If you are working in Australia on a Skills in Demand 482 visa, a Temporary Graduate 485 visa or a Skilled Work Regional 491 visa, you may be wondering whether you can buy a home before permanent residency. The answer depends on two separate issues: whether a lender will accept your application and whether you are legally permitted to buy the property you want.
Potentially, yes. Some Australian lenders may consider eligible 482, 485 or 491 visa holders, but the outcome depends on visa validity, employment, income, deposit, liabilities, credit history, property type and lender policy. If you are treated as a foreign person, you must also satisfy Australia’s foreign-investment rules before purchasing residential property.
Lenders do not assess every temporary visa in the same way. A visa can influence how long you can remain in Australia, whether your employment is tied to a sponsor, whether you are required to live in a regional area and how a lender views the stability of your future income.
The visa itself does not determine approval. Your application is assessed as a complete financial profile. Two borrowers on the same visa can receive different outcomes because their employment, income, deposit, liabilities and property choices differ.
The current subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa is an employer-sponsored temporary skilled visa. Home Affairs states that its Core Skills stream can allow a stay of up to four years.
The subclass 485 is a temporary visa for eligible international graduates that allows holders to live, study and work in Australia after completing their studies.
The subclass 491 is a provisional visa for skilled workers who live and work in designated regional Australia. Home Affairs states that the main applicant visa can allow a stay of five years.
This is one of the most important points for temporary visa holders. A lender being willing to assess your mortgage does not mean you are legally permitted to acquire every type of Australian residential property.
Current Australian Government rules generally prohibit foreign persons, including many temporary residents, from purchasing established dwellings between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2027, subject to limited exceptions. Temporary residents can still potentially seek approval for qualifying new dwellings or vacant residential land.
| Visa | Migration profile | What a lender may focus on | Property consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 482 Skills in Demand | Employer-sponsored skilled worker; temporary stay. | Sponsor/employer, role, income, employment continuity, time remaining on visa, deposit and liabilities. | If treated as a foreign person, current restrictions on established dwellings may apply. |
| 485 Temporary Graduate | Graduate living and working temporarily after study. | Employment history, income stability, visa expiry, savings, debts and future financial position. | Foreign-investment rules can limit available property types before PR. |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional | Provisional skilled visa requiring regional living/work arrangements. | Income, occupation, regional employment, visa validity, deposit and property location. | Regional residence conditions and foreign-investment requirements can both matter. |
No. There is no single universal deposit requirement for all temporary visa borrowers. Lender policies differ, and the required deposit can depend on the visa subclass, property, location, income profile and overall risk assessment.
A larger deposit can improve the loan-to-value ratio and may open additional lending options, but it does not override foreign-investment restrictions or lender visa policy. The borrower still needs to meet servicing and credit requirements.
Potentially. Nepali families often assist children or relatives with a property deposit. Lenders can ask for evidence of the source of funds, transaction history and whether the money is a genuine non-repayable gift.
If the money must be repaid, the lender may treat it as a liability. Keep records of overseas transfers and discuss the proposed deposit structure before lodging a mortgage application.
Sometimes waiting can materially improve the range of options because permanent residency changes the foreign-investment position and may broaden access to standard lender policies. But waiting is not automatically the right strategy for every borrower.
A useful approach is to have your position assessed now. That can tell you whether a viable temporary-visa pathway exists, whether waiting for PR may be stronger, or whether you should focus on deposit growth, employment stability or reducing liabilities first.
Continue from this guide into the service most relevant to your situation.
Home Loans for Visa Holders → Home Loan Services → First Home Buyer Assistance → Construction Loans → Investment Property Loans →The 491 visa is specifically designed for skilled migrants living and working in designated regional Australia. Home Affairs states that the visa can allow the main applicant to remain for five years and requires regional living, work and study arrangements.
This means the property location can be relevant in a way that may not apply to a metropolitan 482 or 485 borrower. A 491 holder should make sure a proposed property purchase aligns with their visa conditions and migration strategy as well as lender criteria.
SKR Global Finance is physically based in Mill Park, Melbourne and supports eligible borrowers across Australia. The city references below are service areas, not additional SKR Global Finance offices.
Nepali-speaking visa-holder mortgage guidance across Melbourne and Victoria, with SKR Global Finance physically based in Mill Park.
-37.8136, 144.9631 · Service areaHome-loan assessment for Nepali 482, 485 and eligible temporary visa borrowers across Sydney and NSW.
-33.8688, 151.2093 · Service areaMortgage and first-home buyer planning for Nepali graduates and skilled migrants across Adelaide and South Australia.
-34.9285, 138.6007 · Service areaHome-loan guidance for Nepali skilled professionals, graduates and eligible visa holders across Canberra and the ACT.
-35.2809, 149.1300 · Service areaRemote mortgage consultation for Nepali temporary and skilled visa holders across Perth and Western Australia.
-31.9523, 115.8613 · Service areaHome-loan planning for Nepali skilled migrants and temporary visa borrowers across Brisbane and Queensland.
-27.4698, 153.0251 · Service areaVisa-holder lending can be highly policy-sensitive. One lender declining a visa type does not automatically mean every lender will reach the same conclusion. Conversely, being on an accepted visa list does not guarantee approval.
SKR Global Finance can review your visa status, income, deposit, liabilities and proposed property before comparing relevant options across more than 30 lenders and finance partners, subject to accreditation.
Sandeep Sigdel provides mortgage guidance in Nepali, Hindi and English, which can make it easier to discuss visa-related borrowing questions with you and your family.
Founder, Director and Principal Mortgage Broker at SKR Global Finance. Sandeep brings more than seven years of combined experience across mortgage lending, bank credit departments and mortgage broking in Australia and overseas.
A 482, 485 or 491 visa does not automatically prevent a Nepali skilled migrant from obtaining a home loan. However, temporary-visa lending requires a more careful assessment because lender visa policy, income stability, time remaining on the visa, deposit and foreign-investment rules all interact.
The best starting point is to check whether your intended property purchase is legally available to you, then assess your borrowing capacity and lender options. If the current pathway is not workable, a broker can help identify what needs to change — whether that is deposit size, employment history, debt reduction, property type or waiting for permanent residency.
Speak with Sandeep Sigdel about your visa, income, deposit and available home-loan pathways in Nepali, Hindi or English.
