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309 Visa Home Loan

Are you on the 309 Visa?
Subclass 309 (Temporary) Partner Visa lets the de facto or spouse of an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident live in Australia temporarily. Getting this visa is the first step towards a Permanent Partner Visa (Subclass 801). The difference between the 309 Visa and the 820 Visa is that the 309 is for those who apply outside of Australia, whereas the 820 Visa is for those who apply when they are in Australia.
How Much Can You Borrow?
Most lenders offer only 80%, but with a strong financial standing and stable relationship, some banks let you borrow up to 95%. The key thing is that your partner has to be involved in the loan.
What You Need to Know About 309 Visa Home Loan:

Yes, there are specific requirements for obtaining a 309 Visa home loan to buy a home. These include:
- Buying Together: You must buy property with an Australian citizen. No solo purchases.
- All Relationships Welcome: Married or de facto, including same-sex relationships.
- Real & Continuing Relationships Only: Lenders check how long you’ve been together.
- Ownership Rules: Some lenders prefer ‘joint tenants,’ not ‘tenants in common.’
- Fail to meet these criteria? You’ll be limited to borrowing 80%. Good credit and a steady job help decrease the bank’s risk.
Mortgage Qualifications for Provisional Spouse Visa
Lenders see you as high risk if your visa isn’t permanent. However, most banks accept home loan spousal partner visas for various spousal visa subclasses.
What’s the Bank’s View of Your Relationship?
Banks view stable and long-term relationships positively. Need advice? Contact us!
Additional Stamp Surcharge for Foreigners?
This can vary by state, and special conditions might apply to you. Stay updated with the latest policies, and contact us for tailored information. There are ways to avoid this fee, depending on the ownership structure.
What if your Partner is not on the Spousal/Partner (Subclass 309 or 820) Visa?
We can assist you if the temporary visa holder is on any of the following:
What is the next step?
With Professional Home Loans as your trusted mortgage partner, we specialise in navigating the complexities of temporary residency and have established relationships with banks open to accommodate your unique situation. We understand the importance of getting your loan approved to achieve your homeownership dreams, and we’re here to guide you through the process every step of the way.
There is no cost for our service and absolutely no obligation.
Free 30-Minute Finance Strategy Session For Professionals
Let us help guide you through the Home loan process.
FAQs – 309 Visa Home Loan
- Can I buy a house in Australia on a 309 Visa?
Yes, you can. However, foreign buyer duty may apply if you choose to be on title. This varies from state to state and is typically 7% or 8% of your portion of ownership of the property. We generally advise keeping the title in the Australian citizen or Permanent Resident’s name to avoid this fee when applying for a Partner Visa 309.
- Can I get a home loan on a 309 Visa Australia?
Yes, you can! In most cases, your Australian citizen or Permanent Resident partner must be included in the loan. With their involvement, you may be able to borrow up to 95% of the property value.
Some lenders have specific income requirements, where the temporary visa holder’s income cannot exceed that of the Australian citizen. These factors can vary, so exploring your options for a 309 Visa home loan with expert guidance is essential.
- Do you find temporary visa holders or non-residents are often unaware that they can access home loans?
Most temporary visa holders or non-residents are unaware of the property costs. The additional costs are the FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) application fee and foreign buyer surcharge/stamp duty.
Fees for FIRB can be found here.
Foreign Buyer surcharge/stamp duty is state-dependent and is the percentage of the purchase price. It is 8% in Victoria and NSW and 7% in other states.
There is no stamp duty surcharge for properties in ACT and NT.
- Are there cases in which banks or lenders will limit a person’s borrowing capacity due to their visa? By how much typically?
The lenders do not treat or limit a person’s borrowing capacity if they are on a temporary visa. As long as they live and work in Australia, earning AUD, they will be treated the same as an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident.
The banks will limit a person’s borrowing capacity only when they are earning foreign income. They will typically shade their income by 20%. In saying that, some lenders will shade by 10%, whereas others will shade by 40%. It depends on the lenders’ policies.
Their policy will also determine whether Australian tax margins are used or whether the local tax rate is used. For example, the tax rate in Singapore, UAE and Switzerland is much lower than in Australia. Some lenders know this and will allow the local tax rate to be used.
- Are there any other factors that often come as a surprise to people purchasing in Australia as an expat or temporary visa holder
With Temporary Visa Holders in Australia, they will be treated the same as citizens and PR.
For expats, the factors that may come into play are living expenses such as rent. Rentals in some countries, such as Switzerland and HK are very expensive. If the rent is not covered by the employer, this usually makes it very hard for the client, even if they are on a substantial income.
Credit card limits may also impact their borrowing limit. Most expats also have credit cards with very high limits. This is normal for Middle Eastern countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. The credit card limit can significantly impact a client’s borrowing capacity, as the lenders treat the limit as the balance.
- Are there any types of visas that banks tend to view more favourably?
Lenders are more likely to lend to individuals with a high likelihood of staying in Australia and a stable income. These include Skilled, Partner Visa, and Business/Investment Visa holders. Our website highlights the common visas lenders are willing to approve for a home loan partner visa.
That said, we also have a few lenders that will lend to those with graduate visas or parents who are buying property for their children studying in Australia.
- What advice would you give a person hoping to take out a home loan for Australian property if they aren’t citizens or permanent residents?
The key thing is to know how much deposit they need. As discussed previously, they need extra funds to cover FIRB and Foreign Buyer surcharge. Depending on their visas, the lenders will lend up to 95%. However, in some cases, the maximum loan is at 80%. On top of the fees, they also need a 20% deposit and funds to cover legal fees and incidentals.
- Do some banks view non-citizens or non-residents more favourably than others? If so, could you provide a few examples?
The banks do not typically view non-citizens/residents more favourably than others. They do, however, have certain countries to which they won’t lend. Those mainly consist of countries that are politically unstable or currently involved in war. The lenders also have a list of currencies that are acceptable to them. I suppose this is the way that is more favourable to some countries than others, by accepting their currency when applying for a loan.
- Are there any other misconceptions that you see commonly or myths you’d like to debunk?
The main misconception is that people who are not Australian or are non-residents are treated differently and pay a higher rate. Temporary visa holders, PR and Australian expats get the same rates as local purchases. The ones that will attract higher rates are non-Residents and foreign-income self-employed. This category will fall under the specialty lenders and may have to pay additional risk fees and higher interest rates.

After having two other brokers tell us that we had to be in Australia with proof of payslips to buy a house, we had lost hope of buying from NZ before moving over. Thankfully we found Professional Home Loans online! Michael has been amazing from start to finish. His replies to my emails were always prompt and he managed to sort an issue with our paperwork before settlement. We are very grateful for Michael’s hard work. Without it we likely would have given up on our dream of moving to WA as it would have been tricky getting a rental with pets, especially during a rental crisis.
Melanie Downers

Great service, always attentive and let us know what would happen, how it would work, what was required etc. Tom goes the extra mile and is always available on the phone or email at anytime to explain things. Phenomenal Service. You won’t get better (Although first house purchase in Australia, this is my 4th house purchase and the best service yet by far!)
Peter

We had a very complex mortgage transaction to negotiate as we live overseas and did not have the 20% deposit. However, Michael Nguyen from MAP was instrumental in helping us purchase our first home. We would genuinely recommend Michael to anyone looking to purchase a house. Thanks Michael.
Robert Smith

Working with Michael as our mortgage broker was an absolute pleasure. He was extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make sure we received the best mortgage for our needs. Michael’s communication was exceptional, keeping us informed and updated throughout the entire process. He made what can be a stressful time, a breeze.
With me being on a visa, I was told it was impossible for my partner and I to get a loan. Michael came in and told us he would be able to get our loan approved despite my visa status and safe to say he did not disappoint!
We highly recommend Michael for anyone in need of a mortgage broker. Thank you, Michael!
Komal

Michael succeeded where other brokers couldn’t due to my subclass 461 visa. Clear and prompt comms from start to finish and fantastic service.
Thanks Michael 🥳
Alex S

Tom has been absolutely amazing. From day 1 Tom was so clear and honest about everything. We got a land loan and then a construction loan. Tom assisted us all the way through and answered every question we had fast. Tom made the entire process painless and easier than I expected. I was also surprised to get a better interest rate than I expected. Absolutely 10/10. Highly recommend
Michael Harris