Accessing Superannuation Benefits – Former Temporary Residents

This information provides advice about the role that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (the department) plays in support of the Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme.

The department cannot provide you with advice about the operation of the Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme other than in respect of requesting Certification of Immigration Status or requesting cancellation of your Temporary Resident visa.

About the Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme

The Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme allows certain eligible people to request payment of superannuation benefits accrued while they were in Australia.

The Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme is administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). For more information about the scheme and making a Departing Australia Superannuation Payments claim, please visit the ATO website.
See: Individual Superannuation – home

Who can make a Departing Australia Superannuation Payments claim?

You may be eligible to make a Departing Australia Superannuation Payments claim if all of the following apply to you:

• you have previously been a Temporary Resident in Australia
• you have left Australia
• you are not an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen
• the Temporary Resident visa that you held while you were in Australia can no longer be used (that is, it has expired or it has been cancelled by the department).

A Temporary Resident visa is a visa that allows you to stay temporarily in Australia for a specified period. The specified period will be one of the following:

• a period of time that is indicated on your visa
• until a specified event occurs
• while you have a specified status.

If you held a subclass 405 or a subclass 410 visa

If the Temporary Resident visa that you held while you were in Australia was a subclass 405 (Investor Retirement) visa or a subclass 410 (Retirement) visa, you should contact the ATO to find out whether you can claim any superannuation benefits accrued during your time in Australia.
See: Individual Superannuation – home

If you are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen

You cannot request your superannuation benefits under the Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme if you are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen. For more advice, please visit the ATO.
See: Individual Superannuation – home

Role of the department in the Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme

The department can assist you in two ways:

• provide a Certification of Immigration Status to your superannuation fund
• cancel your Temporary Resident visa (at your request).

Requesting Certification of Immigration Status

If your superannuation is AUD5000 or more

If the amount you have in any single superannuation fund is AUD5000 or more, each superannuation fund must receive a Certification of Immigration Status from the department certifying that you are eligible to receive a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment.

You will need to complete the relevant sections of Form 1194 Certification of immigration status and/or request to cancel a Temporary Resident visa. There is a charge for the request for Certification of Immigration Status.
See:
Form 1194 Certification of immigration status (123KB PDF file)
Fees & Charges – Certificates of Status

If your superannuation is less than AUD5000

If the amount you have in any single superannuation fund is less than AUD5000 the department may not need to provide your superannuation fund with a Certification of Immigration Status.

If you are using the ATO paper form Request for Departing Superannuation Payment – Temporary Resident, please contact your superannuation fund or the ATO to confirm what evidence of your immigration status you are required to provide. However, the simplest way to make a Departing Australia Superannuation Payments claim is to use the ATO online service.
See: Individual Superannuation – home

Requesting cancellation of your Temporary Resident visa

If your Temporary Resident visa has not yet ceased but you have left Australia and you know that you will not be returning to Australia, you can ask the department to cancel your visa. To do this, complete the relevant sections of Form 1194 Certification of immigration status and/or request to cancel a Temporary Resident visa. There is no fee for requesting visa cancellation.

The department will only consider a request to cancel your Temporary Resident visa for Departing Australia Superannuation Payments purposes if you have already left Australia.

It is important that you are outside Australia when your visa is cancelled because there are consequences for people whose visas are cancelled while they are in Australia, including legal restrictions on the ability to apply, in Australia, for other visas. Once a visa is cancelled, a person who is in Australia would become an 'unlawful non-citizen' and may be subject to detention and removal from Australia.

Other important things to know about visa cancellation

Once your Temporary Resident visa is cancelled, you cannot use it to travel and enter Australia. If you want to return to Australia you will have to apply for another visa. If you do apply for another visa your application will be assessed against the legislation and policy that apply at that time.

Family members who hold visas only because you hold a visa

If any person, such as your spouse, partner or children, was granted a Temporary Resident visa only because you were granted a Temporary Resident visa, their visa(s) must be cancelled at the same time that your visa is cancelled. Form 1194 asks you to provide their details as well as your own.

Where to send Form 1194

Once you have completed Form 1194 send the form to the department.
Email: Super.hobart@immi.gov.au
Post:
Certification of Immigration Status
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
GPO Box 1496
Hobart Tas. 7001
Fax: +61 3 6281 9453

Not sure if you have superannuation money in Australia?

If you are not sure whether you may have money in a superannuation fund in Australia, the ATO has a tool called 'SuperSeeker' that can help you to search for this.
See: SuperSeeker

More information

If you need more information about the Departing Australia Superannuation Payments scheme, please visit the ATO.
See: ATO

If you need more information about applying for Certification of Immigration Status or about requesting cancellation of your Temporary Resident visa, please contact the department.
See: Hobart Superannuation Processing Centre