Home loans for visa holders
Your bank said no. That's one bank's policy, not the market's answer.
Some lenders decline visa holders on sight. Others write policy for your visa and read your Australian income much like a local's. A home loan on a visa is about finding the second kind, before the first convinces you it can't be done.
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The visa catch
The problem isn't your income. It's how one bank's policy reads your visa.
You've got the Australian job and the salary to go with it. Then you apply at your own bank and its system hits a single switch: no permanent residency. It doesn't really weigh your pay or your pathway to PR; it flags the visa as risk, asks for a bigger deposit, or says no. Another lender, running a policy built for your visa, reads the same file and sees a borrower it wants.
What one bank's system sees
- No permanent residency, flagged as risk before your income is read
- A visa with an expiry date, treated as repayment risk
- A deposit under 20%, so the answer is no or "come back with more"
- FIRB and foreign-buyer rules it would rather not touch
- One bank's policy, taken as the whole market's answer
What's actually true
- A stable Australian income the right lender assesses much like a local's
- A visa with a pathway to permanent residency that lenders can factor in
- Lenders whose policy takes eligible visa holders to 90%, or 95% with an Australian partner on the loan
- FIRB and state rules that are navigable once you know the current path
- The right lender from 30+, matched to your visa and how you earn
And there's a second thing a single "no" hides: the rules for foreign buyers changed in 2025, so what you can buy on a visa now depends on getting the current path right, not on last year's advice.
The shift
Stop collecting knock-backs. Start with the lender who says yes.
Applying on a visa usually means trying your own bank, getting a no, then trying another and getting the same, until you decide it can't be done. Planning flips it. We start from which lenders write policy for your visa, your income and your time here, gather everything once, and map the deposit, the FIRB step and the surcharge before you commit to a property, not after.
What working with us gives you
Three things a round of cold applications never will.
We match your visa to the lender that says yes
Not every lender lends to a 482, a partner visa or a skilled visa, and the ones that do set very different rules. We know which is which across 30+ lenders, and we put your visa, your income and your time here in front of the ones built for it. For eligible visa holders that can mean up to 90% of the price, or up to 95% with an Australian partner on the loan, assessed on your situation.
Share once. We handle the extra paperwork.
Your visa, your payslips, your employment contract, the FIRB step, collected a single time. We build the case the lender needs and push it through, so you're not re-sending documents or explaining your visa status for the fourth time. Most clients just tell us what they want and let us work out how.
We map the full cost before you commit
On a visa the loan is rarely the hard part; the cash to complete is. The deposit, any FIRB fee, the foreign-buyer stamp-duty surcharge that varies by state, the sometimes-higher LMI: we map all of it up front so nothing lands as a surprise at settlement. If waiting for PR would genuinely serve you better, we'll say so.
Who you'll talk to
A licensed broker who knows visa lending, not a call centre.
You'll work with a licensed credit representative who arranges home loans for temporary residents and visa holders, and who's across the parts that trip people up: which lenders lend to a 482, a partner, a skilled or a student visa, how much of your income counts, and where FIRB and the foreign-buyer rules actually apply. They start from your visa, not a one-size scorecard.
What clients say
On a visa, told no, then into their own home.
Told 80% was the limit. Approved at 95%.
"… it was really hard to find accurate information from different lenders and financial institutions (I am on a 461 visa and my partner is a PR). I was told at first that… the bank would not provide more than 80%, which would make it impossible for us to purchase the property we wanted… thanks to his knowledge regarding temporary visa status, we got the FHOG approved and a 95% loan from the bank (plus LMI)!"
On a visa, with a 5% deposit.
"Travis is on a 461 visa and upon enquiring to different builders found that his visa was going to be a problem. We went through two brokers, declines in applications… unless we could come up with a 20% deposit… We were renting and 5% was the maximum we could come up with… My broker immediately explained to us that we could get a loan with only 5% deposit. Within a few days we had all the information we required."
A partner visa, and a first home.
"… My broker was extremely helpful and patient. I am awaiting finalisation for my 801 Permanent Partner Visa and my partner is an Australian citizen, which made it hard for us to find a lender. My broker did an amazing job and we couldn't be happier now that we can move into our first home."
Real customer reviews from MAP Home Loans, the mortgage brokerage behind Approov.
Good to know
The rules, current
FIRB and the 2025 changes, handled
Since April 2025 there are limits on foreign buyers purchasing established homes, in place to around mid-2029. New and off-the-plan homes and land to build on remain open, and buying with an Australian citizen or permanent-resident partner can change what applies. We work to the current rules and map your path.
Human first
The AI never decides
Approov's process handles the documents, the FIRB paperwork, the updates and the monitoring. A licensed broker makes every call and signs off on the advice.
In your corner
Free to you, and on your side
We're paid by lenders for introducing loans. Under the Best Interests Duty we're legally bound to recommend what's right for you, not what pays us most.
Common questions
Home loans for visa holders, answered.
- Can a visa holder buy a house in Australia?
- Yes, in many cases. Temporary residents and visa holders can get an Australian home loan when the right lender's policy fits their visa, their income and the time left on the visa. Lender appetite varies a lot, so matching you to the one whose policy says yes is most of the work, and it's exactly what we do across 30+ lenders.
- Can you get a mortgage if you are here on a visa?
- Often, yes. Because you work and earn here, the right lender assesses your Australian income much like a local's, then applies its own visa rules on top. Some lend to eligible visa holders up to 90%, and up to 95% when you buy with an Australian citizen or permanent-resident partner. With the right lender, you can also access the same competitive rates as citizens and PRs.
- Can I get a home loan on a 482 or skilled visa?
- Many lenders will consider a 482, 485, 491 or partner visa, and a strong 482 profile can reach 90% of the property value with the right lender, assessed on your situation. A clear pathway to permanent residency, like 482 to 186 or 491 to 191, usually strengthens your application, because it reassures the lender about a long loan term.
- How much deposit does a visa holder need?
- Often around 20%, but not always. Eligible visa holders can borrow up to 90% (a 10% deposit) with some lenders, and up to 95% (a 5% deposit) when an Australian partner is on the loan. Budget for costs on top, including any FIRB fee and the foreign-buyer stamp-duty surcharge, which vary by state. We'll model your real numbers before you commit to anything.
- Do I need FIRB approval to buy on a temporary visa?
- Usually, yes. Temporary residents are treated as foreign persons and generally need Foreign Investment Review Board approval, which carries a fee set by the government and updated each year. Buying as joint tenants with an Australian citizen or permanent-resident partner can make the purchase exempt. We'll help you work out what applies to your situation.
- Can I buy an established home on a visa in 2026?
- It depends. Since 1 April 2025, foreign persons, including most temporary residents, generally can't buy established (existing) dwellings, a rule currently in place to around mid-2029. New and off-the-plan homes and vacant land to build on remain open, and couples buying with an Australian partner as joint tenants can be exempt. Rules like these change, so we work to the current position and flag what fits you.
- Will I pay a higher interest rate because I'm on a visa?
- Not necessarily. With the right lender, eligible visa holders can access the same competitive rates as citizens and permanent residents. Which lender you land with matters more than the headline rate, and sorting that out is the part we handle for you.
- Should I wait for permanent residency before buying?
- Sometimes that's the right call, and we'll tell you if it is. Waiting for PR can lower your costs and open up more lenders. But plenty of visa holders buy well before PR, especially with a partner on the loan or a clear pathway to residency. We'll look at your situation honestly and help you decide, rather than push you either way.
Let's find the lender that says yes to your visa.
A licensed broker walks you through what you can borrow on your visa and how FIRB, the deposit and the surcharge fit together. Nothing to prepare, no obligation.
15 to 30 minutes · no obligation · 30+ lenders