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Yes. If you hold a subclass 461 visa and buy jointly with a partner who is a New Zealand citizen, Australian citizen or permanent resident, you can:
On an investment, some states can still charge the foreign buyer surcharge.
Lenders assess your income, your deposit and your visa. Salaries earned in Australian dollars (AUD) are straightforward, and several lenders accept New Zealand dollar (NZD) and other foreign income when it’s documented well (most lenders shade foreign income by 20% for currency movements). We package your application so it reads clearly to the lender.
4 deposit sources that lenders accept
For 461 visa holders
Held in your own account for 3 months or more
Funds transferred from overseas
What you provide
Clear documentation of the source
A gift from family toward your deposit
What you provide
A signed gift letter confirming no repayment is required
Equity in an existing Australian property
First-home-buyer support depends on who is on the loan. Your state’s First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) treats a New Zealand citizen on a subclass 444 visa as a permanent resident in most states, so where your partner is an applicant, your household may qualify on an eligible new home.
The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, which offers a 5% deposit with no lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), is stricter: every applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, so a joint loan that includes you as a 461 visa holder cannot use the scheme.
Up to 95% of the property value when buying with an eligible partner, which means a 5% deposit plus purchase costs. Some lenders cap 461 visa holders at an 80% loan-to-value ratio (LVR) as a matter of policy, so lender selection is critical.
A 461 visa doesn’t limit you to a stripped-back product.
All standard features.
You can apply for a standard home loan with the same features offered to citizens and permanent residents:
Redraw so you can pull back extra repayments when you need them
Offset account where your savings sit against the loan and lower the interest you pay
Professional package which can bundle features and a sharper rate
Extra repayments to clear the loan sooner
Repayment pause options useful if you’re planning to start a family
You are not limited to
Not every lender will lend to a 461 visa holder, and those that do set very different credit policies. Some decline a 461 visa outright, some cap borrowing at 80% of the property value, and a smaller group lend to 90% or 95%. We apply our VSL Matrix™ (Visa x Situation x Lender) across 31+ lenders to find the ones most likely to approve your loan before you apply.
To assess a 461 visa holder, most lenders want to see:
At least 12 months left on your current 461 visa
exceptions apply, so ask us if you have less
A steady work history
usually no more than 3 employers in the past 2 years
At least 5% in genuine savings
held in your own account for 3 months or more
A clean credit history in Australia and, where relevant, New Zealand
A positive net asset position
where your assets outweigh your liabilities
Evidence of Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC)
as a 461 visa isn’t eligible for Medicare
See how these six checks apply to your situation
“I was told at first that we wouldn’t get the FHOG and that the bank would not provide more than 80%, which would make it impossible for us to purchase the property we wanted. My broker was able to explain clearly the pros and cons of buying off the plan and the objectivity was much appreciated. At the end of the day, and thanks to his knowledge regarding temporary visa status, we got the FHOG approved and a 95% loan from the bank (plus LMI)!”
Your existing home loan continues unchanged. Lenders assess your visa status at application, not as an ongoing condition, so your repayments, interest rate and loan terms stay the same.
Your 461 visa runs for 5 years and can be renewed while you remain in a genuine relationship with your New Zealand citizen partner, who holds the Special Category subclass 444 visa.
If you’re preparing to apply for a new loan, most lenders want at least 12 months left on your 461 visa when you lodge, so it can pay to renew first if your expiry is close.
And if you later move to permanent residency, foreign investment restrictions fall away on any future property purchase.
Step 1: Free Lending Assessment
Ends with a clear GO or NOT YET.
Our service is free to you, because the lender pays us a commission when your loan settles.
Book a Free Lending AssessmentAfter your assessment
Match
Compare your visa, your situation and both incomes across 31+ lenders using our VSL Matrix™
Apply
Lodge where you’re most likely to be approved
Pre-approval in as little as 7 days
Purchase
Buy from a fully assessed position
Settlement
Your loan settles and the home is yours
Right from the very first conversation we had with my broker (I think it was a Sunday afternoon around 4pm) he seemed confident the loan could be arranged, and it turned out he was true to every word.
Yes. With the right lender, you can borrow up to 95% of the property value at standard interest rates when buying with an eligible partner. MAP Home Loans specialises in matching 461 visa holders to the lenders most likely to approve.
Yes, when you buy a home or an investment as joint tenants with a partner who is a New Zealand citizen, Australian citizen or permanent resident. That usually makes the purchase exempt from FIRB approval and its fees, so the ban on temporary residents buying established dwellings currently in place does not apply. On an investment, some states can still charge the foreign buyer surcharge.
Usually not. Buying as joint tenants with your New Zealand citizen partner (subclass 444) usually exempts the purchase from FIRB approval and its fees, so there’s no application and no fee.
From 5% of the property value plus purchase costs when buying jointly with an eligible partner, depending on the lender and your circumstances. Buying solo on a 461 visa typically requires at least a 20% deposit.
No. You pay the same interest rate as an Australian citizen or permanent resident on the same loan product, with the same variable and fixed rate options.
Yes, through your eligible partner. The grant runs through an eligible applicant, including a New Zealand citizen on a subclass 444 visa, an Australian citizen or a permanent resident. Where your partner qualifies, your household may receive the grant on a new home. Amounts and rules vary by state.
Not directly. The 461 visa is a temporary visa, though many holders later qualify for permanent resident home loans after moving to permanent residency through other visa streams.
Yes. Buying an investment property as joint tenants with an eligible partner is usually exempt from FIRB approval and its fees too, though some states can still charge the foreign buyer surcharge on an investment. We’ll walk you through what changes when the property is an investment rather than your home.
Book a 15 to 30 minute chat for a clear GO or NOT YET and fast approval at a competitive rate, even without a 20% deposit.
You pay MAP Home Loans no fee. The lender pays us a commission when your loan settles.
You leave the call with one of two answers
GOA viable pathway, and we explain the next step.
NOT YETWe say what needs to change before you apply.
Written & reviewed byCraig Vaughan, Director & Mortgage Broker
MFAA 47419Credit Representative 376082Last reviewed
Authorised under LMG (ACL 517192). AFCA member 121620.
