482 visa home loans: buying before permanent residency

The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024. Both use subclass 482. Your grant notice matters because some lender policies still distinguish between the older streams.

Use our visa home loan guide for the broader comparison, or start with the visa buying checker.

Foreign buyers are generally prohibited from buying established homes from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029. Limited exceptions apply. Holding a 482 and earning an Australian salary does not give you the permanent-resident exemption.

Apply for required approval before committing, or ask your solicitor for a suitable contract condition. Our FIRB approval guide explains the process. An off-the-plan purchase also needs a loan check closer to settlement because your visa, income and lender policy may have changed.

A purchase as joint tenants with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen spouse can be exempt from FIRB approval. The spouse rules can include a de facto partner. Have your solicitor confirm that the relationship and ownership arrangement qualify.

That federal exemption does not automatically remove Queensland foreign buyer duty. Your ownership share and state tax status need a separate check.

If your citizen or PR spouse will own the home alone, ask whether a lender can consider both incomes with you as a non-owner borrower. We need to check the exact 482 and lender; do not assume a policy for partner visas applies. Read our mixed-visa couples guide and partner visa home loan guide before deciding on the title.

There is no single deposit rule across lenders. Loan-to-value ratio (LVR) means the loan as a percentage of the property value the lender accepts. An 80% LVR loan leaves a 20% contribution towards the price, plus costs, if the valuation matches the price.

Our visa lender comparison records the following positions, checked 7 October 2026. We would recheck the current policy for your application before recommending a lender.

The older medium-term label needs checking against your actual grant. A listed maximum also says nothing about whether the repayments fit your income. Our lender reviews explain the product features and costs to compare once we have confirmed your options.

Compare the rate, fees and any lenders mortgage insurance as well as the deposit. Use our deposit calculator and LMI calculator for estimates. A lower property valuation could leave you needing more cash.

Tell us about overtime, allowances, bonuses and overseas income. The lender may count only part of that income, so I would check it before you set a budget. Employer sponsorship helps explain your employment, but it does not replace an affordability assessment.

Check lender policy before submitting applications. A credit enquiry can appear on your credit report; the enquiry does not record whether the loan was approved or declined. Several applications close together may still concern lenders. If one is declined, find out why before applying again.

Additional foreign acquirer duty (AFAD) is generally 8% of the value of the foreign buyer’s share. On top of that, the 2026-27 FIRB application fee for a new home or residential land priced from $75,000 to $1 million is $15,600. Different price bands and exemptions can change the fee.

These amounts exclude your deposit, ordinary transfer duty, legal costs, registration and loan costs. They assume no exemption or relief. Other states have different surcharge rules.

For Queensland transactions entered into from 1 August 2026, temporary residents generally cannot claim home or first-home transfer duty concessions. Mixed buyers can have different treatment on their respective shares. Get a current calculation from your solicitor using the contract date and exact buyers.

Our foreign buyer duty calculator and Queensland stamp duty calculator can help you start. Read about first-home stamp duty concessions before assuming a concession applies.

Arjun is a civil engineer in Brisbane on a 482, with $230,000 saved. He is considering a new townhouse for $680,000 in his own name. At an assumed 80% LVR, the numbers look like this:

With no concession, ordinary Queensland transfer duty on $680,000 is $23,625. That leaves just $375 for legal, registration and loan costs, so I would revisit his budget before he makes an offer. The loan still needs approval.

The subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream generally requires two years of eligible full-time sponsored employment in Australia in the three years before applying, excluding unpaid leave. Other visa and nomination requirements apply. Eligible employment can span sponsors, so have your migration adviser check your full work history.

Have a registered migration agent check your eligibility and timing. An employer agreeing to nominate you does not guarantee a visa grant. I would allow for processing time and changes in circumstances before using that pathway in a buying plan.

For a future purchase after PR, foreign-investment approval and Queensland AFAD may no longer apply. On the $750,000 new-home example above, those two items total $75,600. Ordinary duty and concession eligibility need recalculating separately. Ask your solicitor about the relevant status date if PR may arrive between contract and settlement.

PR may also give you more low deposit loan options, including LMI waivers for eligible professions. The 5% Deposit Scheme has separate borrower and property requirements. A joint scheme loan cannot include a 482 borrower.

Compare those possible savings with rent, repayments and changes in property prices. For other assistance, read our first home buyer guide, Queensland First Home Owner Grant guide and guarantor loan guide.

Check the repayments with our mortgage calculator and meet the Brisbane mortgage broker team. If your visa is different, use our 485 graduate visa guide or 494 regional sponsored visa guide.

Send us your visa details, income, savings and target property, including who will own it. You can also call 1300 088 065.