Expat · non-resident · visa status · FIRB
Expat & non-resident home loans — three different borrowers under one label.
"Non-resident" hides three very different applications. An Australian citizen living in Singapore, a 482-visa engineer married to a PR, and a foreign national with no Australian tie are not the same file — they have different lender panels, different deposit requirements, and different rules under the Foreign Investment Review Board. This page sorts the three out: foreign-income lending for expats, the genuine panel for pathway-to-PR visa holders, and what FIRB actually requires of a foreign buyer.
Australian citizens & PR (incl. expats) borrow on largely normal terms — foreign income accepted (shaded), no FIRB, no foreign-buyer surcharge. Pathway-to-PR visa holders, especially with an Australian partner, have a real panel: Bendigo & Adelaide via Connective Select (to 95% / $1.5M, partner on loan not title) and FirstMac. Foreign nationals face FIRB, new-dwellings-only, and a 30–40% deposit.
The first job is identifying which of the three you are — it changes the lender, the deposit and the FIRB position entirely.
Which of the three are you?
Everything downstream — panel, deposit, FIRB, duty — is decided here.
- Australian citizen or permanent resident (including expats living overseas) and, in most cases, New Zealand citizens — treated close to a domestic borrower; no FIRB; foreign income accepted and shaded.
- Temporary-visa holder in Australia on a pathway to PR (e.g. skilled, employer-sponsored or partner visas) — a genuine but narrower panel, strongest where partnered with a citizen or PR.
- Foreign national with no Australian residency or citizenship — the narrowest panel, FIRB approval required, restricted to new dwellings, larger deposit.
Australian expats — borrowing on foreign income
A citizen or PR overseas is not a "foreign person". The only real differences from a domestic loan are how the income is treated and the documents.
You can buy any property — new or established — without FIRB approval, and you avoid the foreign-buyer duty surcharges. Lenders accept your overseas salary, convert it to Australian dollars and shade it (commonly to around 80–90%) to absorb exchange-rate movement; FirstMac, for example, assesses expats on a percentage of gross taxable income. You'll need overseas payslips, an employment letter, the foreign equivalent of a tax return, and bank statements showing the salary credited. The shading is a buffer, not a penalty — the job is to model it before you commit to a purchase so the borrowing figure is real.
Temporary-visa holders — the pathway-to-PR panel
The strongest niche on this page. Where there's a PR pathway — and especially an Australian partner — there's a genuine lender panel. Positions are indicative and confirmed before any application.
| Lender | Visa appetite | Key terms |
|---|---|---|
| Bendigo & Adelaide (Connective Select) | Pathway-to-PR visa; non-resident partner can be on the loan, not the title, if married/de-facto to a citizen or PR | To 95% / $1.5M loan; doesn't credit-score (assesses on merit) |
| FirstMac | Permanent and partner visas where there's an Australian citizen or PR partner; generally not purely temporary visas with no PR pathway | Assesses on ~90% of gross income; expat construction for investment |
The Australian partner is the lever
Where one applicant is a citizen or PR, the panel widens and the FIRB position usually simplifies (a home bought as the principal residence of a citizen/PR spouse, held jointly, is generally not a foreign acquisition). Who goes on the loan and who goes on the title is the decision that sets both the lender and the FIRB outcome — get it right before signing a contract.
Foreign nationals — FIRB, new dwellings, bigger deposit
The narrowest path, and the one with the most moving parts outside the loan itself.
A "foreign person" generally needs FIRB approval under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 before buying residential property, and is usually restricted to new dwellings or vacant land to build on — not established homes. FIRB charges an application fee that scales with the price, and states levy foreign-buyer duty surcharges on top of normal stamp duty. On the lending side the panel is small and the maximum loan-to-value ratio is typically around 60–70% (a 30–40% deposit). FIRB and migration status sit outside a broker's remit — we work alongside your migration agent and conveyancer, who confirm the FIRB position, and we arrange the finance around it.
Let's work out which file you actually are.
Tell us your visa or citizenship status, where your income is paid, and your partner's status — we'll map the lender panel, the realistic deposit, and the FIRB position, and model the foreign-income shading before you commit to a property.
Map my options → Borrowing capacity calculator →This is general information about credit, not personal credit advice, and not migration, tax or foreign-investment advice. Your visa subclass, FIRB position and any foreign-buyer duty are confirmed by your migration agent, conveyancer and the relevant authorities — we arrange the borrowing once that's clear. Lender policies, LVRs and income treatment are indicative, vary by file and currency, and are confirmed before any application. Your full situation and requirements are assessed before any loan is recommended or accepted.
Expat & non-resident home loan questions
Can a temporary visa holder get a home loan in Australia?
Often yes, on a PR pathway — Bendigo & Adelaide (Connective Select) lends to pathway-to-PR visa holders to 95% / $1.5M and lets a non-resident partner be on the loan not the title if married/de-facto to a citizen or PR; FirstMac writes permanent and partner visas with an Australian partner. Student and short-term visas are hardest. The exact subclass and partner status decide it.
Can Australian expats buy property back home?
Yes — as a citizen or PR you're not a "foreign person", so no FIRB and no foreign-buyer surcharge, and you can buy new or established. Lenders accept your overseas salary, shaded ~80–90% for exchange-rate movement; you'll need overseas payslips, a foreign tax return equivalent and bank statements.
Do I need FIRB approval?
Foreign persons generally do — under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, usually restricted to new dwellings or vacant land, with an application fee scaling to price. Australian citizens, PR holders (incl. expats) and most NZ citizens don't. Foreign buyers also pay state foreign-buyer duty surcharges.
How is foreign income assessed?
Converted to AUD and shaded (commonly to ~80–90%) for exchange-rate movement, with major currencies (USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, HKD) widely accepted and many others not. It's a buffer, not a penalty — we model it before you commit.
Can a non-resident buy with an Australian partner?
Yes, and it's the cleanest path — one citizen/PR applicant widens the panel and usually simplifies FIRB. Connective Select allows the non-resident partner on the loan but not the title where married/de-facto to a citizen or PR. The loan/title structure is the key decision.
How big a deposit do I need?
Expats (citizen/PR): up to 90–95% with LMI. Pathway-to-PR visa holders with an Australian partner: up to 95% with the right lender. Pure foreign nationals: typically 60–70% max LVR (30–40% deposit) plus FIRB fees and surcharges.
Will I pay a higher rate?
Expats on foreign income generally get standard or near-standard pricing (narrower lender choice, not a loading). Temporary-visa/foreign-national lending can carry a modest premium reflecting the narrower panel — and a visa holder's file is worth reviewing once PR is granted, which opens the full prime panel.
Primary sources
- Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) and the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 — when a foreign person needs approval and what they can buy.
- Department of Home Affairs — visa subclasses — the status that drives the lender panel.
- ATO — Tax residency — resident vs foreign-resident for tax (separate from lending status).
- ASIC MoneySmart — Home loans — independent consumer guidance.
- State revenue offices — foreign-buyer duty surcharges (e.g. Queensland AFAD).