---
title: First Home After PR in NSW and Sydney: Nepali Guide | GNT Finance
description: New PR in Sydney or NSW? How Nepali families can use the $1.5m First Home Guarantee cap, the $800,000 duty exemption and the NSW grant, plus lender rules.
url: https://gntfinance.com.au/blog/buying-your-first-home-after-pr-in-nsw-and-sydney-nepali-guide/
author: Gorakh Timilsina
published: 2026-10-16
category: First home buyers
---

# Buying your first home after PR in NSW and Sydney: a guide for Nepali families

**In short:** With PR in hand, a Nepali family in Sydney can buy an established or new home with a 5% deposit and no LMI under the First Home Guarantee (cap $1,500,000 in Sydney, Newcastle and the Illawarra), pay no transfer duty up to $800,000 under the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, and claim the $10,000 NSW grant on a new home up to $600,000.

Sydney has the largest Nepali population in Australia, concentrated along the rail lines through Rockdale, Kogarah, Hurstville, Auburn, Strathfield and Ashfield and spreading west to Blacktown, Parramatta, Liverpool and Campbelltown. It is also the most expensive city to buy in, which makes the state and federal concessions matter more here than anywhere else. This guide sets out what a new permanent resident can access in NSW and how to prepare a loan application that a lender will approve.

## Key takeaways

- PR holders are exempt from the foreign-person ban on established dwellings. Temporary residents remain restricted to new homes with FIRB approval.
- The Sydney, Newcastle and Illawarra First Home Guarantee cap of $1,500,000 is the highest in the country. The rest of NSW is $800,000.
- The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme removes transfer duty up to $800,000 and reduces it up to $1,000,000.
- The NSW First Home Owner Grant is $10,000 for a new home up to $600,000, or up to $750,000 for a house-and-land build.
- The foreign purchaser surcharge in NSW is 9%. Once you have PR it no longer applies to you.

## The NSW concessions in one table

| Scheme | Rule at the time of writing | Notes for new PR holders |
|---|---|---|
| First Home Guarantee | 5% deposit, no LMI, no income cap; cap $1,500,000 Sydney, Newcastle, Illawarra; $800,000 rest of NSW | Citizens and PRs only; owner-occupier; no property owned in Australia in last 10 years |
| First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme | Transfer duty exempt up to $800,000; concession $800,001 to $1,000,000; vacant land exempt to $350,000, concession to $450,000 | Must live in the home within 12 months and stay 12 continuous months |
| First Home Owner Grant | $10,000 for a new home up to $600,000, or up to $750,000 on a house-and-land build | New homes only |
| Foreign purchaser surcharge | 9% surcharge duty plus land tax surcharge | Foreign persons only; PRs exempt |
| Established-dwelling ban | Foreign persons blocked from established homes until at least 30 June 2029 | Does not apply to PRs or spouses of citizens and PRs |

Revenue NSW administers the state schemes; the Guarantee is run by [Housing Australia](https://www.housingaustralia.gov.au/). Because NSW figures move with budgets, treat the table as a starting point and confirm on [Revenue NSW](https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/) before you sign.

## Worked example: an $800,000 unit in Rockdale

Take a Nepali couple, both permanent residents, buying an established two-bedroom unit near Rockdale station for $800,000 using the First Home Guarantee.

| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $800,000 |
| Deposit (5%) | $40,000 |
| Loan | $760,000 |
| Transfer duty | $0 (First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme) |
| LMI | $0 (Guarantee) |
| Conveyancing, strata report, inspections, registration | Roughly $3,500 to $5,500 |
| Monthly repayment, for illustration at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years | About $4,557 |

Without the Guarantee, a 95% loan on $760,000 would attract an LMI premium likely above $30,000, or the couple would need a $160,000 deposit. The Guarantee, combined with the duty exemption, turns a Sydney unit from a ten-year savings project into something a dual-income household can reach in two to three years.

Two Sydney cautions. Many lenders apply tighter rules to units under 50 square metres or in high-density postcodes, so the unit you can afford is not always the unit a lender will fund at 95%. And strata levies, including special levies for defects, go straight into serviceability, so read the strata report early. Check what you can borrow with the [borrowing power calculator](/calculators/borrowing-power/).

## Where the Nepali community lives in Sydney

The St George area is the traditional centre: [Rockdale](/mortgage-broker/rockdale/), Kogarah and [Hurstville](/mortgage-broker/hurstville/) have Nepali grocers, momo shops, thakali kitchens and a temple presence within walking distance of the stations. The inner west corridor through [Strathfield](/mortgage-broker/strathfield/), Ashfield and [Auburn](/mortgage-broker/auburn/) is similar, with Auburn's mixed South Asian shopping strip a Saturday-morning fixture. Families looking for a house rather than a unit have pushed to [Blacktown](/mortgage-broker/blacktown/), [Parramatta](/mortgage-broker/parramatta/), [Liverpool](/mortgage-broker/liverpool/) and [Campbelltown](/mortgage-broker/campbelltown/), where three-bedroom homes sit inside the duty-exempt and Guarantee ranges more often.

Nepali community associations in NSW run Dashain and Tihar programs, blood drives, sports tournaments and Nepali language classes, and the Hindu temples and Buddhist centres across western and southern Sydney host the major festivals. Our [Sydney mortgage broker page](/mortgage-broker-sydney/) covers each area's typical property type and lender quirks.

## What a lender will ask a new PR household in NSW

A NSW application is the same as anywhere in Australia, but Sydney prices mean serviceability is tested harder.

- **Identity and status.** Passport plus PR grant notice; the lender will run a VEVO check. If one partner is still temporary, the PR partner may need to borrow alone for the Guarantee.
- **Income.** Two recent payslips, a year-to-date figure that matches, and the most recent PAYG summary from the ATO. Overtime and allowances in health care, hospitality and security work are often counted at 80% to 100% by different lenders.
- **Deposit.** 5% genuine savings held for three months. Rent paid to a real estate agent on time for six months can count. A gift from family in Australia needs a gift letter and a bank transfer trail.
- **Money from Nepal.** Nepal Rastra Bank does not permit capital to leave Nepal for buying property abroad. Lenders will not accept undocumented funds, and you should not rely on them. Use Australian savings, Australian family gifts or NRN-compliant funds, and take legal advice on anything else.
- **Liabilities.** Credit card limits, car loans and any Afterpay accounts reduce borrowing power sharply at Sydney loan sizes. Close cards you do not use before applying.
- **Buffer.** Every lender tests you at your rate plus 3 percentage points. On a $760,000 loan that is a large jump, so a broker's job is to find the lender whose expense model and income treatment suits your file.

Gather everything on the [home loan documents checklist](/guides/home-loan-documents-checklist/) and get [pre-approval](/guides/home-loan-pre-approval/) before bidding, because Sydney auctions have no cooling-off period. Our [first home buyer loans](/services/first-home-buyer-loans/) page explains the process end to end.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the $1.5 million Guarantee cap realistic for a first home?

The cap is a ceiling, not a target. A 95% loan on $1,500,000 is $1,425,000, which needs a household income most first home buyers do not have once the 3-point buffer is applied. Its practical value is that Sydney buyers are not squeezed out of the scheme, and families in Blacktown, Liverpool or Campbelltown can buy a house rather than a unit.

### Can I buy in Newcastle or Wollongong under the Sydney cap?

Yes. Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Illawarra share the $1,500,000 cap with Sydney. Elsewhere in NSW the cap is $800,000. Families who came on a 491 visa nominated for regional NSW and later moved to PR often find the regional centres offer a house inside the duty-exempt $800,000 range.

### Does the NSW duty exemption apply to a new build?

Yes, and it stacks with the grant. Buying vacant land under $350,000 is duty-free for a first home buyer, and the $10,000 FHOG applies to a house-and-land build up to $750,000 total. The build itself is funded with a construction loan paid in stages. Land at that price is rare in Sydney but common in outer growth areas and regional NSW.

### How soon after PR can I apply?

Immediately. What lenders care about is employment stability, a documented deposit and a clean Australian credit file. If you have been working in Australia on a 482 or 485 visa, that history counts. The visa change itself does not reset anything.

## Talk to GNT Finance

GNT Finance arranges home loans across NSW by phone, video and e-signature from our Melbourne office, in English, Nepali or Hindi. We work with a national lender panel and know which lenders suit Sydney units, western Sydney houses and regional builds. [Book a free consultation](/contact/) or call 0426 403 703; there is no cost to you for our home-loan service in most cases. See also our pages for [Victoria](/mortgage-broker-victoria/) and [Australia-wide](/mortgage-broker-australia/) borrowers.

*This is general information, not migration, legal, tax or credit advice. Migration rules change often — confirm with a registered migration agent (MARA) or the Department of Home Affairs. Grant, duty and Guarantee figures are as at the time of writing; confirm them with Revenue NSW and Housing Australia.*