How much deposit do you need for a home loan as a temporary resident?

What the lender pages publish

The lender pages reviewed state who can apply, not a deposit for each visa. Westpac says online applications are for Australian citizens and permanent residents, and that others can talk to a lender. Commonwealth Bank asks residents on a permanent or temporary visa to book an appointment to check whether their visa classification is eligible. Neither page gives a maximum LVR for temporary visas.

Both banks explain the general position on small deposits. Westpac says lenders generally expect a deposit of 20% and that lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) may allow a smaller one, and Commonwealth Bank describes LMI as a one-off premium added to the loan. Moneysmart says a 20% deposit avoids LMI, and suggests saving that amount plus enough to cover buying costs. None of these pages says whether LMI is offered to temporary visa holders.

The ranges brokers report

Broker pages are secondary sources and each lender's rule changes, so treat these as a snapshot. They come from one broker's lender records (30 July 2026, with the 485, 491 and 494 positions rechecked on 7 October 2026), and the lenders are not named here:

• Up to 95%. A few lenders, depending on the product tier, the residency pathway and the whole application. One lender's 95% option is for a temporary resident applying jointly with a citizen or permanent resident spouse or de facto partner, where both live in Australia.
• Up to 90% with insurance, 80% without. Two lenders that apply the same visa rules, where the visa qualifies and has at least 12 months remaining for an insured loan.
• Up to 80%. Several lenders, for listed skilled or employer-sponsored visas. One has no LMI option under its visa rules, and one limits overseas earnings to 30% of the income it uses to assess repayments.
• Up to 70%. Some lenders, for listed temporary working visas. For a couple on mixed visas, one lender applies the stricter limit even where one person's income is not used.

Other broker pages report narrower cases. One says some lenders can consider up to 95% where a citizen or permanent resident spouse is the only person on the title and both spouses are on the loan, which is a different arrangement from the 5% Deposit Scheme. Another says most mainstream banks decline a bridging visa, and the specialist lenders that consider one often lend 60% to 80% of the property value.

What the ranges mean in dollars

On a $750,000 purchase, valued at the price, the deposit and loan at each limit are:

The last column assumes a sole foreign buyer in Victoria, where the State Revenue Office describes foreign purchaser additional duty as an extra 8% on residential property, and it uses the price as the dutiable value. It also assumes no exemption. Here the surcharge is 8% of $750,000, which is $60,000. It sits on top of ordinary transfer duty, any foreign investment application fee, legal costs and LMI. Other states charge their own rates, covered in the stamp duty guide.

If the valuation comes in below the price, the same limit allows a smaller loan. At an 80% limit, a valuation of $720,000 allows a loan of $576,000, so the cash needed for a $750,000 price is $750,000 less $576,000, which is $174,000, not $150,000.

Why lenders differ

The pages point to several things that move the figure. Temporary residents are foreign persons under Treasury's key concepts guidance, which affects the property they can buy.

• Visa subclass and time remaining. Broker pages say the exact subclass and the time left on the visa matter more than the original visa length.
• Who else is on the loan. A citizen or permanent resident partner can change the lender's category, and the broker comparison notes the stricter limit still applies to some mixed-visa couples.
• Where the income comes from. One broker records a lender that limits overseas earnings to 30% of the income it uses to assess repayments.
• The property. Temporary residents are foreign persons for foreign investment, so the property type decides whether approval is possible. Treasury's guidance note says foreign persons are generally banned from established dwellings from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029, with new dwellings and vacant land still open to approval.
• The insurer. Helia's underwriting guidelines (effective 10 August 2026) cover which borrowers are acceptable and unacceptable and refer to the visa eligibility of the proposed borrower, so ask the lender whether its insurer accepts your visa. Helia's guidelines page says it will consider a proposal outside the guidelines on individual merit.

Low-deposit options and what they do not cover

The federal low-deposit options are closed to temporary residents. The 5% Deposit Scheme requires every applicant to be a citizen or permanent resident on the Home Loan Date, and Help to Buy requires all applicants to be Australian citizens. The first home buyer schemes guide covers the state grants as well.

One broker says other low-deposit options, or a profession-based LMI waiver, may be worth assessing for a temporary resident. The pages reviewed do not say which waivers accept which visas. For the wider LMI picture, see the guide to lenders mortgage insurance for non-residents.

Where the deposit comes from

Lenders also look at the source of the money. A broker says genuine savings usually means money built up or held over time, often for at least 3 months, with 5% of the price a common minimum where a lender requires it. The same broker lists gifts and inheritances among the sources to assess, and says a family gift can cover the purchase while the lender still wants a savings history. Broker pages for visa holders say to explain gifts and overseas transfers. See deposit for overseas buyers and the costs of buying from overseas for the cash items that sit outside the loan.

Frequently asked questions

Expat Finance is an independent guide. It is not a lender, mortgage broker or credit provider, it does not hold an Australian credit licence, and it does not give credit, legal, tax or migration advice. It is not affiliated with any bank, the ATO or the Foreign Investment Review Board. General information only, not legal, tax, migration or financial advice.