Can I Buy? Visa-to-Buying Eligibility Checker

What the checker looks at

The checker applies the four rule sets that decide most purchases:

• The foreign buyer ban. Foreign persons, including temporary residents, cannot buy established dwellings from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029.
• FIRB approval. Temporary residents and non-residents need government approval before buying, with a fee that scales with the price.
• Foreign purchaser duty. States add 7% to 9% extra duty on a foreign buyer’s share. Queensland’s AFAD is 8% (as at July 2026).
• Scheme eligibility. The 5% deposit Home Guarantee Scheme requires every borrower to be an Australian citizen, PR or NZ 444 holder.

It deliberately does not guess at lender appetite. That is assessed case-by-case, and it is exactly what we do all day.

Who can buy what right now

Find your row first. Everything below explains it. As at July 2026:

FIRB approvals carry conditions (vacant land approvals require you to build, for example). State surcharges also vary outside Queensland, and government policy can change without notice.

The rules behind your result

The ban on established homes runs to 30 June 2029

From 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029, temporary residents count as foreign persons. They cannot buy established dwellings on their own. New builds, off-the-plan purchases and vacant land stay open through the normal FIRB process.

The main exception is buying an established home jointly with an Australian citizen, PR or eligible NZ-citizen spouse as joint tenants. Our mixed-visa couples guide covers how that purchase is structured.

FIRB approval and what it costs

Temporary residents and non-residents need FIRB approval before signing, or a contract expressly subject to it. The application fee scales with the price. Indicatively, a new dwelling up to $1 million sits around $15,600 (as at July 2026, indexed every 1 July).

The standard decision window is 30 days, so build it into your finance and settlement dates. Auctions are the trap. An auction contract is unconditional, so approval must be in hand before auction day. Full detail in the FIRB approval guide.

Foreign purchaser duty is charged per owner

Queensland’s 8% AFAD applies to the foreign person’s share of the property, not the whole price. On a $750,000 home bought 50/50 with a citizen partner, the surcharge lands on a $375,000 share, which is $30,000.

If only the eligible partner goes on the title, no surcharge applies at all. Put dollars on your own scenario with the foreign buyer duty calculator.

Government schemes need every borrower to qualify

The 5% deposit Home Guarantee Scheme requires every borrower on the loan to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or NZ 444 holder. One temporary-resident borrower makes the whole application ineligible, no matter how strong the eligible partner’s file is.

What changes when you get PR

PR removes the FIRB fee and removes foreign buyer duty. It also ends the established-home ban for you and opens the 5% deposit scheme when every borrower qualifies.

On a $750,000 new build, the difference in government charges is roughly $76,000 as at July 2026. If PR is months away, waiting can beat buying now. If it is years away, buying new with the costs priced in can still win. We build that comparison as part of a free assessment.

Read More: what each visa can buy and what lenders will offer

Next steps

Full guides: visa holders & PR, NZ citizens, FIRB approval, and mixed-visa couples. Visa subclass detail: 482, 485 and 491.

To talk it through, book a free assessment online or call 1300 088 065.

General information only, not credit, legal or migration advice. Rules are current as at July 2026 and change without notice. Every scenario is assessed case-by-case.