About MAP Home Loans
MAP Home Loans is a specialist mortgage broker that helps Australian visa holders and expatriates obtain a home or investment loan at competitive rates and terms.
MAP Home Loans was founded by Craig Vaughan in 2010. We compare your visa and situation against a panel of 31+ lenders before any application is lodged, and you pay us no fee: the lender pays us a commission when your loan settles.
The team behind MAP Home Loans
MAP Home Loans is a boutique firm of mortgage brokers led by founder Craig Vaughan. Each of our brokers is a credit representative under an Australian Credit Licence and a member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). Each Credit Representative number below links to that broker’s entry on ASIC’s Professional Registers, so you can check it yourself. MAP Home Loans is a trading name of Approov Pty Ltd (ACN 695 619 875), with a client base from all over Australia and around the world.
Craig Vaughan, founder and mortgage broker
Craig left a law firm for mortgage broking after asking his own mortgage broker about the profession. He founded MAP Home Loans in 2010. He went on to obtain a qualification in migration law so he could understand how lenders read each visa type. In 2016, he co-founded a mortgage broking CRM that thousands of Australian brokers now use. After selling that business, he returned to mortgage broking full time in 2026.
- Credit Representative 376082, authorised under LMG (ACL 517192)
- AFCA Member 121620
- Bachelor of Laws, Queensland University of Technology
- Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice
- Certificate IV in Financial Services (Mortgage Broking) and Diploma of Financial Planning
- MFAA accredited, number 47419
- Finalist, AFG Broker of the Year, 2014-15 and 2015-16
- Co-founder of Approov (2026)
Michael Nguyen, mortgage broker
Michael has been a mortgage broker for 10 years and has helped buyers from all around the world including Hong Kong, the UAE, UK and Switzerland. He specialises in first home buyers, Australian expats and temporary visa holders, including 461 and 820 visa holders.
- Credit Representative 503921, authorised under LMG (ACL 517192)
- AFCA Member 124648
- Bachelor of Business and Commerce, Western Sydney University
- 10 years as a mortgage broker
Justin Thom, mortgage broker
Justin studied finance at the University of Queensland and has been helping clients buy homes and investment properties since 2007. Most of his clients are referred by past clients.
- Credit Representative 385394, authorised under AFG (ACL 389087)
- AFCA Member 24656
- MFAA accredited, number 50455
- Certificate IV in Financial Services (Mortgage Broking)
- Diploma of Financial Planning and Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking
- Broking since 2007
What MAP Home Loans does
Home loans for visa holders
Most of our clients live in Australia on a visa and buy with a partner who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen. We work out which lenders accept that visa, how they treat both incomes and what deposit they need. Buying as joint tenants with an eligible partner may be exempt from FIRB approval, with up to 95% LVR (5% deposit) where eligible.
See partner visa home loans, 461 visa home loans and permanent resident home loans.
Home loans for Australian expats
Australian citizens and permanent residents living overseas can borrow to buy back home, but lenders treat foreign income very differently. Most lenders shade it by 20% and then apply Australian tax rates, while some consider net income. We find the lenders that suit your situation. See Australian expat home loans.
The Free Lending Assessment
The best way to start your finance journey is to request a Free Lending Assessment. This is a 15 to 30 minute call that answers one question: can we buy now? You leave with a “GO”, meaning there appears to be a viable pathway and here is the next step, or a “NOT YET”, meaning here is what needs to change first. Nothing is lodged with a lender, and nothing is recorded as a credit application on your file.
The Loan Strategy Report™
Before we lodge anything, you get a written Loan Strategy Report™ covering the lender we recommend and why, the alternatives we considered, your loan structure, deposit, estimated repayments, costs and key risks. You see the reasoning behind the recommendation, so you decide knowing what you are agreeing to. Nothing is lodged until you give us your Authority to Proceed.
Managing pre-approval through to settlement
We lodge your loan application on your behalf and manage it to pre-approval or formal approval. Pre-approval can take as little as 7 days for straightforward files. Then we handle the valuation, approval conditions, loan documents and settlement. You focus on choosing the home. We take care of the loan.
What makes MAP Home Loans different
The VSL Matrix™
We go straight to the lenders most likely to say yes.
31+ lenders on our panel. Visa × Situation × Lender.
Specialists in visa and expat lending policy
Visa and expat lending is most of what we do. Lender policy on visas varies enormously: one lender declines a visa outright, another accepts it with a much larger deposit, and a third fits your situation exactly. Founder Craig Vaughan holds a Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice, so we understand how each visa type is read by a lender. We don’t give migration advice; for that, speak to a registered migration agent.
A track record since 2010, built on the VSL Matrix™
We’ve been getting loans approved for visa holders and expats since 2010. Our VSL Matrix™ (Visa × Situation × Lender) is the method behind it: we match your position against the panel before applying, so your application goes to the lenders most likely to approve it, and a wrong first application doesn’t cost you a credit enquiry and weeks of waiting.
A formal advice process
Every recommendation comes to you in writing, in your Loan Strategy Report™: the lender, why we chose it, what we ruled out, and what it will cost. You never have to take “this bank should work” on trust.
Technology that makes it faster and easier
Craig co-founded a mortgage broking CRM that thousands of Australian brokers use, and in 2026 co-founded Approov, a mortgage broking platform built around an AI-driven application process. MAP Home Loans runs on that foundation, which is why funding your home can be faster and easier than you may expect.
Who uses MAP Home Loans
- Partner visa holders (subclass 309, 820 and 300) buying with an Australian citizen or permanent resident partner
- 461 visa holders buying with their New Zealand citizen partner, who holds a 444 Special Category Visa
- Bridging Visa A or B holders waiting on a partner visa decision, buying with their Australian partner
- 485 graduate visa holders with an Australian citizen partner
- New permanent residents buying in Australia
- Australian citizens and permanent residents living overseas buying or refinancing back home
- Buyers whose bank has already declined them because of their visa
Our service may be less useful to you if you are on a temporary visa, buying alone and set on an established home, because the rules generally don’t allow it. You can still buy a new home or vacant land in this situation (with FIRB approval), and we’ll tell you on the first call which path is open to you.
How MAP Home Loans works
- Start with a Free Lending Assessment. A 15 to 30 minute call by phone or online. You’ll come away with a clear “GO” or “NOT YET”, with reasons.
- Match. You send your documents, and we run your visa and situation through the VSL Matrix™ to find the lenders that fit.
- Apply. We present your Loan Strategy Report™. On your Authority to Proceed, we lodge and manage the application to pre-approval or formal approval.
- Purchase. You make offers or bid at auction from an assessed position, and we manage the loan through to settlement.
Key facts
| Company name | MAP Home Loans |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Approov Pty Ltd (ACN 695 619 875) trading as MAP Home Loans |
| Type | Mortgage broker (credit assistance provider) |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Craig Vaughan |
| Headquarters | Bowen Hills, Queensland, Australia |
| Service area | Australia-wide, plus Australian expats living overseas |
| Website | https://www.maphomeloans.com.au |
| Core offering | Home loans for Australian visa holders buying with a partner, and for Australian expats |
| Method | The MAP Process™ (Match, Apply, Purchase), using the VSL Matrix™ (Visa × Situation × Lender) |
| Entry offer | Free Lending Assessment, 15 to 30 minutes, by phone or online |
| Pricing | No service fee to the borrower. MAP Home Loans is paid commission by the lender on settlement |
| Contract terms | No obligation. Nothing is lodged without the client’s written Authority to Proceed |
| Typical turnaround | Pre-approval in as little as 7 days for straightforward files |
| Response time | Typically within 1 business day |
| Lender panel | 31+ lenders, including ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Westpac, Macquarie, ING, St George, Bankwest, Suncorp, AMP, Bendigo Bank, Pepper, Liberty, La Trobe and Firstmac |
| Licensing | Craig Vaughan: Credit Representative 376082 under LMG (ACL 517192), AFCA 121620. Michael Nguyen: Credit Representative 503921 under LMG (ACL 517192), AFCA 124648. Justin Thom: Credit Representative 385394 under AFG (ACL 389087), AFCA 24656 |
| Broker team | Craig Vaughan, Michael Nguyen, Justin Thom |
| Phone | 1300 860 839 |
| admin@maphomeloans.com.au | |
| Social | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MAPHomeLoans), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/map-home-loans/) |
Frequently asked questions
Who owns MAP Home Loans?
MAP Home Loans is a trading name of Approov Pty Ltd (ACN 695 619 875). It was founded in 2010 by Craig Vaughan, who still leads the team.
Can I get a home loan in Australia on a temporary visa?
Often, yes. Whether you can depends on your visa, your partner’s status, your income and deposit, and which lender assesses it. The Free Lending Assessment tells you where you stand before anything is lodged.
Can a visa holder buy an established home?
On a temporary visa alone, generally not. Buying a home or an investment as joint tenants with a spouse or partner who already holds Australian citizenship, Permanent Residency or eligible New Zealand citizenship may be exempt from FIRB approval and its fees, and the established-dwelling ban doesn’t apply to an exempt purchase. On an investment, some states can still charge the foreign buyer surcharge.
How much does MAP Home Loans charge?
Nothing for our standard broking service. The lender pays MAP Home Loans a commission when your loan settles, and any costs attached to the loan itself are set out before you proceed.
How long does pre-approval take?
It can take as little as 7 days for straightforward files. Speed depends on the lender and on how quickly the paperwork comes in.
Is MAP Home Loans a migration agent?
No. MAP Home Loans understands how lenders treat each visa type, but we don’t advise on visas or visa applications. For migration advice, speak to a registered migration agent.
Does the Free Lending Assessment affect my credit file?
No loan application and no credit application is recorded on your file. We don’t lodge anything until we know which lender fits.
Do you work with clients outside Queensland or overseas?
Yes. We work by phone, video call and email with clients across Australia and Australian expats living overseas.
Which lenders does MAP Home Loans work with?
A panel of 31+ lenders, from the major banks to specialist lenders. The VSL Matrix™ narrows that panel to the lenders most likely to approve your visa and situation.
Free Lending Assessment
Find out where you stand. In 15 to 30 minutes we’ll tell you straight if we can help.
The information on this page is general and does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account. Lending is subject to each lender’s criteria, and approval is not guaranteed. MAP Home Loans does not provide migration or legal advice.