Accessing Superannuation Benefits
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Claiming your superannuation benefits
If you have worked in Australia as a temporary resident you may be eligible to claim your superannuation benefits through the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) scheme. You may be able to do this if all of the following apply:
- you held a temporary visa while you worked in Australia
- that temporary visa can no longer be used (that is, it has expired or has been cancelled by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship)
- you have departed Australia.
Australian Taxation Office
The DASP scheme is administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). For more information about the DASP scheme, including eligibility, procedures for lodging a claim for your superannuation benefits and advice about unclaimed monies, visit the ATO website.
See: Individuals Superannuation
What is a temporary visa?
A temporary visa is a visa that allows you to stay temporarily in Australia for a specified period.
In most cases, this will be for a period of time that was specified on the visa. However, in some cases it might be until a specific event happens or while you had a specified status.
Exceptions
- Subclass 405 and 410 visa holders
There are two temporary visas that are specifically excluded from the DASP scheme. These are Subclass 405 (Investor Retirement) visa and Subclass 410 (Retirement) visa. If you hold one of these visas, you cannot claim any superannuation benefits through the DASP scheme. - Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, New Zealand citizens
You cannot claim any superannuation benefits if you are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen. However, if you were in Australia on a temporary visa before you became an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen, you might be able to claim any superannuation contributions you made while you held that temporary visa.
Applying online
You can apply online for your superannuation benefits. For more information, please visit the ATO Website.
See: Individuals Superannuation
Certification of immigration status
Your superannuation provider might ask you to obtain a 'Certification of immigration status' to confirm that you are eligible for the DASP.
You can apply to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for this by completing the application form 1194.
See: Form 1194 Certification of immigration status (166KB PDF file)
A fee will be charged for this service.
See: Fees & Charges – Certificates of Status
Requesting cancellation of your temporary visa
If your temporary 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 of Immigration and Citizenship to cancel your visa.
To do this, complete the optional section on page 6 (Request for cancellation of an eligible Temporary Resident visa) of Form 1194. Your request for cancellation must be sent to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship either by:
Email: Super.hobart@immi.gov.au
Post:
Certification of Immigration Status
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
GPO Box 1496
Hobart Tas. 7001
Members of your family unit
If members of your family unit also hold visas (that were granted to them because they were members of your family unit) you must provide their details as well. Because they were only granted those visas as members of your family unit, their visas must be cancelled at the same time that your visa is cancelled.
Important information about requesting cancellation
A request for cancellation will only be considered:
- in respect of a temporary visa that is eligible under the DASP scheme; and
- where the visa holder(s) has departed Australia.
There is no fee for visa cancellation.
Consequences of visa cancellation
If you are outside Australia when your visa is cancelled you can no longer use that visa 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 are current at that time.
It is important that you are outside Australia when your visa is cancelled. This is because there are consequences for people whose visas are cancelled while they are in Australia. These include 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.
More information
If you need more information about the DASP scheme, please visit the ATO website.
See: Individuals Superannuation
If you need more information about applying for 'Certification of Immigration Status' or about requesting cancellation of your temporary visa, contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
See: Hobart Superannuation Processing Centre