New Zealand Citizen Home Loan in Australia (Subclass 444)

What the subclass 444 visa is

Home Affairs describes the Special Category visa as a temporary visa that lets a New Zealand citizen visit, study, stay and work in Australia for as long as they remain a New Zealand citizen. Its subclass 444 page sets out how the visa starts and ends.

Because the visa is temporary in law, every system that sorts people into citizen, permanent resident and temporary resident has to decide where it fits. They do not all decide the same way, which is the reason this topic gets confusing.

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FIRB: no approval needed for residential land

Treasury's key concepts guidance (updated 12 December 2025) says New Zealand citizens who hold or are eligible for a Special Category visa are exempt from needing foreign investment approval for residential land. The same page says New Zealand citizens who are not ordinarily resident in Australia are otherwise treated as foreign investors, which is why the visa test matters.

Treasury's residential land guidance (version 5, 1 July 2026) gives a worked example. A New Zealand citizen living in Auckland, who would be eligible for the visa if she came to Australia, buys an established dwelling in April 2025 and needs no approval. That is despite the general ban on foreign persons buying established dwellings from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029.

One broker page says a New Zealand citizen living overseas needs FIRB approval. Treasury's wording is about holding or being eligible for the visa, and its example is a New Zealander living in New Zealand. The guidance is the better guide than any summary of it. For the wider rules, see the temporary visa home loans page.

How lenders treat New Zealand citizens

Each lender writes its own policy. These are the published statements found for this guide:

Source	What it says
Westpac (its website)	You can apply online if you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, and it counts New Zealand citizens living in Australia in that group. Otherwise it invites you to talk to a lender.
Commonwealth Bank (its website)	For residents on a permanent or temporary visa, it asks you to book an appointment to check whether your visa classification is eligible. It sets out no rule for subclass 444.

Brokers publish loan-size figures, which are not lender policy. One broker (page updated 17 April 2026) says a New Zealand citizen living in Australia can borrow up to 95% of the property value, a 461 visa holder living in Australia up to 90%, and a New Zealand citizen living in New Zealand or another country up to 85%. Another broker's New Zealand citizen page gives no loan-size figures and says a visa does not by itself mean a 95% loan. Treat the figures as one dated broker report, not a lender policy or an offer.

The deposit those percentages imply, on a $700,000 purchase where the lender values the property at the price:

Maximum loan	Loan	Deposit
95%	$665,000	$35,000
90%	$630,000	$70,000
85%	$595,000	$105,000

Stamp duty, legal costs and any surcharge come on top. Moneysmart says a 20% deposit avoids lenders mortgage insurance. One broker also notes that a New Zealand credit history or bank relationship does not automatically carry across as an Australian approval, so ask the lender how it treats it.

State duty surcharges: each state decides

Treasury's exemption does not switch off state foreign buyer duties. Each revenue office sets its own test:

State	What the revenue office says about New Zealand citizens
New South Wales	No surcharge purchaser duty if you hold the 444 visa and either were in Australia at least 200 days in the 12 months before the liability date (generally the contract date), or live in the property as your main home for at least 200 days in a row within 12 months of the contract.
Victoria	The State Revenue Office describes foreign purchaser additional duty as an extra 8% on residential property. Check its pages for the residence test that applies to New Zealand citizens.
Queensland	No additional foreign acquirer duty if you hold a Special Category visa when you enter the transaction. Entering Australia mainly to get the visa and avoid the duty is caught by anti-avoidance rules.

Other states and territories have their own tests. The sister guide at firbapproval.com.au covers the New Zealand position, and your conveyancer or the revenue office should confirm your position before you sign.

First home buyer help for New Zealand citizens

Scheme	What the official page says
Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme	Open to Australian citizens and permanent residents at the date you sign the loan. The guide (1 July 2026) defines permanent resident by the Citizenship Act and does not mention New Zealand citizens. That Act lets the Minister determine that some Special Category visa holders count. One broker says a determination under that Act has treated New Zealand citizens holding a subclass 444 visa as permanent residents since 1 July 2023, and that the participating lender confirms eligibility.
Help to Buy	The page says all applicants must be Australian citizens, so a New Zealand citizen who is not also an Australian citizen is outside it.
Victoria	The State Revenue Office publishes its own tests for the first home owner grant and the duty concession. Check its pages for how they treat New Zealand citizens.
Queensland	The Queensland Revenue Office defines a permanent resident as a person who holds a permanent visa or is a New Zealand citizen with a Special Category visa. The grant needs a current New Zealand passport. From 1 August 2026, transfer duty home concessions need a citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree.
South Australia	New Zealand citizens permanently living in Australia on a Special Category visa may also apply.

The first home buyer schemes guide covers every state and territory, including those whose pages do not mention New Zealand citizens.

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Frequently asked questions

Do New Zealanders need FIRB approval to buy a home in Australia?

No, if they hold or are eligible for a Special Category visa. Treasury's guidance applies this to residential land, including established dwellings. Lender approval and state surcharges are separate, so approval from FIRB's side settles only one of three questions.

Can a New Zealand citizen living in New Zealand buy in Australia?

Treasury's example says yes, without FIRB approval. Lenders then treat the borrower as living overseas, and one broker reports a lower loan size for that case. State tests differ: Queensland's own example says the additional foreign acquirer duty applies to a New Zealander living in New Zealand who does not hold the visa. Read the non-resident home loans page and check the state.

Is subclass 444 a permanent visa?

No. Home Affairs describes it as a temporary visa. Some lenders and schemes treat holders much like permanent residents, but that is each organisation's own decision.

Do New Zealand citizens pay the foreign buyer stamp duty surcharge?

It depends on the state and your circumstances. New South Wales uses a time-in-Australia test, Queensland looks at whether you hold the visa when you enter the transaction, and Victoria publishes its own test. The stamp duty guide explains how the surcharges work.

Can a New Zealand citizen use the 5% Deposit Scheme?

The published guide asks for a citizen or permanent resident and does not name New Zealand citizens. One broker says a determination under the Citizenship Act has treated 444 holders as permanent residents since 1 July 2023. A participating lender confirms eligibility when you apply.

Sources

Checked 7 October 2026.

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.