of Home Affairs may still request evidence of testing the labour market to determine whether:
- The employer has made genuine efforts to recruit Australians.
- The position is genuinely needed and aligns with DAMA objectives to address regional skill shortages.
- The request aligns with program integrity and compliance with Labour Agreement conditions.
Fifty-one additional/new occupations available under the FNQ DAMA from 22 March 2025
The FNQ DAMA Head Agreement has been varied and now includes fifty-one additional occupations, bringing the total to 226. All forms and information guides have been updated and are now available in this website. Be sure to use only the current versions.
FNQ DAMA Head Agreement extended to 3 April 2027
On 20 January 2025, Assistant Minister Matthew Thistlethwaite confirmed in writing that the FNQ DAMA Head Agreement will be extended by a further two years, to 3 April 2027, while consultations take place about the format of DAMAs moving forward.
The Minister also confirmed that the Deed of Variation submitted by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce early in 2024 will be determined in time to be included in the signing of the extended head agreement (i.e. before 3 April 2025). This Deed of Variation included Chamber requests to add numerous new occupations to the FNQ DAMA, and to allow more flexibility with the TSMIT concessions (now CSIT). While the head agreement extension is confirmed, the outcome of the additional occupations and CSIT concession changes is not yet known. The outcome will be posted as a new update when known.