Subclass 444 visa home loans: buying a home in Australia

The Special Category Visa, or subclass 444, lets eligible New Zealand citizens live and work in Australia. It is a temporary visa under migration law, even though you can stay indefinitely while you remain an eligible NZ citizen.

Eligible NZ passport holders usually receive it when entering Australia. A previous visit doesn't prove you hold it now: the visa generally ends when you leave, and you need to meet the requirements again on return. Check your current record through Home Affairs and VEVO. Some people already here need to apply, including those who entered on another passport or visa.

For a home loan, check the lender's SCV policy before assuming you need permanent residency or citizenship. In the policy we compared on 30 July 2026, CBA, NAB, Westpac, St George, ING and Firstmac accept an NZ citizen living and working in Australia under their NZ citizen rules. Macquarie is the outlier. It accepts a 444 holder only as a co-applicant with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and not where the 444 holder's income is needed or is the main income. Duty concessions and government schemes have their own definitions, so we need to check each one separately.

Treasury's residential rules exempt New Zealand citizens who hold, or are eligible to hold, an SCV from foreign investment approval. Living in NZ does not by itself remove that exemption. NZ permanent residence alone is different, and commercial property or other ownership structures need separate advice.

If your partner holds another visa, have the conveyancer check both buyers and the ownership arrangement. A relevant spouse joint-tenancy exemption exists, but it does not cover every co-buyer or structure. Our mixed-visa couples guide explains the questions to raise. See Treasury's residential guidance for the authority behind the exemption.

Queensland's additional foreign acquirer duty is 8% where it applies. QRO says an NZ citizen who holds an SCV when entering the transaction is not liable for AFAD, subject to its anti-avoidance provisions. The Queensland rule is not a requirement to have spent 200 days in Australia.

Ordinary transfer duty can still apply. Have your conveyancer check your visa and ownership position at the relevant transaction date, using QRO's foreign-person rules. QRO specifically addresses entering Australia to obtain a visa to avoid AFAD.

An NZ citizen holding an SCV can meet the residency requirement for Queensland first-home duty concessions. That requirement applies to transactions from 1 August 2026. Previous residential ownership anywhere in the world can still exclude you, and the property, occupation and timing conditions still apply. Section 90A and Schedule 6 of the Duties Act set out the relevant definition.

Use our Queensland duty guide and calculator and QRO's first-home conditions. An AFAD exemption alone is not confirmation of a first-home concession.

NSW and Victoria use different residence tests for their foreign-buyer surcharges. In NSW, the relevant 200-day tests matter. For Victorian settlements from 26 November 2025, the NZ-citizen exemption uses six consecutive months of ordinary Australian residence within the 12 months before or after settlement. Our NZ buying guide links to each state's conditions.

Work out how much of your savings you can put towards the price after buying costs and a cash reserve. We can then check whether a scheme, grant or guarantee helps. Avoiding LMI can reduce the upfront cost, but you still need to afford the loan repayments.

The scheme’s Information Guide gives ‘permanent resident’ the meaning in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. Since 1 July 2023, a determination under that Act treats NZ citizens holding a subclass 444 visa as permanent residents, so SCV holders can qualify. The participating lender confirms eligibility for each application. Read our 5% Deposit Scheme. You still need to meet the scheme and lender requirements. We can check your visa evidence, deposit and borrowing amount with a participating lender. The scheme has no income cap or fixed annual place limit, but price caps, residence rules and lender assessment remain. An eligible single-parent or single-legal-guardian pathway can use 2%.

The Queensland grant guide, LMI waiver guide and guarantor guide cover the separate conditions. The deposit calculator helps put the cash amounts together.

Tell us your work situation, savings and buying plans. We can check the loan options and cash needed before you make an offer.

If you've just arrived, we can look at your employment agreement, start date and previous work history. There isn't one waiting period that applies to every lender. The documents you'll need depend on your job and the lender we're considering.

Buying with a partner on a different visa, including subclass 461, needs a separate check. Our mixed-visa couples guide covers the lending and ownership questions to discuss with your broker and conveyancer.

For KiwiSaver, equity in an NZ property and how previous NZ home ownership affects assistance, read our NZ citizen home loan guide.

For a closer look at individual lenders, read our CommBank review and NAB review. We would check their current lending rules against your income, deposit and NZ commitments before recommending either.

Living and working in Australia? Tell us where you want to buy, your budget and how much you've saved. We can check the loan options and the documents you'll need. Your conveyancer can confirm the legal and duty position.

Book a free assessment or call 1300 088 065. Once you're ready to negotiate, our offer guide helps you set a price limit and finance dates you can meet.

Our visa home loan hub covers the wider lender comparison. If you are buying with someone on a different visa, read the partner visa guide, bridging visa guide or student visa guide for their circumstances.

For the buying budget, use the foreign buyer duty guide, LMI guide and LMI calculator. The first home buyer guide explains the purchase process.

The visa eligibility guide can help prepare your questions, but confirm the legal and lending position for your application. Our Australian expat guide is for Australian citizens living overseas; it does not change our requirement that NZ-citizen clients live and work in Australia.