Superannuation While Working on a Visa 482
Many 482 visa holders assume superannuation doesn’t apply to them because it’s a temporary visa. The reality is the opposite — you are fully entitled to superannuation, and you can still access this money when you leave Australia.
Superannuation applies to visa 482
If you are an employee in Australia — regardless of visa type — and were paid more than $450 a month (previously; since 2022 there is no longer a minimum threshold), your employer must pay superannuation guarantee (SG) into your super fund.
The current rate is 11% of ordinary time earnings (OTE), rising under a legislated schedule to 12% in 2025.
This is a legal obligation on the employer — not optional.
Choosing a superannuation fund
Your employer must pay into the fund you choose (a stapled fund or your nominated fund). If you don’t nominate one, the employer uses a default fund.
When you start a new job:
- The employer will ask about a superannuation choice form
- You can nominate the fund you want (if you already have one from a previous job)
- If not, the ATO will provide details of your stapled fund
Leaving Australia: Departing Australia Superannuation Payment
This is the most important entitlement for temporary visa holders: after your visa expires and you leave Australia permanently (or become a permanent resident), you can apply for the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) to withdraw your accumulated super.
Conditions for claiming DASP:
- The visa has expired or been cancelled
- You have left Australia
- You are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen
- You are not a permanent resident
DASP tax: 35% on the taxed element (higher than withdrawing super at retirement). This is a withholding tax — deducted before you receive the money.
How to apply: through ATO online or myGov.
If you move to PR (visa 186) before leaving Australia
If you move from 482 to permanent residence via 186, you are no longer eligible for DASP. Your super stays in the fund until you reach retirement (preservation) age — currently 60 years old.
While you wait, the super fund continues to be invested and earns returns (or losses, depending on the market).
Checking your superannuation balance
- myGov (linked to the ATO): view the balance of all super funds under your name
- ATO online services: check contribution history, spot any missed super
- Lost super: the ATO can help find old funds you may have forgotten about
Check now — many people have “lost super” from past jobs without realising it.