Leaving Australia After Graduation: Superannuation (DASP) Refunds, Tax Return and Visa Wind-Down for ASEAN Graduates

Claim your superannuation before you leave

If you worked in Australia on a student visa or a Temporary Graduate visa, your employer paid a percentage of your wages into a superannuation fund on top of your salary. You cannot access this money while your visa stays active, but once you leave Australia and your visa has ceased to be in effect, you become eligible to claim it back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). DASP applies to temporary visa holders whose visa has ceased and who have left Australia, it does not apply if you hold or later gain permanent residency or citizenship, or if you hold a protected Special Category visa (subclass 444) as a New Zealand citizen.

Apply for DASP online through the Australian Taxation Office, or directly through your super fund if you already know which fund holds your balance. You need your fund details, your visa information and your passport to apply. The ATO deducts tax from the payment before it reaches you, and the rate depends on your visa subclass, working holiday makers are taxed differently from student and graduate visa holders. Check the current rate on the ATO website before you apply, since the government reviews and adjusts it periodically.

If you leave your super unclaimed for too long after your visa expires and you have left the country, the ATO transfers unclaimed balances to itself as unclaimed money. You still claim it later directly from the ATO, but the request takes longer to process than a standard DASP application filed soon after departure.

Lodge your final Australian tax return

The Australian financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. If you leave partway through the year and have no more Australian income coming, lodge your tax return early through myTax rather than waiting for the standard window. If you leave near the end of the financial year, wait and lodge in the normal window between July and the 31 October deadline like any other taxpayer, using myGov from overseas.

Leaving Australia usually changes your tax residency status. Once you stop being an Australian tax resident, different rates and thresholds apply to any future income sourced from Australia, such as rental income or dividends, so update your residency status on your return rather than leaving it marked as resident by default.

Cancel or refund your health cover

International students on a student visa hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the length of their visa. If you leave before your policy end date, contact your OSHC provider, Bupa, Medibank and Allianz Care all offer this cover, to cancel the unused portion and request a pro-rata refund for the period after your departure date. Do this before you close your Australian bank account, since refunds are usually paid back to the account on file.

Cancel your phone plan and set up mail redirection

Cancel your Australian mobile plan and any home internet contract once your final bills are settled, most providers ask for a set notice period, so check your contract terms before your last week. Set up mail redirection through Australia Post if you expect any late payslips, super statements or ATO correspondence, redirection forwards physical mail to a new address, including overseas, for a fee.

Keep a digital copy of your Australian income statements (available through myGov under your employment income), your DASP payment summary and your final tax assessment. Some ASEAN countries tax worldwide income and ask for proof of foreign income and tax already paid when you file at home, so these documents matter beyond Australia.

Winding down your visa correctly

You do not need to apply to formally cancel a student visa or Temporary Graduate visa before leaving. It expires on its listed date, or ceases to be in effect once you leave Australia if it was tied to your enrollment. Keep a copy of your visa grant notice and your Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) history in case a future visa application asks for your study and visa history.

If you plan to apply for another Australian visa later, a partner visa, a skilled visa, or a return visit, keep records of your address history, employment and any DASP payment. These fill gaps that future visa officers commonly ask about. Take photos or scans of both sides of any physical visa label or grant letter before you pack them away, a digital backup saves time if the paper copy gets lost in transit.

Final checklist before you go

• Request your final payslip and confirm your employer paid your last superannuation contribution before applying for DASP.

• Apply for DASP once your visa has ceased and you have left Australia, not before.

• Lodge your final tax return, either early through myTax or in the normal July-October window.

• Cancel or claim a refund on unused OSHC cover.

• Close your Australian bank account last, after your final pay, tax refund, OSHC refund and DASP payment have all cleared.