Can you get a home loan on your visa?
Some temporary visa holders can get a home loan. Your options depend on your visa subclass, deposit, property and buying costs, including whether you need foreign-investment approval (often called FIRB approval). Buying with an Australian citizen or permanent resident can also change your options.
Use our visa buying eligibility guide as a starting point. It is not a loan approval or legal assessment.
Before recommending a loan, I need to know the property you can buy and the cash you need for duty. Your conveyancer confirms those legal and tax questions; I use that information to assess the loan options.
Find your visa guide
Check loan options, ownership and buying costs on an 820 or 309 partner visa.
Compare lender options and buying costs while you hold an employer-sponsored visa.
Check what your visa dates, deposit and plans after graduation mean for the loan.
Work through regional conditions, deposit requirements and buying with a partner.
Check regional and employer conditions alongside the property and loan requirements.
Explore options while studying, including buying with a partner and planning ahead.
Check your current visa, work rights and buying now versus waiting for a decision.
Check lending, Queensland duty and eligible access to the 5% Deposit Scheme.
Compare joint ownership with one spouse on title and both on the loan.
Find out how overseas income, currency and documents affect your application.
What will the lender check first?
- The property: confirm whether you can buy an established home, a new dwelling or vacant land, and whether approval or an exemption applies.
- The buying costs: check the state duty, possible surcharge and proposed ownership shares.
- The loan: assess the visa, time remaining, income, deposit, borrowers and property together.
The current established-dwelling restriction
Foreign investors are generally prohibited from buying established dwellings from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029. Limited exceptions apply. Confirm your position before signing. Treasury residential-land guidance.
Current guidance says temporary residents can still seek approval for vacant land or new dwellings. Approval and conditions need to be confirmed before entering an unconditional contract.
Our FIRB approval guide explains the exemptions, application fees and timing to check before signing.
How large a deposit could you need?
A lender's maximum loan-to-value ratio (LVR) tells you how much it may lend against the accepted property value. If the lender values the property at the purchase price, 95% LVR means a 5% contribution towards the price; 80% LVR means 20%. A lower valuation can leave you needing more cash. Duty, fees and a cash reserve are extra.
The comparison draws on our lender records from 30 July 2026. The 482, 485, 491 and 494 positions were rechecked on 7 October 2026. I would confirm the current policy for your exact visa, household and property before recommending a lender.
| Lender | Who we’d check this lender for | Deposit and key checks |
|---|---|---|
| Pepper Money | 309, 475, 482, 489, 491, 820 and 494. | May lend up to 95% of the property value, depending on the loan product. We need to check your visa, plans for permanent residency and the rest of your application. |
| Westpac | Some temporary visa holders. We need to check your exact subclass. | May lend up to 80% without lenders mortgage insurance, or 90% with it. You need to own at least 30% of the property. For an insured loan, your visa must qualify and have at least 12 months remaining. |
| St George | Some temporary visa holders, using the same visa rules as Westpac. | May lend up to 80% without lenders mortgage insurance, or 90% with it. You need at least 30% ownership. An insured loan needs an eligible visa with at least 12 months left. Check FIRB approval or an exemption separately. |
| CommBank | 188, 482 (listed as medium-term), 491 and 494. | May lend up to 80% of the property value. Your purchase must also meet the foreign-investment rules. |
| ANZ | Some skilled visa holders. We need to confirm that your subclass qualifies. | May lend up to 80% of the property value, with no lenders mortgage insurance option under these visa rules. Overseas earnings can make up no more than 30% of the income ANZ uses to assess repayments. |
| NAB | Temporary visas including 188, 457, 482, 489, 491 and 494. | May lend up to 70% of the property value. For a mixed-visa couple, the stricter borrowing limit applies even if one person’s income is not used. |
| Bankwest | 188, 457, 482 (listed as medium-term) or 491 as the main borrower. | May lend up to 70% of the value of a home you will live in. Other temporary working visas were not accepted in these records. |
| ING | A temporary resident applying with their Australian citizen or permanent resident spouse or de facto partner. | May lend up to 95% of the property value on a joint application. You must both live in Australia and meet the usual loan requirements. |
| Macquarie | A temporary resident applying jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident. | If the loan needs the temporary resident’s income, or relies mainly on it, it falls outside these guidelines. I would check that first. |
| Firstmac | A non-citizen on a partner visa applying with their permanent resident spouse. | We need to check your exact partner visa and joint application before confirming how much you could borrow. |
Lender options to check for your visa
- Who we’d check this lender for
- 309, 475, 482, 489, 491, 820 and 494.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 95% of the property value, depending on the loan product. We need to check your visa, plans for permanent residency and the rest of your application.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- Some temporary visa holders. We need to check your exact subclass.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 80% without lenders mortgage insurance, or 90% with it. You need to own at least 30% of the property. For an insured loan, your visa must qualify and have at least 12 months remaining.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- Some temporary visa holders, using the same visa rules as Westpac.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 80% without lenders mortgage insurance, or 90% with it. You need at least 30% ownership. An insured loan needs an eligible visa with at least 12 months left. Check FIRB approval or an exemption separately.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- 188, 482 (listed as medium-term), 491 and 494.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 80% of the property value. Your purchase must also meet the foreign-investment rules.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- Some skilled visa holders. We need to confirm that your subclass qualifies.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 80% of the property value, with no lenders mortgage insurance option under these visa rules. Overseas earnings can make up no more than 30% of the income ANZ uses to assess repayments.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- Temporary visas including 188, 457, 482, 489, 491 and 494.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 70% of the property value. For a mixed-visa couple, the stricter borrowing limit applies even if one person’s income is not used.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- 188, 457, 482 (listed as medium-term) or 491 as the main borrower.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 70% of the value of a home you will live in. Other temporary working visas were not accepted in these records.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- A temporary resident applying with their Australian citizen or permanent resident spouse or de facto partner.
- Deposit and key checks
- May lend up to 95% of the property value on a joint application. You must both live in Australia and meet the usual loan requirements.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- A temporary resident applying jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- Deposit and key checks
- If the loan needs the temporary resident’s income, or relies mainly on it, it falls outside these guidelines. I would check that first.
- Who we’d check this lender for
- A non-citizen on a partner visa applying with their permanent resident spouse.
- Deposit and key checks
- We need to check your exact partner visa and joint application before confirming how much you could borrow.
For the visas listed above, read our 482 visa home loan guide, 491 regional visa guide or 494 visa guide. Our partner visa guide covers subclasses 309 and 820, and the mixed-visa couples guide explains joint applications and ownership.
Only some of these lenders consider loans up to 95% LVR. Product tiers, mortgage insurance, expiry dates, ownership, income and the property can change the result.
Graduate, student and bridging visas
Policy checked on 7 October 2026 shows Westpac and St George list 485 graduate visas as unacceptable. ANZ does not include 485 among its accepted visas. That does not settle every possible household or lender option.
Our earlier records list student visas as unacceptable to Westpac and St George and not on ANZ’s accepted list. I would check the complete household, any resident spouse and the next visa step before ruling out an application.
Bridging A, subclass 010, needs an individual assessment. The earlier visa, the application being decided and your right to remain and work matter. Read the bridging-visa guide for the questions to prepare.
New Zealand citizens living in Australia can be assessed under a lender's NZ-citizen category. Do not assume that subclass 444 belongs in its temporary-resident table. The NZ citizen guide explains that distinction.
Tell us your visa subclass and where you live and work. We can check whether we can help with the loan and what evidence the lender would need.
Which lenders could work with your visa?
Foreign buyer costs differ by state
A temporary visa holder may be treated as a foreign buyer for state tax purposes unless an exemption applies. These charges sit on top of the normal purchase costs. They do not tell you whether a lender will approve the loan.
In Queensland, for transactions from 1 August 2026, each buyer must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree to claim any home duty concession. Temporary residents generally pay standard duty plus 8% AFAD. Our Queensland first home owners grant guide explains the rule.
| Where you buy | Current foreign buyer charge | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 9% surcharge purchaser duty | Check the foreign-person test, residence rules and any spouse or citizenship exemption with Revenue NSW. |
| Victoria | 8% foreign purchaser additional duty | Check the purchaser, trust and exemption rules with the State Revenue Office Victoria. |
| Queensland | 8% additional foreign acquirer duty | Check who is a foreign person and the land being acquired with the Queensland Revenue Office. |
| South Australia | 7% foreign ownership surcharge | Check the purchaser and residential-land rules with RevenueSA. |
| Western Australia | 7% foreign buyers duty | Check the foreign buyer and residential property definitions with WA Government. |
| Tasmania | 8% on residential property | Check the foreign investor and property tests with the State Revenue Office Tasmania. |
| Australian Capital Territory | No separate purchase surcharge shown in current guidance. An annual foreign ownership land tax surcharge of 0.75% of average unimproved value may apply, subject to exemptions. | Check both conveyance duty and the foreign ownership land tax surcharge. |
| Northern Territory | No separate foreign buyer surcharge shown in the current duty guide | Check the current transaction and concession rules with the Northern Territory Government. |
Foreign purchaser charges by state and territory
New South Wales
- Current foreign buyer charge
- 9% surcharge purchaser duty
Victoria
- Current foreign buyer charge
- 8% foreign purchaser additional duty
Queensland
- Current foreign buyer charge
- 8% additional foreign acquirer duty
South Australia
- Current foreign buyer charge
- 7% foreign ownership surcharge
Western Australia
- Current foreign buyer charge
- 7% foreign buyers duty
Tasmania
- Current foreign buyer charge
- 8% on residential property
Australian Capital Territory
- Current foreign buyer charge
- No separate purchase surcharge shown in current guidance. An annual foreign ownership land tax surcharge of 0.75% of average unimproved value may apply, subject to exemptions.
- What to check
- Check both conveyance duty and the foreign ownership land tax surcharge.
Northern Territory
- Current foreign buyer charge
- No separate foreign buyer surcharge shown in the current duty guide
ACT sources: conveyance duty, foreign ownership land tax surcharge.
State rules and exemptions can change. Your conveyancer or solicitor should calculate the duty for the exact buyers, title shares and property before you sign.
What if you are buying with an Australian partner?
Being responsible for the loan does not necessarily mean you own a share of the home. Joint title, sole title and a non-owner co-borrower can create different legal, duty and loan results.
The mixed-visa couples guide explains the one-on-title, two-on-loan option.
Current federal legislation includes an exemption for some acquisitions with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or qualifying New Zealand citizen spouse where the land is acquired as joint tenants. The exact relationship, property and ownership requirements need current legal advice. State and territory duty rules are separate.
Brittany was assessed as though she were an offshore foreign buyer
New Zealand citizens are assessed differently
Do not classify every subclass 444 holder as a temporary resident for every purpose. The federal foreign-investment framework and state revenue rules have their own tests, while lenders may use separate New Zealand citizen categories.
Hunter Galloway can help NZ citizens living and working in Australia. If you are still living and working in New Zealand, we cannot assist with your home loan.
Use the New Zealand citizen home loan guide and the subclass 444 guide.
Should you buy now or wait for permanent residency?
Compare the purchase you can make now with the options after a PR grant. Use a realistic grant timeline and include rent, buying costs, the deposit, loan repayments and possible changes in prices. Waiting is not automatically the cheaper option.
PR can change the foreign-investment, state duty and lender assessment. Those systems use different tests and dates. Ask your solicitor about the status that applies when you sign, particularly if a grant may arrive before settlement.
Government low-deposit support has its own borrower eligibility rules. Check the Home Guarantee Scheme guide for the complete proposed application, rather than assuming that one eligible partner makes a couple eligible. Our LMI calculator can help compare the loan costs.
Compare all the buying costs
A deposit is only part of the cash needed. Allow for ordinary duty, any foreign purchaser surcharge, any foreign-investment application fee, conveyancing, registration and loan costs.
Use the foreign buyer duty calculator and Queensland stamp duty calculator for estimates. Have your adviser confirm the current amounts and exemptions for the exact buyers and property.
New builds and vacant land need a timing check
An off-the-plan purchase may settle well after the contract. Your visa, income and lender policy can change in the meantime. Vacant-land approvals can also carry construction conditions. Confirm those obligations before choosing a property or build timeline.
Lenders will ask about the work rights and time left on your visa, income evidence, deposit source and credit history. Treatment of overseas income, maximum loan size and pricing differs, so check the whole application before applying.
Evidence to gather before an offer
- Passport, visa grant notice and a current VEVO result.
- Relationship evidence where a spouse or de facto pathway may be relevant.
- Travel or residence evidence where an ordinarily-resident test is material.
- Draft contract, property type and proposed title shares.
- Foreign-investment approval or written legal advice that an exemption applies.
- Australian and foreign income documents in the original currency.
- Deposit-source evidence, including overseas transfers.
- A current duty estimate for the exact jurisdiction and ownership proposal.
More help with your visa or purchase
What you can buy
Visa subclass
Buying with a partner
Other visas and living overseas
Frequently asked questions
Check the visa, buying costs and loan before signing
Send us your visa details, income, deposit and the property you want to buy, including who will own it. I can check the lender options while your legal adviser confirms the ownership and buying rules.
Sources
How this guide was checked
The federal purchase exemptions and Queensland foreign-person rules were rechecked on 7 October 2026. The broader government-source review was completed on 1 October 2026. Foreign-investment permission, state duty and lender credit policy are separate checks.
The comparison draws on lender policy records from 30 July 2026, with the 482, 485, 491 and 494 positions rechecked on 7 October 2026. Confirm the current policy before relying on a deposit or visa position.
Sources
- Home Affairs: check your visa details and conditions (VEVO)
- Treasury: residential land rules
- Treasury: residential purchase exemptions
- Revenue NSW: surcharge purchaser duty
- State Revenue Office Victoria: foreign purchaser additional duty
- Queensland Revenue Office: foreign acquirer duty on residential land
- RevenueSA: foreign ownership surcharge
- WA Government: foreign buyers duty
- State Revenue Office Tasmania: foreign investor duty surcharge rates
- ACT Revenue Office: conveyance duty
- ACT Revenue Office: foreign ownership land tax surcharge
- Northern Territory Government: stamp duty when buying a home
General information only. It is not legal, migration, tax, foreign-investment, property or personal credit advice. Government and lender rules can change. The Brittany example describes the assessment checks, not a final loan approval or duty outcome. Client examples are based on real situations. Names and identifying details have been changed.