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Visa and PR home loans

Home loans for 190 visa holders

The 190 is a permanent visa granted after a state or territory nominates you. For a home loan it works like any other permanent visa. The questions people ask are about the nomination: whether it limits where you buy, and whether the nominating state's rules apply.

On this page
At a glance
Visa statusPermanent visa
FIRB approval to buy a homeNot needed
Established (existing) homesCan buy, no approval needed
New homes and vacant landCan buy, no approval needed
5% Deposit SchemeEligible (other criteria apply)
Help to BuyNot eligible (Australian citizens only)

Checked against the Foreign Investment Review Board, Home Affairs and Housing Australia on 26 October 2026.

What lenders look at

Lenders treat the 190 as a permanent visa. Your application is assessed on income, expenses, debts, deposit and credit history, with a few points that come up more often for people who were nominated recently.

  • Work in your nominated occupation

    Many 190 holders start a job in their nominated field soon after grant. Lenders are comfortable with a new job in the same line of work. A change of career at the same time as a loan application is harder.

  • Probation periods

    Policies on probation differ. Some lenders accept a permanent role during probation if you have worked in the same field before; others want probation finished.

  • Two incomes, two histories

    When a couple both hold 190s, lenders assess each income. If one partner is still job hunting after the move, the loan is sized on one income until the other starts.

  • Savings from before the move

    Savings held overseas, or moved to Australia recently, need statements that show the money's path. Lenders also want to see some savings history in Australia.

  • Debts in your old country

    A loan you are still repaying overseas counts as a commitment. Lenders convert the repayments to Australian dollars and include them.

  • Interstate moves

    If you nominated with one state and now plan to live in another, a lender looks at where your job is. The migration side of that move is a question for a migration agent, not a lender.

FIRB and the established-home ban

You don’t need FIRB approval to buy. Holders of permanent visas are exempt from approval for residential land, including established homes. The ban on foreign persons buying established dwellings doesn’t apply to you.

That difference is the main reason the 190 is easier to buy on than the provisional 491. A 491 holder can only buy a new home with approval; a 190 holder can buy an established house or unit without any FIRB step.

If you are buying with someone who is on a temporary visa, their status still matters for their share of the property. We go through that combination on the partner visa page.

Duty, concessions and grants in each state

The table applies to every permanent visa, the 190 included. Your nominating state doesn’t appear in it: the rules of the state where the property is located apply. The only permanent-resident trap is the NSW 200-day test for surcharge purchaser duty.

Subclass 190: what applies in each state
StateForeign buyer duty surchargeFirst home duty concessionFirst Home Owner Grant
NSW9% unless the 200-day test is metYesYes, $10,000, new homes
VICNoYesYes, $10,000, new homes
QLDNoYesYes, $30,000, new homes
WANoYesYes, $10,000, new homes
SAConfirmConfirmConfirm
TASNoNo current schemeYes, $20,000, new homes
ACTNo surchargeYesNo grant (closed)
NTNo surchargeHouse and land package exemption onlyYes, $50,000, new homes
Checked against each state and territory revenue office (or its legislation register) on 26 October 2026. Rates are a percentage of the dutiable value, on top of normal transfer duty. Grants are paid separately from duty and, in every state that has one, only for new homes. “Confirm” means we could not verify this on the official site, so we link it instead of stating it.

The first home concessions differ a lot from state to state. In NSW, the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme removes transfer duty on a home up to $800,000 and reduces it up to $1,000,000. In Victoria the exemption ends at $600,000 and the concession at $750,000. A 190 holder nominated by Victoria and buying in Melbourne gets the Victorian thresholds, not the NSW ones.

Our first home buyer guides set out each state’s concession, grant and deposit-scheme caps in full.

Deposit and LMI

With a 190 you can use the 5% Deposit Scheme: a deposit of at least 5%, a Government guarantee for part of the loan, and no LMI, as long as you are a first home buyer (or haven’t owned property in Australia in the last 10 years), live in the home and buy under the price cap. A couple can apply together if both are citizens or permanent residents. There is no income cap.

If you are saving inside super, the First Home Super Saver Scheme lets you release voluntary contributions of up to $15,000 a financial year and $50,000 in total, plus earnings, towards a first home deposit. The scheme has its own steps and timing, run through the ATO, so read the official page well before you sign a contract.

Help to Buy is only for Australian citizens, so it isn’t open to you until you become one. Without a scheme, a deposit under 20% usually means paying LMI, which we price for your loan before you choose a lender.

A permanent visa, with a nomination behind it

The 190 is permanent from grant, with a five-year travel facility. You don’t need another visa before buying. Citizenship later opens Help to Buy, but most 190 holders who are ready to buy don’t need to wait for it.

The nomination is where 190 holders differ from 189 holders. Home Affairs lists no visa condition that requires you to live in the nominating state, and we could not find a stated period on the NSW nomination page. If you gave the state any commitment about where you would live when you were nominated, whether it affects a move is a question for a registered migration agent. For the loan, what counts is where your income is earned and where the home is.

Documents checklist

The visa grant notice and VEVO record cover the visa. The rest is the same evidence any borrower provides.

  • Passport
  • Visa grant notice
  • VEVO check showing visa conditions and expiry
  • Recent payslips
  • Employment contract or employer letter
  • Bank statements showing savings and deposit source
  • ATO notice of assessment or income statement
  • State or territory nomination letter (some lenders ask to see it)
  • Statements for any overseas loans you are still repaying

This list is common lender practice, not a government rule. Each lender sets its own requirements, so we send you a checklist for the lender we recommend.

Illustrative scenario: where the NSW concession runs out

A couple were nominated by NSW for 190 visas and granted them two years ago. Both work full time in Sydney and neither has owned property anywhere. They plan to use the 5% Deposit Scheme and are choosing between two established homes in western Sydney: a townhouse at $900,000 and a house at $1,050,000.

The table shows how much of the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme survives at each price.

Where the NSW concession runs out
ItemTownhouseHouse
Purchase price$900,000$1,050,000
Transfer duty before any concession$34,687$41,437
First home duty concession−$15,094Not available
Mortgage and transfer registration fees$365.46$365.46
Government costs to budget for$19,958.96$41,802.46
Deposit (5%)$45,000$52,500
Loan before any LMI (95% LVR)$855,000$997,500
First Home Owner Grant (paid separately)Not eligibleNot eligible
Assumptions
  • Both buyers are permanent residents, first home buyers, and have been in Australia for more than 200 of the last 365 days.
  • Both homes are in Sydney postcodes, under the 5% Deposit Scheme cap, so no LMI is payable.
  • Duty, concessions and fees calculated from Revenue NSW rules checked on 26 October 2026.
  • Excludes conveyancing, building and pest inspections, lender fees, LMI and moving costs.

At $900,000 the concession still takes $15,094 off the duty bill, leaving $19,594. At $1,050,000 the price is past the $1,000,000 end of the concession, so the couple pay the full $41,437. The house costs $150,000 more to buy and $21,844 more in government costs.

Both prices sit under the $1,500,000 Sydney cap for the 5% Deposit Scheme, so the couple can buy either one with a 5% deposit and no LMI. What decides it is how much the lender will lend against their incomes, and whether the extra duty on the house comes out of savings they would rather keep as a buffer.

Common mistakes

  • Using another state's thresholds

    The concession depends on where the property is. Numbers you read for NSW don't apply in Victoria or Queensland.

  • Paying for FIRB advice

    Permanent visa holders are exempt from FIRB approval. You don't need an application or a fee.

  • Buying just over a threshold

    In NSW, a few thousand dollars over the concession limit can cost tens of thousands in duty. Check the price bands before you bid.

  • Moving interstate without checking

    If you made a commitment to your nominating state, ask a migration agent before buying in another state.

Questions about buying on a 190

Do I have to buy in the state that nominated me?

Home Affairs lists no visa condition requiring you to live in the nominating state, and the duty rules that apply are those of the state where the property is. If you made a commitment to the state when you were nominated, check it with a registered migration agent before buying elsewhere.

Can I get the NSW First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme on a 190?

Yes, if you meet its other conditions. At least one first home buyer must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and a 190 holder is a permanent resident. Homes up to $800,000 are exempt and the concession reduces to nothing at $1,000,000.

Do lenders treat a 190 like a citizen?

Many lenders assess permanent residents on the same policy as citizens. Differences usually come from how recently you arrived: time in your job, Australian credit history and savings history.

Do I pay foreign buyer duty on a 190?

Not in most states. In NSW, a permanent resident who has spent fewer than 200 days in Australia in the 12 months before the contract can be charged surcharge purchaser duty unless they qualify as an exempt permanent resident.

Can my partner and I use the 5% Deposit Scheme together?

Yes, if you are both Australian citizens or permanent residents and meet the other criteria. If one of you is on a temporary visa, the joint application doesn't qualify.

Talk through your visa and deposit with Sulav

Bring your visa grant notice and a rough idea of your savings. In 60 minutes we work out which lenders fit and what the purchase will really cost.

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Sources

Every rule on this page comes from these official pages. Dates show when we last checked each one.

  1. Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)Department of Home Affairs · Checked
  2. Guidance Note 2: Key concepts (version 5)Foreign Investment Review Board · Checked
  3. Guidance Note 6: Residential land (version 5)Foreign Investment Review Board · Checked
  4. Residential investment informationForeign Investment Review Board · Checked
  5. 5% Deposit Scheme information guideHousing Australia · Checked
  6. 5% Deposit Scheme FAQsHousing Australia · Checked
  7. 5% Deposit Scheme property price capsHousing Australia · Checked
  8. Help to Buy schemeHousing Australia · Checked
  9. General transfer duty rates 2026/2027 (incl. premium residential rate)Revenue NSW · Checked
  10. General transfer duty rates 2026/2027 (incl. premium residential rate) (official calculator)Revenue NSW · Checked
  11. First Home Buyers Assistance SchemeRevenue NSW · Checked
  12. First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (new or existing home)Revenue NSW · Checked
  13. registration feesNSW Land Registry Services · Checked
  14. First Home Owner (New Homes) GrantRevenue NSW · Checked

State and territory sources

Used for the state-by-state table.