Short answer: yes, in most cases, and it depends on two things — which visa you’re waiting on, and whether you’re buying with an Australian partner.
The strongest position, and the one we see most often: you’re on a Bridging Visa A or B and buying with an Australian citizen or permanent resident partner. There you can reach up to 95% LVR (Loan to Value Ratio), and the FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) exemption opens up established homes as well as new builds.
Certain lenders on our panel actively accept bridging visa applications, particularly when:
The difference between an approval and a decline is usually which lender the application goes to first. We’ve placed enough of these to know where yours has the strongest chance.
There are five bridging visa subclasses in Australia, and each one carries different implications for lending, FIRB obligations, and what you can buy. Most information online only covers Bridging Visa A. Here’s the full picture.
The most common bridging visa. It’s granted when you’ve lodged a new substantive visa application while your current visa is still valid, so you can live and work in Australia while the new visa is processed.
Lending position: Several lenders will consider BVA holders, particularly when the underlying application is for a partner visa (820/801) or a skilled visa. Solo, you’re typically looking at up to 80% LVR (a 20% deposit). The factor lenders weigh most is the strength of the visa you’ve applied for, not the bridging visa itself.
Functionally similar to a BVA but with travel rights, so you can leave and re-enter Australia while your substantive visa application is processed.
Lending position: Treated the same as a BVA by most lenders. The travel component doesn’t change the credit assessment, so the same LVR ranges and lender options apply.
BVC (subclass 030), BVD (040/041), and BVE (050/051) are issued where you are either unlawful, in short-term transition, or arranging to leave Australia. Work rights are limited or absent.
Lending position: Not acceptable to Australian lenders. If you hold a BVC, BVD, or BVE, no lender on our panel will progress a home loan against these visas. The priority is resolving your visa status, by securing a substantive visa or moving to a BVA, before you pursue a purchase.
This is the scenario we see most often.
You’re in a relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident. You’ve lodged your partner visa application, usually subclass 820 (onshore), and you’re on a Bridging Visa A while the Department of Home Affairs processes your case. Processing times currently stretch beyond 12 months, often well beyond.
During that wait, life doesn’t pause. You’re working, you’re building a life together, and you find the right property. Then a bank or a broker who doesn’t work in this space tells you a bridging visa rules you out.
That advice is incomplete. Several lenders assess partner-visa BVA holders favourably, because the trajectory is clear: you’re on a path to permanent residency. The bridging visa is a temporary administrative state, not a reflection of your long-term status in Australia.
Here’s how we approach it:
Waiting for your partner visa doesn’t have to mean waiting to buy. See our partner visa home loans page for how the joint application works in full.
If you’re buying a property jointly with your spouse or de facto partner who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and the property will be your principal place of residence, you don’t need FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) approval.
This is the joint-tenancy exemption. It applies regardless of your visa status, whether bridging, temporary, or otherwise. The conditions are specific:
When all four conditions are met, you purchase without FIRB approval, without the fee, and without the delay. For bridging visa holders waiting on a partner visa, this exemption covers the exact situation you’re in.
LVR is the percentage of the property’s value the lender will finance. It varies by bridging visa type, by the substantive visa you’re waiting on, and by whether you’re applying jointly with an Australian partner. The table shows what’s realistic in each scenario.
| Your situation | Typical LVR | Property type (post–April 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| BVA/BVB + Australian citizen/PR partner Buying jointly as joint tenants, your principal residence | Up to 95% | New or established (FIRB exemption applies) |
| BVA/BVB solo — strong application Stable employment, good credit, linked to partner or skilled visa | Up to 80% | New dwellings only (FIRB applies, surcharge applies) |
| BVC, BVD, BVE | Not acceptable to lenders | Resolve visa status first |
LVR ranges reflect lender policies on our 31+ panel. Your actual LVR depends on your income, deposit, credit history, and the strength of your substantive visa application. We confirm your position in a Home Loan Strategy Session.
Lenders assess bridging visa holders on the same fundamentals as any borrower: income, expenses, existing debts, and credit history. The visa adds a policy layer, but if your income supports the loan and your deposit is sufficient, the decision comes down to choosing the right lender.
The hardest part of buying on a bridging visa usually isn’t your finances. It’s not knowing which lenders will approve you, and wondering whether the visa puts a home out of reach while you wait.
If a bank has already told you no, that’s almost always because their policy didn’t fit a bridging visa, not because you can’t be approved. With the right lender behind you, plenty of bridging visa holders get approved right now. Here’s how we get you there, in three steps.
We take your bridging visa, the substantive visa you’ve applied for, your income, your deposit, and (if relevant) your Australian partner, and run them through our VSL Matrix™ to find the lenders whose policy already fits your situation. This is where we rule out the lenders who were always going to decline a bridging visa and zero in on the ones most likely to approve you.
Once we know the right lender, we help you put your strongest application forward. We gather the right documents, confirm your FIRB position, and structure everything the way that lender wants to see it. Where you’re buying jointly with an Australian partner, we identify every grant, stamp duty concession, and surcharge exemption you may be entitled to. This is the part that quietly makes or breaks a bridging visa application, and it’s the part we manage for you.
This is the part you’re here for. You get your pre-approval, then your formal approval, and you move forward knowing the finance is sorted. And because your bridging visa is temporary and your partner or substantive visa is coming, we choose lenders and loan products that serve you now and set you up to refinance or borrow again once your next visa is granted.
Our service is free to you. We’re paid by the lender when your loan settles, so there’s no cost and no obligation for the advice, the assessment, or the application.
And if it turns out you’re not quite ready to buy today, you won’t leave empty-handed. You’ll get a clear roadmap and timeline showing exactly what needs to happen to get you loan-ready.
Yes. Several Australian lenders accept home loan applications from bridging visa holders, particularly those on a Bridging Visa A (BVA) or Bridging Visa B (BVB) with full work rights and a pending substantive visa application. Many lenders’ standard policy doesn’t fit a bridging visa, but specialist and non-bank lenders often have policies that do. A broker who works in visa-based lending can identify the right lender for your situation.
BVA (subclass 010) and BVB (subclass 020) holders have the strongest options, particularly with a pending partner or skilled visa application. BVC (subclass 030), BVD (040/041), and BVE (050/051) are not acceptable to lenders, because these visas are issued where lending isn’t viable. There, the priority is resolving your visa status first.
It depends on how you’re buying. Solo BVA applications typically reach up to 80% LVR (a 20% deposit), with FIRB applying and purchases limited to new dwellings. Buying jointly with an Australian citizen or PR partner can reach up to 95% LVR (a 5% deposit) under the FIRB joint-tenancy exemption, which also allows established-dwelling purchases, not just new builds. Your specific LVR depends on the lender, your income, your deposit, and the strength of the substantive visa you’ve applied for.
It depends on how you’re buying. If you purchase jointly with your Australian citizen or permanent resident spouse/de facto partner as joint tenants, and the property is your principal residence, you’re exempt from FIRB. If you’re buying alone, or the exemption conditions aren’t met, you need FIRB approval and are subject to the April 2025 purchase restrictions.
Yes. If you’ve lodged a partner visa application (typically subclass 820) and hold a BVA with work rights, several lenders will consider your application. Applying jointly with your Australian partner strengthens your position and triggers the FIRB joint-tenancy exemption. You don’t need to wait for your partner visa to be granted before you buy.
Different visa subclass? We cover the full specialist panel. See our dedicated guides for 482/TSS visa home loans, 491 visa home loans, and 494 visa home loans, same specialist lender panel, same approval focus, rules tuned to each visa’s specifics.
Request an exploratory chat about your options and how to secure fast home loan approval, at a competitive rate – even if you don’t have a 20% deposit.
Tom and HayleyRight home loan on a bridging visa while awaiting partner visa
MAP Home Loans was a massive help to Hayley and I. A great team and really easy to deal with, my broker knew all the ins and outs of the rules regarding purchasing a property when on a temporary visa. I am from the UK and on a bridging visa as applying for a spouse / partner visa. He did the homework, gave us some great advice and we found the right home loan at the right price. I would recommend anyone in my (or similar) situation to give MAP Home Loans a call. I have already passed on the details to an expat mate or two!
PeterHome loan approved with wife on an 820 visa
My wife is on an 820 visa and MAP Home Loans helped us get a home loan. My broker was great with communication and answered all of my questions. Recommended if you have any issues surrounding temporary visas or you just want a great mortgage broker.
MiaBought our home while on a partner visa
Purchasing a home was a mid to long term goal, given that I was still in the process of obtaining my partner visa. However, when we found the right property at the opportune time, MAP Home Loans made this a possibility. We had so many questions, concerns and requests for calls, but they were able to put us at ease with their expertise and responsiveness, guiding us through a stressful and complicated process.
We are now 1 week in, living in our new home, with a home loan package that is fair and feasible. This was something that we didn’t think was possible just 3 months ago. Thank you so much to the MAP Home Loans team! My husband and I are extremely grateful.
KellieFirst home approved on an 820 visa after months of dead ends
I can not rate MAP Home Loans highly enough! Not only the prompt and positive service we received but also my broker’s empathetic and positive nature made our transaction an absolute pleasure!
After waiting almost 5 months for another mortgage broker to unsuccessfully process our home loan, my husband and I had almost given up on buying our own property in Australia while he was on an 820 visa.
We contacted MAP Home Loans on a referral from a work colleague and we were so surprised how easy it was!
My broker was fantastic throughout the whole process, always kept us up to date regarding all aspects of our loan and gave great advice.
His dedication to the job and clients seems to me to be unsurpassed. He also organised our FHOG, while this was underway, I received constant updates on the progress of the application, so we were never worried our settlement wouldn’t go smoothly.
I can not give him high enough praise!
He has made our first home ownership not only a possibility, but a breeze! I would recommend him without any doubt!
Thank you, we will be forever appreciative!
Kellie & Naas
Ben & CarmenSpouse visa and credit default approved in 8 days
Many thanks to MAP Home Loans for all your help and support, we could not have done it without you. Very friendly service and always there when we had a question or a doubt.
You made our dream come true and we will recommend your services without a doubt.
Cheers
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