The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has finalised guidelines for Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) which will stimulate local economies providing more business and job opportunities for Australians in areas experiencing labour and skills shortages, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash said in a media release.

The DAMA proposal, commenced under the former Labor government as regional migration agreements, has been developed after extensive negotiations with state and territory governments and other stakeholders including labour unions.

“It is important to be clear that these agreements require employers to pay workers at least the same wage as Australian workers. Where employers within the agreement area are unable to recruit Australian workers, DAMAs can support them to supplement their workforce with skilled overseas workers.

“If businesses cannot access labour then they cannot create more jobs for Australians. Targeted skilled migration under the DAMA guidelines will provide incentives to grow businesses and local economies for the benefit of Australians” says the Minister.

DAMAs are designed to ensure employers recruit Australians as a first priority and prioritise initiatives and strategies to facilitate the recruitment and retention of Australian workers.

This is what I got back (as did other RMAs).  All are replica replies:

Our references: FA 14/08/00981; ADF2014/30042 

Dear Liana Allan 

"DO NOT lodge any saved applications that were ready to be lodged (and just waiting for the VAC - or any other reason).

The message being sent by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to RMAs at present is as follows:

"We appreciate your patience and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Our developers are still trying to resolve the issue. During this time Please provide your client’s full bio data (name, DOB, and passport number) and My Health Declaration/visa application TRN to enable our further assistance."

The working holiday visa has been a popular stepping stone to the 457 visa and subsequently a permanent residence visa. Many skilled working holiday visa holders with carefully prepared and planned migration pathways have successfully made the transition. Australia has been promising to expand the program and has already added Greece and Poland to the list. Now, another European country is set to join their ranks.

The Spanish Ambassador has revealed that Australia and Spain are set to sign an agreement under the working holiday visa program to allow youth aged 18 to 31 to live, work and study for 12 months in each other’s countries.

Under the Australian-Spanish deal, the visa holders are expected to be able to work full time as long as they don't clock up more than six months with a single employer. They can also study for up to four months in the same course.

The news reported by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo states that Australian youth will also have the same the privileges under “the agreement expected to be finalized shortly”.

“The visa scheme will be up and running within 12 to 18 months although provisional arrangements could be in place by as early as the end of the year,” Spain's ambassador to Australia Enrique Viguera told El Mundo.

Youth unemployment in Spain is reportedly currently running at over 50 percent compared to the 13 percent in Australia.