Visa and PR home loans
Home loans for 191 visa holders
The 191 is the permanent visa at the end of the regional pathway. For most holders it is the point where buying gets simpler and cheaper, because the FIRB and surcharge rules that applied on the 491 or 494 fall away.
On this page
| Visa status | Permanent visa |
|---|---|
| FIRB approval to buy a home | Not needed |
| Established (existing) homes | Can buy, no approval needed |
| New homes and vacant land | Can buy, no approval needed |
| 5% Deposit Scheme | Eligible (other criteria apply) |
| Help to Buy | Not eligible (Australian citizens only) |
Checked against the Foreign Investment Review Board, Home Affairs and Housing Australia on 26 October 2026.
What lenders look at
By the time a 191 is granted you have at least three years of Australian income and tax returns, which makes the application easier to assess than it was on the provisional visa. Lenders focus on these points.
Three years of tax returns
The 191 needs ATO notices of assessment for three income years. Lenders like the same documents: they show a steady income history in Australia.Regional employment
Your job is likely to be with a regional employer. Lenders assess it like any other role. If you plan to change jobs or move to a capital city now, tell us before we lodge.Regional property
Some lenders lend less against homes in smaller towns or on large blocks. We check the postcode and property type against lender policy before you bid.Your current loan, if any
If you bought a new home on the 491, the existing loan, its repayments and the property's value all go into the assessment for anything you do next.Days in Australia
After three years on the 491 you will usually pass the NSW 200-day test. A long trip overseas after the 191 grant can change that for a NSW purchase.Savings pattern
Lenders want to see savings built up over time. Three years of regular savings into an Australian account is strong evidence.
FIRB and the established-home ban
As a 191 holder you are a permanent visa holder, and permanent visa holders don’t need FIRB approval to buy residential land, including established homes. The ban on foreign persons buying established dwellings no longer applies to you.
If you bought a new home with FIRB approval while you held the 491 or 494, that approval may have come with conditions. Ask FIRB or your conveyancer how they apply now that you hold a permanent visa, particularly if you plan to rent the home out or sell it.
Duty, concessions and grants in each state
The 191 puts you in the permanent-resident column in every state. Compared with the 491, the foreign buyer surcharge disappears (subject to the NSW 200-day test) and the first home concessions and grants open up.
| State | Foreign buyer duty surcharge | First home duty concession | First Home Owner Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 9% unless the 200-day test is met | Yes | Yes, $10,000, new homes |
| VIC | No | Yes | Yes, $10,000, new homes |
| QLD | No | Yes | Yes, $30,000, new homes |
| WA | No | Yes | Yes, $10,000, new homes |
| SA | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm |
| TAS | No | No current scheme | Yes, $20,000, new homes |
| ACT | No surcharge | Yes | No grant (closed) |
| NT | No surcharge | House and land package exemption only | Yes, $50,000, new homes |
The concessions are for first home buyers. If you bought on the 491 or 494, you have owned residential property in Australia, and NSW’s First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme and most other states’ schemes will no longer apply to you. That is the main reason some 491 holders choose to wait for the 191 before buying.
If this is your first purchase, look at the state’s first home buyer guide for the thresholds and grant rules.
Deposit and LMI
On a 191 you can use the 5% Deposit Scheme if you are a first home buyer (or haven’t owned property in Australia in the last 10 years), will live in the home and buy under the cap. With a guarantee from the Government, there is no LMI. If you bought on the 491, the 10-year test means the scheme is usually closed to you for now.
If you don’t use the scheme, a deposit under 20% usually means LMI. With three years of Australian income and savings, more lenders will consider a higher loan than they would have on the 491. We check the current limits with the lenders on our panel.
Help to Buy remains closed until you become an Australian citizen.
Regional areas and the 5% Deposit Scheme caps
Anyone coming from a 491 or 494 has spent at least three years in a regional area, so the scheme’s two NSW caps matter. Capital-city caps also apply in listed regional centres; the rest of the state has a lower cap.
- Sydney and the listed NSW regional centres: $1,500,000. The regional centres are Central Coast, Coffs Harbour–Grafton, Illawarra, Mid North Coast, Richmond–Tweed, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
- Other areas of NSW: $800,000.
Caps are set by suburb and postcode, so confirm yours with the official postcode tool before you rely on the higher cap.
Condition 8579 (live, work and study in a regional area) is a condition of the 491 and 494. Our record for the 191, checked against Home Affairs, shows no equivalent condition. Check your 191 grant notice and VEVO to confirm what applies to you before planning a move to a capital city.
How you got here, and what comes next
The 191 is for people who held an eligible 491 or 494 for at least three years and complied with its conditions. It needs ATO notices of assessment for three income years and has no minimum income requirement.
If you took out a home loan on the provisional visa, the grant is a good time to review it. Lenders that limited lending to temporary residents may now be options, and your loan may have been set up when your choices were narrower. See refinancing for how we approach a review.
The next step after the 191 is citizenship, which is what opens Help to Buy. For most 191 holders it doesn’t change the home loan in any other way.
Documents checklist
A 191 application is the standard list, with your three years of tax records doing a lot of the work.
- 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
- ATO notices of assessment for three income years
- Current loan statements, if you bought while on the 491 or 494
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: two regional homes after the 191
A couple were granted 191 visas this year after three years on 491s in regional NSW. They rent, have never owned property, and now want to buy an established home with the 5% Deposit Scheme. They are looking in two places: a house in a regional city that is not on the scheme’s list of regional centres, and a townhouse in Newcastle, which is.
On the 491 neither home was possible, because both are established dwellings. On the 191 both are.
| Item | Regional city house | Newcastle townhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $620,000 | $850,000 |
| Transfer duty before any concession | $22,087 | $32,437 |
| First home duty concession | −$22,087 | −$22,640 |
| Mortgage and transfer registration fees | $365.46 | $365.46 |
| Government costs to budget for | $365.46 | $10,162.21 |
| Deposit (5%) | $31,000 | $42,500 |
| Loan before any LMI (95% LVR) | $589,000 | $807,500 |
| First Home Owner Grant (paid separately) | Not eligible | Not eligible |
- Both buyers hold 191 visas, are first home buyers and meet the NSW 200-day residence test.
- Each home is under the 5% Deposit Scheme cap for its area, so no LMI is payable. Confirm the postcode with the official tool.
- 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.
The regional house is under the $800,000 exemption threshold, so no transfer duty is payable and the government costs are $365. The Newcastle townhouse is in the reducing band, so $9,797 of duty remains after a $22,640 concession.
The 5% Deposit Scheme caps are what make the comparison work. Outside the listed regional centres the NSW cap is $800,000, so the regional house fits. Newcastle uses the higher $1,500,000 cap, so the townhouse fits too. The same $850,000 price in a town outside the regional centres would be over that area's cap, and the couple would need a 20% deposit or LMI.
Common mistakes
Assuming you are still a first home buyer
If you bought on the 491, NSW's First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme and the 5% Deposit Scheme usually no longer apply.Using the wrong scheme cap
Regional centres use the higher cap; other regional areas use the lower one. Check the postcode, not the town's size.Leaving an old loan untouched
A loan set up on a temporary visa is worth reviewing once you are a permanent resident.Moving before checking the visa
Confirm on VEVO that no regional condition applies to you before taking a city job and buying there.
Questions about buying on a 191
Can I buy an established home on a 191 visa?
Yes. The 191 is a permanent visa, so you don't need FIRB approval and the ban on foreign persons buying established dwellings doesn't apply to you.
I bought a home on my 491. Am I still a first home buyer?
Usually not. NSW's First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme is for people who have never owned residential property in Australia, and the 5% Deposit Scheme needs you to be a first home buyer or not to have owned property in Australia for 10 years.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in regional NSW?
Yes, if you meet its criteria. The cap is $1,500,000 in Sydney and the listed regional centres, and $800,000 in other areas of NSW. Confirm your postcode with the official tool.
Can I move to Sydney and buy there on a 191?
Our record for the 191 shows no regional condition like the 491's condition 8579. Confirm on your grant notice and VEVO, and speak to a migration agent if you are unsure, before you commit to a move and a purchase.
Should I refinance the loan I took out on my 491?
It is worth a review. As a permanent resident you may have more lenders to choose from than when the loan was set up. Whether switching makes sense depends on the costs of leaving your current loan, which we work out with you.
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.
Related guides
- Home loans for 491 visa holdersSkilled Work Regional (Provisional): FIRB, the new-home rule, condition 8579 and the move to the 191.
- Home loans for 494 visa holdersSkilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional): a regional employer, condition 8579, new homes only and the 191 pathway.
- Home loans for permanent residentsAny permanent visa: no FIRB, full access to first home schemes, and the NSW 200-day rule explained.
- Home loans for 189 visa holdersSkilled Independent: permanent from day one, with the NSW 200-day rule to watch if you've just arrived.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from these official pages. Dates show when we last checked each one.
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
- Guidance Note 2: Key concepts (version 5)
- Guidance Note 6: Residential land (version 5)
- Residential investment information
- 5% Deposit Scheme information guide
- 5% Deposit Scheme FAQs
- 5% Deposit Scheme property price caps
- Help to Buy scheme
- General transfer duty rates 2026/2027 (incl. premium residential rate)
- General transfer duty rates 2026/2027 (incl. premium residential rate) (official calculator)
- First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme
- First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (new or existing home)
- registration fees
- First Home Owner (New Homes) Grant
State and territory sources
Used for the state-by-state table.
- NSWSurcharge purchaser duty: individualsWhat is surcharge purchaser dutyRevenue NSW · Checked
- VICForeign purchaser additional dutyFirst home buyer duty exemption or concessionFirst Home Owner GrantForeign purchaser additional duty (FPAD) rateState Revenue Office Victoria · Checked
- QLDAdditional foreign acquirer duty: foreign personsFirst home concessionFirst home owner grant: eligibilityAdditional foreign acquirer duty: assessingQueensland Revenue Office · Checked
- WAForeign transfer duty fact sheetFirst home owner rate fact sheetFirst Home Owner Grant fact sheetForeign transfer duty rateFirst Home Owner Grant amountRevenueWA · Checked
- SAForeign ownership surcharge: foreign personFirst home buyer relief: eligible applicantsFirst Home Owner Grant: eligible applicantsForeign ownership surcharge rateFirst Home Owner Grant amountRevenueSA · Checked
- TASForeign investor duty surcharge: definition of foreignFirst home buyers of established homes duty relief (ended)First Home Owner Grant: eligibilityForeign investor duty surcharge (FIDS) rateState Revenue Office Tasmania · Checked
- ACTDuties Act 1999 (ACT)Home Buyer Concession Scheme determination (DI2026-157)First Home Owner Grant (closed)Foreign purchaser duty surcharge rateACT Legislation Register, ACT Revenue Office · Checked
- NTStamp Duty Act 1978 (NT)First Home Owner Grant Act 2000 (NT)HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant) amountNT Legislation, Northern Territory Government · Checked