Moving countries and then buying a home is a big climb — but it’s a climb thousands of families make every year, and the rules are clearer than the rumours suggest. What you can do depends mainly on two things: your visa status (which drives both lender appetite and FIRB rules) and your deposit. Let’s take them in order.
Permanent residents: treated (almost) like citizens
If you hold permanent residency (for example a 186 or 190 visa), the news is good:
- Most lenders treat you the same as an Australian citizen — high-LVR loans are available, often up to 95% with LMI.
- You’re exempt from FIRB — no approval, no fee, and the established-home restrictions don’t apply to you.
- You can use the Home Guarantee Scheme (5% deposit, no LMI) and, as a first home buyer, your state’s stamp duty concessions and grants — see my first home buyer guide.
If PR has just come through, you don’t need years of history in Australia — stable income and a clean 6-or-so months of statements go a long way.
Temporary visas (482, 485, 491 and others): possible, with rules
Plenty of lenders will write loans for temporary residents — but the settings are tighter:
- Deposit: most lenders cap temporary residents at around 80% LVR, so plan for a 20% deposit plus costs. A few go higher in strong cases, or where one applicant is a citizen or PR.
- Visa runway: lenders like to see decent time remaining on the visa, and a credible path to PR helps.
- Income: standard rules apply — payslips, employment stability, and Australian credit history all count.
FIRB: the part you can’t skip
Temporary residents are “foreign persons” under Australia’s investment rules, which means FIRB approval before buying residential property, with a fee that starts around $15,000 for properties under $1 million and scales up from there.
And there’s a big current restriction to know: from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027, foreign persons — including temporary residents — generally cannot buy an established (existing) dwelling. During the ban, the realistic paths for temporary visa holders are:
- New dwellings — off-the-plan apartments, house-and-land packages, newly built homes never previously occupied.
- Vacant land to build on (construction within FIRB’s required timeframe — my construction loan guide covers how those loans work).
The spouse exemption: if you’re buying jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident spouse/de facto as joint tenants, FIRB approval generally isn’t required at all — no fee, no established-home ban. For mixed-status couples this is usually the cleanest path, and it’s one of the first things I check.
How migrant families actually plan this
The pattern I see work, week after week:
- If PR is close (months, not years): often worth waiting — FIRB fees disappear, the established market opens up, deposit requirements drop, and first home buyer benefits become available.
- If PR is far off and you’re settled: a new build or house-and-land purchase with 20% down and FIRB approval can still beat years of rent — run both scenarios before deciding.
- Mixed-status couples: use the joint-tenant exemption and the PR partner’s scheme eligibility where possible.
I speak Nepali and Hindi, and a lot of my clients are first-generation buyers — if it’s easier, we can do the whole conversation in your language. हिंदी में जानकारी यहां है. यो गाइड नेपालीमा पढ्नुहोस्.
FIRB rules and fees are general information only and change over time — always confirm current settings for your circumstances before committing.