Super for working holiday makers & visa holders

Updated July 2026

If you're working in Australia on a working holiday visa (417 or 462), a student visa, or a temporary skilled visa — this might be the most valuable page on this site. Temporary visa holders are the workers most likely to be underpaid super, and many never find out they were owed thousands of dollars they could have taken home.

Yes, you get super — same as everyone else

Your employer must pay 12% of your qualifying earnings into a super fund, exactly as they would for an Australian citizen. Your visa type makes no difference to the rate. Casual job, farm work, hospitality, cleaning — if you're an employee, super applies.

Why visa holders get ripped off more often

• You may not know the rules exist (nobody tells you on arrival).
• You're more likely to work casual jobs in cash-heavy industries.
• Dodgy employers assume you'll leave the country before noticing.
• You might never check the fund account opened in your name.

The Payday Super rules from July 2026 help a lot here: super must now land in your fund within 7 business days of every payday, so you can catch a non-paying employer within weeks, not years. If yours isn't paying, here's how to report them to the ATO— it works for visa holders too, and it's free.

Find the super you already have

Many visa workers have super sitting in funds they don't know about — employers sometimes open a default fund without clearly telling you. To find every dollar held in your name: log into myGov → link the ATO → Super. You'll see every fund and balance connected to your Tax File Number.

Claiming your super when you leave: DASP

When you permanently leave Australia and your temporary visa has ended, you can claim your super out as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). Key facts:

• You apply online through the ATO's DASP portal — free, no agent needed (agents typically charge a hefty cut for the same form).
• You can only claim afteryou've left Australia and your visa has expired or been cancelled.
• DASP is taxed before payout: 65% for working holiday makers (417/462 visas) and generally 35% for other temporary visas on the taxed element. Harsh, but the remainder is still your money.
• New Zealand citizens generally can't claim DASP (you can transfer to KiwiSaver instead under trans-Tasman rules).

Practical tip: before you fly out, note down your fund name, member number and balance, and make sure your fund has your passport details and an email you'll still use overseas. Chasing this from another country with a closed Australian phone number is painful.

Don't leave money on the table

A backpacker earning $25,000 over a year of farm and cafe work is owed about $3,000 in super. Even after DASP tax, that's a flight home and then some. Check your payslips, check your fund, and claim what's yours.