You’re building a life together — working, paying rent, putting down roots. Now you want to buy a home. And someone has told you it’s complicated because of your visa.
Here’s what they probably didn’t tell you: Partner Visas including subclass 309 and 820 are some of the most favourable temporary visas for getting a home loan in Australia. Because you’re buying with your Australian citizen or permanent resident partner, you can access up to 95% LVR, avoid FIRB fees entirely, and in most cases, buy an established home.
Want to know exactly what you can borrow with your Australian partner? Book a free Home Loan Strategy Session → We’ll show you your lending options, which lenders on our 31+ panel work for 309/820 holders, and how the FIRB exemption applies to your situation.
Yes. If you hold a Subclass 820 (onshore) or Subclass 309 (offshore) partner visa and you are buying jointly with your Australian citizen or permanent resident partner, most lenders will treat your application the same as any other Australian borrower.
What lenders look at:
The strength of your relationship matters to lenders. A couple who have been together for several years, live together, and share financial commitments presents differently from a couple whose relationship is more recent. That said, even recently partnered applicants can access lending — it depends on the lender and how the application is structured.
We know which lenders on our 31+ panel are most receptive to partner visa applications at each stage of the visa process. That matching — right lender, right timing — is where a specialist broker makes the difference.
The Australian partner visa system has two streams, and the distinction matters for your home loan:
You apply while you’re already in Australia. The 820 is the temporary stage — once granted, you can live and work in Australia while the Department of Home Affairs processes your permanent visa (Subclass 801). Processing times for the 801 currently exceed 12 months and often stretch well beyond that.
Lending position: Strong. You’re in Australia, employed, earning Australian income. Lenders can verify everything easily. The 820 is the most common partner visa we see in home loan applications.
You apply from outside Australia. The 309 is the provisional stage — once granted, you can travel to Australia and live with your partner while your permanent visa (Subclass 100) is processed.
Lending position: Also viable, but with additional considerations. If you’ve recently arrived in Australia, lenders may want to see a period of Australian employment before approving a loan. If you’re still overseas, the application is structured differently — your Australian partner’s income and employment carry more weight initially.
For lending purposes, the critical factor is not whether you hold a 309 or 820 — it’s that you are purchasing jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident partner. That joint application is what unlocks the favourable lending terms. Whether your visa was granted onshore or offshore, the lender’s assessment follows the same framework.
Yes. Buying with your Australian partner, you can purchase any type of property.
If you’ve come across the April 2025 ban on temporary visa holders buying established homes, it doesn’t apply when you’re buying with your Australian partner. That restriction only catches buyers who need FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) approval, and your joint purchase is exempt from FIRB.
What this means in practice:
One exception to note: if you are buying alone — without your Australian partner on the title — the standard FIRB rules apply, and the April 2025 ban affects your purchase. Partner visa holders buying solo are treated as temporary residents and restricted to new dwellings. This is another reason the joint purchase structure matters.
The Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) exemption for spouses and de facto partners is one of the most valuable provisions in Australian property law for temporary visa holders. Here’s exactly how it works.
You do not need FIRB approval if all four conditions are met:
What the exemption saves you:
A common mistake: some couples purchase as tenants in common rather than joint tenants, often on advice from an accountant or solicitor focused on asset protection. This structure — where each party owns a defined percentage — does not qualify for the FIRB exemption. The difference between joint tenants and tenants in common is a legal distinction, but the financial consequences are significant. We flag this early in every partner visa application.
We confirm your FIRB position before you start searching for a property. If the exemption applies — and for most partner visa applicants buying with their Australian partner, it does — you search with the full range of properties available to any Australian buyer.
This is where the partner visa advantage is most visible. Because you’re applying jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you access deposit and LVR options that most temporary visa holders cannot.
The landscape:
The 95% LVR option is significant. On a $800,000 property, the difference between a 5% deposit ($40,000) and a 20% deposit ($160,000) is $120,000. For many couples, that difference determines whether buying is possible now or years away.
Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI):
If you borrow above 80% LVR, you will pay LMI. This is a one-off premium added to your loan or paid upfront. The cost varies by lender and LVR — for a $800,000 property at 95% LVR, expect LMI in the range of $20,000-$25,000. It’s a real cost, but it’s the mechanism that makes a 5% deposit purchase possible.
Most LMI providers will insure partner visa applicants when the co-borrower is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. This is not the case for most other temporary visa categories — another structural advantage of the partner visa.
What counts toward your deposit:
Partner visa holders buying with an Australian citizen or permanent resident may be eligible for government grants and stamp duty concessions.
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG):
Eligibility varies by state and territory. In several states, the grant is available to couples where one partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, even if the other partner holds a temporary visa. The grant amount ranges from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on the state, the property type, and the purchase price.
Stamp duty concessions:
Some states offer first home buyer stamp duty concessions or exemptions. When purchasing with an Australian citizen partner, you may qualify for the same concessions available to any first home buyer — including full exemptions on properties below certain price thresholds.
Foreign buyer stamp duty surcharge:
This is the catch. Most states impose a foreign buyer stamp duty surcharge on temporary visa holders. In New South Wales it’s 9% and in Victoria 8% of the purchase price. On an $800,000 property in NSW, that’s $72,000 — a substantial cost.
However, the application of this surcharge to partner visa holders buying jointly with an Australian partner varies by state. Some states have exemptions or reduced rates. The rules are complex and change frequently. We confirm the exact stamp duty position for your state and purchase price before you commit to a property.
The bottom line: don’t assume you’re ineligible for grants and concessions because of your visa. And don’t assume you’ll pay the full foreign buyer surcharge. Both assumptions can be wrong, and the financial difference is significant.
The partner visa is a two-stage process. The temporary visa (820 or 309) is followed by the permanent visa (801 or 100). When your permanent visa is granted, your lending position changes — and the change is meaningful.
What improves:
Strategic consideration: if you’re close to receiving your permanent visa, it may be worth discussing timing with us. In some cases, waiting a few months can change your stamp duty position materially. In other cases, buying now and refinancing after PR makes more sense. This is a conversation we have regularly with partner visa clients.
The hardest part of buying on a partner visa usually isn’t your finances. It’s not knowing which lenders will approve you, and wondering whether your visa puts a home out of reach.
If a bank has already told you no, that’s almost always because their policy didn’t fit your visa, not because you can’t be approved. With the right lender behind you, plenty of partner visa holders get approved right now. Here’s how we get you there, in three steps.
We take your visa, your income, your deposit and your relationship history, 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 say no 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 and structure everything the way that lender wants to see it. We also identify every grant, stamp duty concession and surcharge exemption you may be entitled to. This is the part that quietly makes or breaks an 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 from “approved” to settlement with the finance fully sorted, into the property that’s now yours. And because your visa situation will change over time, we choose lenders and loan products that work for you now and keep your path open to refinance or borrow again down the track.
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. If you hold a Subclass 820 (onshore) or Subclass 309 (offshore) partner visa and you are purchasing jointly with your Australian citizen or permanent resident partner, you can access home loan finance at up to 95% LVR — the same as any Australian borrower.
When purchasing jointly with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, deposits as low as 5% are available from multiple lenders. A 10% or 20% deposit will give you access to more lender options and lower or no Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Your deposit can come from genuine savings, overseas transfers, family gifts (with documentation), or the First Home Owner Grant if eligible.
In most cases, no. If you are buying jointly with your Australian citizen or permanent resident partner as joint tenants, and the property is your principal place of residence, you are exempt from FIRB.
Yes. You can buy an established home, a new home, or vacant land.
Joint tenancy means both owners hold equal, undivided shares of the property. Tenants in common means each owner holds a defined share (e.g., 50/50 or 70/30). For the FIRB exemption to apply, you must purchase as joint tenants. Purchasing as tenants in common — even with your Australian partner — does not qualify for the exemption, which means FIRB approval would be required and the April 2025 restrictions may apply.
Eligibility depends on your state or territory. In several states, the grant is available to couples where one partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, even if the other partner is on a temporary visa. Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on the state, the property type, and the purchase price. We confirm eligibility for your specific situation.
Your existing home loan continues unchanged — there’s no disruption. But your lending position improves significantly. As a permanent resident, you gain access to the full lender panel, potentially better rates, and the ability to purchase investment properties without FIRB. Many clients refinance after receiving PR to take advantage of their improved position.
Free Home Loan Strategy Session
If you hold a different visa type, see our guides for 482 visa, 491 visa, bridging visa, and other visa types.
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.
This is a short presentation by Craig Vaughan of MAP Home Loans on arranging a home loan to purchase property in Australia whilst on a temporary resident visa or as a non resident.
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
