Super for temporary residents¶

Workers on temporary visas — such as working-holiday and skilled visa holders — are a big part of many Australian workplaces. A common question is whether they get super, and what happens to that super when they leave the country.

This lesson keeps the employer duties simple and explains, in plain terms, what a worker can do with their super after they go.

In one line

Temporary residents are generally entitled to super like other employees; when they leave Australia, they may claim it as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP).

Why this matters¶

It is easy to think that a worker who is only here for a while does not need super. That is not the case. Temporary residents are generally treated like other employees for super. Getting this right keeps you compliant and means the worker keeps the super they have earned, which they can claim once they leave.

What you will learn¶

That temporary residents are generally entitled to super like other employees
What a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) is
Where to point a worker who wants to claim their super after leaving

Understanding the concept¶

The ATO explains that super applies to temporary residents in the same way as it does to other employees. So for a worker on a temporary visa, you work out and pay super under the normal rules — the same rules you would use for any employee. Being a temporary resident does not, on its own, take a worker out of super.

Where temporary residents differ is what happens after they leave. The ATO explains that a temporary resident who has had super paid for them while working in Australia may be able to claim it once they leave, as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP). In plain terms, a DASP is a way for a departing worker to have their Australian super paid out to them after their visa has ended and they have left the country.

Two things to keep clear:

The employer duty is simple. While the worker is employed, you pay their super the normal way. Claiming a DASP later is the worker's own step, not something the employer does.
The worker claims it themselves. A DASP is claimed after leaving Australia, once the visa has ceased. The rules on who can claim and how tax applies can vary, so a worker who wants to claim should go to the ATO for the current details and to apply.

For accountants & bookkeepers

Treat temporary-resident employees under the ordinary super guarantee rules. The DASP sits on the individual side, not the employer side — the person applies after departure once their visa has ceased and they have left Australia. Some cases have special treatment (for example, New Zealand citizens are handled differently), so point individuals to the ATO's current guidance rather than advising on a claim.

Example¶

Sam is in Australia on a working-holiday visa and takes a job at a farm. The employer treats Sam like any other employee for super: super is worked out and paid to Sam's super fund under the normal rules, while Sam is working.

A year later Sam's visa ends and Sam leaves Australia. Sam now wants the super that built up during the job. Sam applies to the ATO for a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) to have that super paid out. The employer's job was simply to pay the super correctly while Sam worked; claiming the DASP was Sam's own step after leaving.

Common mistakes¶

Assuming temporary or working-holiday workers do not need super — they generally do.
Trying to "hold back" super because the worker will leave — pay it the normal way.
Thinking the employer claims or refunds the DASP — the worker claims it themselves.
Giving a worker claiming advice from memory — point them to the ATO for current rules.

How this works in myaccountant¶

In the app — when you set up an employee and run a pay run, myaccountant flags who is eligible for super, works out the super amount for those who are eligible, and pays it to their super funds. Temporary-resident employees are handled as part of that same pay run process.

Key points¶

Temporary residents are generally entitled to super like other employees.
You pay their super under the normal rules while they work for you.
After leaving Australia, a worker may claim their super as a DASP.
A DASP is a departing Australia superannuation payment.
The worker claims the DASP themselves — it is not an employer step.
Point workers who want to claim to the ATO for the current rules.

Learn next¶

General information only — not tax, super or financial advice.

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