Student Visa 500: Claim 65% of Your Super Back After Studies

The good news for students

Student 500 (and its cousins — 485 Temporary Graduate, 482 Temporary Skilled) visa holders pay the standard DASP rate of 35%, meaning you keep 65% of your super balance.

Realistic numbers

International students typically work part-time (20 hours a week during term, unlimited during holidays). Over a 2- to 4-year degree that adds up:

• Earned AUD 40,000 across studies → super at 12% = $4,800
• Withholding tax (35%) = $1,680
• Refund ≈ $3,120

Many students never realise their casual barista or supermarket job was quietly building this pot.

When can I claim?

You can lodge your DASP application after your 500 visa has been cancelled or expires, and after you've physically left Australia. Some students transition to a 485 (Graduate) or 482 (Skilled) visa — you claim once all your temporary visas have ended.

Documents you'll need

• Passport
• Visa Evidence (VEVO check)
• Tax File Number
• Bank account (any country)
• Super fund member number (ask your fund via email — usually a 24-hour reply)

Watch out for

• Multiple super funds. Casual student jobs often create a new super fund each time — you may have 3+ funds without knowing.
• Under $6,000 balance. If your fund balance is very low, your money may have been transferred to the ATO as unclaimed super. That's fine — it just means one extra step to reclaim from the ATO directly.

Estimate your student refund in 3 minutes below.