Home loans for visa holders
Yes, you can get a home loan on many temporary visas, but what you can buy is limited. Until 30 June 2029, temporary residents can't buy an established home. You can buy a new home, or vacant land to build on, with approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens aren't covered by these rules.
Temporary, permanent, or applying
Permanent resident or New Zealand citizen. Not a foreign person for buying property. You can buy an established home, and lenders often treat you much like a citizen.
Temporary visa holder. Such as a 482, 485 or 491 visa. You need FIRB approval to buy, and established homes are off limits until 30 June 2029.
Applying for permanent residence. Until it's granted, you're usually treated as a temporary resident. If the grant is close, waiting can open more options.
What a temporary resident can buy
A new home. Allowed with FIRB approval.
Vacant residential land. Allowed with approval, on condition that building is finished within four years.
An established home. Not until 30 June 2029, apart from narrow exceptions for developments that add to housing supply.
If the home isn't lived in or genuinely available for rent for more than 183 days in a year, an annual vacancy fee applies.
The FIRB step, and where it fits
Apply before you're committed. Approval is needed before you buy, so make your contract conditional on it.
Pay the fee when you apply. The fee depends on the price and type of property; the current schedule is on the ATO's website.
Allow time. The government says it can take up to 30 days to consider an application once the full fee is paid.
Line up the loan alongside it. A lender's approval and FIRB's are separate, and you'll usually need both before settlement.
What lenders look for on a temporary visa
Fewer lenders lend to temporary visa holders, and those that do usually want a larger deposit than they'd ask of a resident. They also look at how long your visa has left to run, your work in Australia and how stable it is, and whether you're on a path to permanent residence.
Income earned in Australia is usually assessed much like a resident's. Income from overseas, or in another currency, is often counted at less than its full value. Each lender sets its own rules on which visas it accepts, how much of a property's value it will lend, and how it treats foreign income.
If your visa ends before the loan does
Most home loans run far longer than a temporary visa. Lenders know that, which is why they look at the time left on your visa, your work history and your pathway to permanent residence. A loan doesn't usually end just because a visa does, but a lender will want confidence that you can keep paying it, and an expiring visa is one of the things it weighs.
Buying with a citizen or permanent-resident partner
If your partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen, buying together can change both what you're allowed to buy and how lenders see the loan. The rules can depend on how the two of you hold the title, so check your position with FIRB or a property lawyer before you sign a contract.
On the lending side, a joint application with a resident partner is often assessed more like a resident's, with more lenders willing to consider it.
First home schemes and grants
The 5% Deposit Scheme is for Australian citizens and permanent residents, so a temporary visa holder buying alone can't use it. State first home grants and duty concessions have their own residency rules, and some extra duty can apply to foreign buyers. Check the rules in the state where you're buying.
Visa holder questions
Yes, with some lenders. You'll usually need a larger deposit, time left on your visa and stable work in Australia. What you can buy is limited: until 30 June 2029, temporary residents can't buy an established home.
Buying on a visa?
Tell me your visa, how long it has left, where you work, what you've saved and what you'd like to buy. I'll tell you which lenders would look at it, what FIRB step applies, and whether buying with your partner changes the picture.
You'll hear back within the hour in business hours, and by 9am the next business day after hours.
Sources
- 1
ATO, Banning foreign purchases of established dwellings (updated 12 May 2026). Read 2 October 2026.
- 2
Foreign Investment Review Board, Residential land (updated 1 July 2026). Read 2 October 2026.
https://
foreigninvestment.gov.au/ guidance/ types-investments/ residential-land - 3
ATO, Apply to buy residential property as a foreign person (updated 13 May 2026). Read 2 October 2026.
- 4
Housing Australia, 5% Deposit Scheme guide dated 1 July 2026 (citizen or permanent resident). Checked 29 September 2026.
Updated 3 October 2026