The Australia government is introducing a new visa for semi-skilled migrants with only Basic English skills. It gets even better: This visa offers a pathway to permanent residency, which means you will become a permanent resident of Australia!

Sounds too good to be true?

Well, the only catch is that new migrants would have to live in a regional area.

Under this new agreement, the so called Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) the requirements for skills, language and income will be lowered allowing lower skilled migrant workers to move to Australia permanently.

Migrants will have to commit living in the Northern Territory for only 3 years for them to become eligible for permanent residency.

Employers hiring those migrant workers will have to prove, just as is the case for the current 482 visa that they have tried to find a local worker before they sponsor a foreign worker.

Migrants from 117 different occupational fields (farm and hospitality skills) will be eligible for this visa in the NT. A separate agreement will be allowing migrants workers in the field of meat-processing, diary and other agricultural sectors to move to Victoria’s Warrnambool region.

The government is currently also discussing including a wider range of regions inlcuding Pilbara and the Kalgoorlie-Boulder regions in WA, Carins in far North Queensland and the Orana region in central NSW.

Occupations included in the NT DAMA agreement:

Occupation	English concession may be available	TSMIT concession may be available
Accommodation and hospitality managers
Accountant – general
Aged or disabled carer*		✓
Agricultural and horticultural mobile plant operator	✓	✓
Aircraft maintenance engineer – avionics
Aircraft maintenance engineer – mechanical
Aquaculture farmer	✓	✓
Arborist	✓	✓
Automotive electrician	✓	✓
Baker	✓	✓
Bar attendant – supervisor	✓	✓
Barista	✓	✓
Beauty therapist	✓	✓
Boiler or engine operator	✓	✓
Bus driver	✓	✓
Butcher or smallgoods maker	✓	✓
Cabinetmaker	✓	✓
Cabler – data and telecommunications	✓	✓
Café or restaurant manager
Carpenter	✓	✓
Chef	✓	✓
Chief executive or managing director
Childcare worker*		✓
Community worker*		✓
Conference and event organiser
Conservation officer
Cook	✓	✓
Cook – specialist ethnic cuisine**	✓	✓
Corporate general manager
Corporate services manager
Counsellors nec
Customer service manager
Crowd controller	✓	✓
Deckhand	✓	✓
Delivery driver	✓	✓
Dental assistant	✓	✓
Dental technician
Diesel motor mechanic	✓	✓
Disabilities services officer*		✓
Diver	✓	✓
Drug and alcohol counsellor
Earthmoving plant operator – general	✓	✓
Earth science technician
Electronic instrument trades worker – general	✓	✓
Enrolled nurse
Facilities manager
Family day care worker*		✓
Family support worker*		✓
Finance manager
Fitter – general	✓	✓
Fitter and turner	✓	✓
Fitter-welder	✓	✓
Fruit or nut grower	✓	✓
Gaming worker	✓	✓
Glazier	✓	✓
Hair or beauty salon manager		✓
Hairdresser	✓	✓
Health and welfare services manager nec
Health practice manager
Hospitality retail and services managers nec	✓	✓
Hotel or motel manager
Hotel service manager	✓	✓
ICT business development manager
ICT project manager
Interpreter
Judicial and other legal professionals nec
Landscape gardener	✓	✓
Licensed club manager
Master fisher	✓	✓
Metal fabricator	✓	✓
Metal machinist – first class	✓	✓
Motor mechanic – general	✓	✓
Motor vehicle parts interpreter	✓	✓
Motorcycle mechanic	✓	✓
Nurse manager
Nursery person	✓	✓
Nursing support worker or nursing assistant*		✓
Office manager	✓	✓
Other sports coach or instructor	✓	✓
Parole or probation officer
Personal care assistant*		✓
Pressure welder	✓	✓
Production manager – mining
Residential care worker*		✓
Resident medical officer
Retail manager – general	✓	✓
Retail pharmacist
Retail supervisor	✓	✓
Roof plumber	✓	✓
Sales and marketing manager
Security consultant	✓	✓
Sheetmetal trades worker	✓	✓
Small engine mechanic	✓	✓
Sound technician	✓	✓
Storeperson	✓	✓
Supply and distribution manager
Taxation accountant
Telecommunications cable jointer	✓	✓
Telecommunications linesworker	✓	✓
Telecommunications technician	✓	✓
Tour guide	✓	✓
Training and development professional
Truck driver – general^	✓	✓
Tyre fitter	✓	✓
Upholsterer	✓	✓
Vegetable grower	✓	✓
Veterinary nurse
Waiter – supervisor	✓	✓
Welder – first class	✓	✓
Welfare worker
Youth worker*		✓