Can an Australian living in the US get a home loan in Australia? Yes. Australian citizens based in the States can finance an Australian property at up to 90 per cent LVR on their USD salary. US dollars are the expat currency Australian lenders accept most readily, the whole application runs remotely, and citizens need no FIRB approval. The work is putting your file in front of a lender that reads American tax paperwork correctly the first time, which is what we do.
Search for an expat mortgage from the States and you’ll mostly find advice on buying a house in America as a foreigner, which is the opposite of what you need. So this page is about one thing: financing property in Australia through an Australian lender while you live and earn in the US. A home within the United States is a job for a US lender.
MAP Home Loans places Australian expat home loans for clients right across the country, from New York to the Bay Area. We’re accredited with 31+ Australian lenders and put your USD income and US tax position in front of the ones that handle American files every week, so your application lands with a lender that approves it rather than one that stalls on unfamiliar paperwork.
What makes you a strong borrower from the US isn’t a tax break, it’s the opposite: a fully documented, high income in US dollars (USD), the world’s most accepted currency.
Unlike the Gulf, the United States taxes worldwide income, so you file a US return and you’re not earning tax-free. That doesn’t weaken your application. The right Australian lender reads your federal return and W-2 directly, and the tax treaty between Australia and the US deals with the double-taxation question, so your American tax bill isn’t counted against you twice. What trips up a standard bank is unfamiliarity with US payslips and returns, not anything wrong with your income.
After a few years in the States you get used to the American mortgage: a 30-year fixed rate, refinanced whenever rates drop. An Australian home loan works differently, and it’s worth knowing how before you start.
Neither system is better, they’re just different. We set the structure up to suit an eventual return to Australia, with offset and redraw from day one and an easy repricing conversation once you’re earning in AUD again.
Lenders convert your USD salary to Australian dollars and shade it, trimming it by anywhere from 0 to 20 per cent as a buffer against currency movement. USD sits at the most favourable end of that scale. The bigger lever on an American file is how the lender assesses your foreign income and how fluent it is in US tax documents, so the spread between lenders is real.
US files run a touch tighter at some lenders than the UK or Singapore, but strong USD servicing keeps the ceiling high. Here’s where the maximums sit for the borrower types we see most from the States:
FIRB. An Australian passport means Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval isn’t required, however many years America has had you and whatever passport your spouse holds. For permanent residents it’s less automatic: the FIRB approval exemption (and its fee) depends on staying “ordinarily resident” in Australia, a test a PR settled stateside may not pass, so we confirm where you stand before you commit to a property.
The foreign buyer surcharge. The extra stamp duty is written for foreign purchasers, and an Australian passport keeps you out of it no matter where you live. Permanent residents are usually exempt as well, subject to that same ordinarily-resident test, applied state by state.
Established homes. The 2025 ban on established dwellings targets temporary visa holders, not citizens or PRs. From the US you can buy established, new, off-the-plan or vacant land without restriction on property type.
Your deposit. There’s no need to convert your savings to Australian dollars early and gamble on the AUD/USD rate. Many lenders are happy for the deposit to sit in USD until close to settlement, and we plan the conversion timing with you.
Nothing requires a flight home. Your ID can be certified at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC or the Consulates-General in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Honolulu, and approved alternatives such as a US notary work for many lenders. We line up witnessing to suit each lender’s rules, and the 14 to 19 hour gap to the Australian east coast means documents signed in your evening are processed while you sleep.
Match. Your residency, situation and USD income go through our VSL Matrix™ (Visa x Situation x Lender) to identify the Australian lenders whose policy fits your file and who are fluent in American tax documents.
Apply. We build your strongest application, translate your W-2 and federal return into what the lender needs to see, and manage certification and timing from the US end.
Purchase. We stay with the file to settlement, then keep the loan structured for the years ahead, whether you stay stateside or move home.
Yes. From anywhere in the United States, Australian citizens can borrow up to 90 per cent of a property’s value on their USD income, with the whole application handled remotely. Citizens need no FIRB approval; permanent residents should confirm their position first.
The right lender reads your federal tax return, W-2 and pay stubs directly, converts your USD income to Australian dollars, and shades it only lightly because USD is so widely accepted. The tax treaty between Australia and the US deals with double taxation, so your American tax bill isn’t counted against you twice.
The same Australian products a resident gets: variable rates, fixed terms of 1 to 5 years, offset and redraw. There’s no US-style 30-year fixed in Australia. Your rate depends on the lender, your LVR and how your USD income is assessed, so we compare your file across the panel instead of accepting the first quote.
Neither applies to Australian citizens, however long the US has been home. Permanent residents are exempt from FIRB approval and the surcharge only while ordinarily resident in Australia, so a PR settled in the US should check their position before committing to a purchase.
Usually, yes. Many lenders let the deposit sit in USD and convert near settlement, so you aren’t exposed to months of AUD/USD movement while the purchase comes together.
No. We arrange Australian loans for Australian property. Buying a home within the United States is a job for a US lender. If the goal is owning back home in Australia, that’s exactly what we do.
Tell us which state you’re in, what you earn in USD and how you’re taxed. We’ll come back with the lenders that take American files, how your salary is likely to be assessed, and roughly what you could borrow. The session costs you nothing, because the lender pays us, not you.
MAP also arranges home loans for Australian expats in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK, the UAE & Dubai and the Middle East, or start with the full Australian expat home loans guide.
Kelvin & DonnaGot our loan over the line from overseas
We were living overseas and found it difficult with other brokers to get a loan over the line while we were out of the country with foreign income. MAP Home Loans helped us get all the documentation in order and provided clear instruction on what was required. So easy when you have expert guidance. Would have no issues recommending MAP Home Loans to expats wanting to purchase in Australia.
ZamHome loan sorted while working overseas
As an expat working overseas, MAP Home Loans have been great in getting me a home loan. All the processes were seamless, and I never thought buying a home from overseas was easy. Good job, keep it up!
Abdulaziz DaérAustralian expat secured property investment back home
As an Australian working overseas, even thinking of property investment via bank loans was a challenge that I could not believe I would pull off. I was determined and I needed a property back home, and that dream came into action only when I got in contact with MAP Home Loans. My broker guided me and my son from the concept up to the signing of the entire loan approval.
MAP Home Loans will remain part of our family on future investments in Australia, InshaÁllah.
Nick and NaomiConstruction loan secured while living overseas
We were trying for a while to get a loan to build on our block of land, but it was difficult to do since we are living overseas. I tried a few brokers, who said it would be impossible to organise, but MAP Home Loans took over and guided us through the process. We were able to get the loan we needed and construction is now underway. Thanks so much!
Daniel GAustralian bank mortgage approved while overseas
I live overseas and was not confident about getting a mortgage from an Australian bank, but after receiving excellent service and advice from MAP Home Loans I ended up getting one no problem. Thanks so much.
Robert SmithFirst home bought from overseas without a 20% deposit
We had a very complex mortgage transaction to negotiate as we live overseas and did not have the 20% deposit. However, MAP Home Loans was instrumental in helping us purchase our first home. We would genuinely recommend MAP Home Loans to anyone looking to purchase a house.
Thank you.
ClaireBought my first Sydney home from Singapore
I couldn’t imagine how I could buy my first home in Sydney from Singapore without MAP Home Loans’ help. My broker’s patience with my questions, willingness to give me advice, helping me to understand the process and things I need to do to get my mortgage approved are beyond words. My broker had done a lot more than I can write here. I highly recommend MAP Home Loans to anyone who needs professional advice and help to get their home loan no matter whether you live in Australia or overseas. They would be your right choice!
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