In short: Most Nepalese people reach Australian permanent residency through one of five routes: the points-tested 189 and 190 visas, the regional 491 leading to the 191, the employer-sponsored Skills in Demand (482) leading to the 186, or a partner visa. Each route changes when you can buy a home, how much deposit you need and which government schemes you can use. Plan the finances alongside the visa.
Key takeaways
- The 2026–27 Migration Program has 185,000 places, with 132,240 in the skilled stream and 129,590 places prioritising people already onshore.
- The 482 (Skills in Demand) to 186 route needs two years with an approved sponsor, and those two years now carry across sponsors.
- The moment PR is granted you stop being a "foreign person" for property purposes: no FIRB approval, no 8% foreign purchaser duty in Victoria, and access to the First Home Guarantee.
GNT Finance is a mortgage broker, not a migration agency. What we see every week in Mickleham, Craigieburn and Epping is the money side of the PR journey: families who reached PR and did not know they could buy the next month, and families who bought too early on a temporary visa and paid avoidable surcharges. This guide maps the pathways and their home-loan consequences. For the visa itself, use a MARA-registered agent and the Department of Home Affairs website.
The main pathways at a glance
| Pathway | Who it suits | Typical Nepali profiles | Home-loan position while waiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent | High points, in-demand occupation, no sponsor needed | Registered nurses, software engineers, civil engineers | Usually applied from a 485 or 482; treated as temporary until grant |
| 190 State Nominated | Occupation on a state list; adds 5 points | Accountants, ICT, nurses, early childhood teachers | Same as above; grant is permanent from day one |
| 491 to 191 | Willing to live and work regionally for three years | Chefs, aged and disability carers, motor mechanics, nurses in regional hospitals | Temporary while on 491; PR after 191 grant |
| 482 (Skills in Demand) to 186 | Have an employer willing to sponsor | Chefs and cooks, aged care workers, IT, engineers, accountants | Temporary on 482; a few lenders lend at lower deposits with a citizen or PR co-borrower |
| 485 Post-study work | Recent graduates buying time to build points | Nursing, accounting, IT, early childhood and engineering graduates | Hardest visa to borrow on; lenders want a longer remaining validity |
| Partner (820/801 or 309/100) | Married or de facto with a citizen or PR | Couples where one partner arrived earlier | Buying jointly with a citizen or PR spouse usually avoids FIRB and surcharge |
In the 2026–27 program (announced 12 May 2026) employer-sponsored places (58,040) and state-nominated places (35,500) far outnumber the independent 189 (21,090). For most Nepali applicants that is where the realistic pathway lies.
Which pathway fits which profile
Nurses and midwives
Registered nurses have the widest choice: ANMAC assessment plus AHPRA registration opens the 189, 190 and 491, and hospitals sponsor readily on the 482. Many Nepali nurses we meet in Epping and Craigieburn choose state nomination for the extra 5 points.
Accountants and IT professionals
These occupations are popular with Nepali graduates, so points competition for the 189 is fierce. State nomination (190), a regional 491, or a 482 sponsorship leading to the 186 tends to be the practical route. Points are covered in our points test explainer.
Chefs, cooks and hospitality
Restaurant sponsorship on the 482 is common, in regional towns and in Sydney's south around Rockdale and Hurstville, and the 491 is well used. The portable two-year rule now softens the risk of a sponsor's business failing.
Aged care, early childhood and engineering
Aged care workers have dedicated sponsorship pathways, early childhood teachers are wanted in every state, and engineers with an Engineers Australia assessment have strong 189 and 190 prospects. All three commonly hold a 482 first, then move to the 186. See skills assessment for Nepali qualifications.
What each pathway means for buying a home
The visa decides whether you are a foreign person for property law, how much deposit lenders want, and whether you can use government schemes.
Foreign person rules
Temporary visa holders (482, 485, 491, bridging) are foreign persons. At the time of writing they cannot buy an established dwelling at all: the ban that began on 1 April 2025 was extended in the 2026–27 Budget to 30 June 2029. They can buy a new dwelling or vacant land with FIRB approval and a fee. Permanent residents, New Zealand citizens and spouses of citizens or PRs buying jointly are not affected. Our FIRB approval page explains the mechanics.
Deposit and surcharges
Take a $600,000 house-and-land package in Kalkallo, a typical first purchase in the north.
| Buying on a 482 or 491 | Buying after PR as a first home buyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit most lenders want | 20% ($120,000) | 5% ($30,000) under the First Home Guarantee |
| Lenders mortgage insurance | Often unavailable above 80% LVR | Nil under the First Home Guarantee |
| Victorian land transfer duty | $31,070 | $0 (first home buyer exemption up to $600,000) |
| Foreign purchaser additional duty (8%) | $48,000 | $0 |
| FIRB application fee | Applies (check the current fee) | Not required |
| Cash needed before legal and moving costs | About $199,000 | About $30,000 |
The difference is roughly $170,000 in cash on the same house. For illustration, at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years the PR buyer's $570,000 loan costs about $3,417 a month, tested at 9.00% under the APRA buffer. Run your own figures with the borrowing power calculator and the stamp duty calculator.
Government schemes after PR
Once you hold PR, are 18 or over, will live in the home and have not owned property in Australia in the last 10 years, the First Home Guarantee lets you buy with 5% and no LMI up to $950,000 in Melbourne and Geelong or $650,000 in regional Victoria, with no income cap. Victoria adds the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant for a new home up to $750,000. Check eligibility on Housing Australia and our First Home Guarantee guide.
Planning the money while the visa is processing
- Save into an Australian account every pay so you have three months of genuine savings ready.
- Keep the source of funds lawful and documented. Nepal Rastra Bank does not permit capital transfers from Nepal to buy property abroad, so build the deposit from Australian income, NRN-compliant funds or a documented gift from family already in Australia.
- Avoid buy-now-pay-later and new credit cards, and ask a broker who lends to visa holders what your target looks like through our home loans for visa holders service.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a house in Australia while my PR application is being processed?
Only in limited cases. On a temporary or bridging visa you are a foreign person, and at the time of writing foreign persons cannot buy established dwellings until at least 30 June 2029. You can buy a new dwelling or vacant land with FIRB approval, paying Victoria's 8% foreign purchaser duty. Most families are better off waiting for the grant.
Which PR pathway is fastest for a Nepali applicant?
It depends on your occupation, points and location, which is a question for a MARA-registered migration agent. Employer sponsorship and state nomination have far more places in the 2026–27 program than the independent 189, and partner visas sit in the family stream. Processing times are published by Home Affairs and change often.
Do I need to be a citizen to use the First Home Guarantee?
No. Permanent residents are eligible alongside citizens, provided they meet the other rules: 18 or over, buying as an owner-occupier, within the price cap for the area, and no property ownership in Australia in the previous 10 years. There is no income cap and no limit on places at the time of writing.
Talk to GNT Finance
Gorakh Timilsina spent years assessing loan applications as a senior credit officer, and he speaks Nepali. If you are on the road to PR and want a plan for the deposit, the timing and the lender, there is no cost to you for our home-loan service in most cases. Book a free consultation or call 0426 403 703. We are in Melbourne and work Australia-wide by phone and video through our Nepali mortgage broker service.
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.
Written by Gorakh Timilsina
Founder, CEO & Senior Mortgage Consultant at GNT Finance. Gorakh started as a broker assistant, spent years as a senior credit officer assessing loan applications, and now helps Melbourne families get the right loan approved. English, Nepali and Hindi spoken.