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How can temporary residents claim super when they leave the country?

By 4 April 2017No Comments

If you are working in Australia under a temporary resident visa you may be entitled to superannuation from your employer. Superannuation, or super, is an Australian retirement savings system. Every employee in Australia should be getting at least 9.5% of their salary placed into a superfund of their choice. Temporary residents get exactly the same, 9.5%, but they can claim the super back as a lump sum when they leave the country.
 
Temporary Residents are able to claim their super back under a scheme called ‘Departing Australia Superannuation Payment.’ To be eligible for the ‘DASP’:
 
– You have accumulated super while working in Australia on temporary resident visa issued under the Migration Act 1958, excluding subclass 405 and 410.
– Your visa has ceased to be in effect, meaning it has been cancelled or has expired
– You have left Australia
– You are not an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident
 
You are able to submit a claim to the ATO using the ‘Departing Australia Superannuation Payment Online Application’ or by lodging a paper application.
 
Online Application
 
If you are able to lodge an online application, you will likely find the process cleaner and simpler. The online system is free to use and verifies your immigration status electronically, so it can confirm that your visa has ceased.
 
You are actually able to begin an online application before you leave Australia, so that it is ready to submit after you leave. This can make it easier for you to collect the relevant documents and get them certified, and it also means that the process will be streamlined and easier for you when you do leave, as compared to doing the entire process after you have left the country. You will need to provide your personal details, including your name, date of birth, e-mail address, passport country and number and superannuation account details.
 
If you do begin the application before you leave Australia, you must remember the details that you used, and re-enter the exact same details at the later date otherwise you will not be able to get back into the system to submit your saved application.
 
Just be aware, that if your claim is more than $5000 AUD, your superfund may require you to provide certified copies of your identifying documents, but you are able to check with your superfund as to what documents they will require, so that you can prepare them before you leave Australia.
 
Paper Application
 
If you do not want to complete the online application, you can also download the paper application https://www.ato.gov.au/uploadedFiles/Content/CAS/downloads/spr7204application.pdf from the ATO website. Once this form is completed you return it to your superfund, not the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Be aware that it’s possible that a fee may apply for confirming your visa status and identity. If your claim is greater than $5000 AUD and you are completing a paper form, you will need to provide confirmation of your visa status, which can be obtained by completing form 1194.
 
Cancelling your Visa and Confirming your Visa Status
 
If you need to request that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection cancel your visa, or you need confirmation of your visa status, you will have to complete form 1194. Any person on a temporary resident visa is able to use form 1194 to cancel their visa with the DIBP at no cost to them. The form can also be used to get confirmation of your visa status to accompany a paper application. Each person needs to complete a separate form to confirm their visa status.
 
Once you have completed your claim, your super will be paid into your overseas bank account, minus any tax which is owed to the government.
 
For more information and to apply for your DASP online go to ato.gov.au/departaustralia
 
Watch the ATO video discussing the process.

Purnima Kabra