Temporary residents working in Australia under an appropriate visa generally accumulate super. That means super remains locked up with the fund or the Australian Tax Office (ATO) if the visa expires or is cancelled and you leave Australia. The good news is the DASP system can provide a way to receive super as a lump sum after leaving the country.

An ‘appropriate visa’, according to the ATO, is any temporary resident visa not from retirement subclasses 405 and 410 and holders of these visas are usually entitled to super just like any eligible worker in Australia, subject to the same preservation rules.

Whether your super is being held by a fund or the ATO will depend on how long it’s been since you left Australia without claiming a DASP; if it’s been six months or more since you left Australia, your visa has ceased to be in effect and you have not claimed DASP, your super fund(s) is required to transfer your balance to the ATO as unclaimed super money (USM). According to the ATO, you can apply for a DASP regardless of who has your super, however you may have to use a different application method.