---
title: Bridging Visa Home Loans in Australia | GNT Finance
description: Can you buy a house on a bridging visa? Why you are still a foreign person, what FIRB and duty cost you, and which lenders will look at a bridging visa file.
url: https://gntfinance.com.au/guides/bridging-visa-home-loans/
section: guides
updated: 2026-09-02
author: Gorakh Timilsina, GNT Finance
---

# Home loans on a bridging visa

**In short:** You can buy on a bridging visa, but you are still a foreign person. You need foreign investment approval, you pay the foreign purchaser duty surcharge, and you cannot buy an established dwelling. Lenders are the harder problem: most decline bridging visas outright, and the few that consider them want a lodged permanent visa application and a large deposit.

A bridging visa is the least comfortable place in the migration system from which to buy a house. Everything about it is provisional, which is exactly what a lender assessing a 30-year commitment does not want to see. It is still where thousands of people sit each year, usually between a 482 expiring and a permanent visa being decided.

## Which bridging visa you hold matters

- **Bridging visa A (subclass 010)** is granted when you apply onshore for a new substantive visa while you still hold one, and takes effect when the existing visa ceases. This is the strongest position.
- **Bridging visa B (subclass 020)** does the same and adds the right to leave and re-enter within a specified travel period.
- **Bridging visa C (subclass 030)** applies where you lodged onshore without holding a substantive visa. Work rights are not automatic.
- **Bridging visa E (subclass 050)** keeps you lawful while you finalise an immigration matter or arrange to leave. It is the weakest for lending.

Work rights, travel rights and duration all vary, and lenders read those differences carefully. Check your grant notice rather than assuming.

## What applies to you

| Question | Position on a bridging visa |
|---|---|
| Foreign person under foreign investment law | Yes, in practically every case |
| Treated as a temporary resident | If you are residing here with a permanent visa application on foot |
| Foreign investment approval needed | Yes, before an unconditional contract |
| Foreign investment application fee | $15,600 for a property valued up to $1 million at the time of writing |
| Can buy an established dwelling | No, while the federal ban runs to 30 June 2029 |
| Can buy new, off-the-plan or vacant land | Yes, with approval and conditions |
| Victorian foreign purchaser additional duty | Yes, 8%; having applied for a visa you have not yet received does not help |
| 5% Deposit Scheme and state grants | No, both require citizenship or permanent residency |
| Typical maximum LVR | Very limited; where available, often 70–80% |

Two points catch people out. First, the foreign investment definition of a temporary resident covers someone on a bridging visa with a **permanent** visa application on foot; if you are bridging while waiting on another temporary visa you may fall outside it, into the more restrictive foreign non-resident category. Second, the Victorian rule is explicit: if you have applied for a visa but not received it, you are still a foreign natural person for duty.

## Why lenders hesitate

A lender asks one question: will this borrower still be here, earning this income, in three years? A bridging visa is an unanswered version of that question. Common outcomes:

- **Outright policy exclusion.** Many lenders will not accept a bridging visa applicant at all, whatever the income.
- **Permanent application required.** Where a lender will look, it wants evidence of a lodged permanent visa application, not a temporary one.
- **Lower loan-to-value ratios.** 70% to 80% is the usual ceiling, and mortgage insurers apply their own visa rules above 80%.
- **Longer employment history.** Two or three years with one employer carries far more weight here than elsewhere.
- **Documentation.** Grant notice, VEVO check, evidence of the lodged application, work rights, payslips and an evidenced deposit.

A small group of lenders on our panel will consider a bridging visa holder with a lodged permanent visa application, long service with one employer and a substantial deposit. Policy differs lender to lender and changes without notice, so we confirm appetite before an application goes near a credit assessor. A decline on your file makes the next attempt harder. See [credit score and home loans](/guides/credit-score-and-home-loans/).

## Worked example: buying on a bridging visa, or waiting

Marcus held a 482 that expired while his employer's 186 nomination was being decided. He is on a Bridging visa A with full work rights, has been with the same employer for four years and earns $126,000. He wants a $640,000 new townhouse.

Victorian land transfer duty on $640,000 is $2,870 plus 6% of the excess over $130,000: $2,870 + $30,600 = **$33,470**.

| Line | Now, on the bridging visa | After the permanent visa is granted |
|---|---|---|
| Property type available | New or off the plan only | Anything, including established |
| Deposit | 20% = $128,000 | 5% = $32,000 under the 5% Deposit Scheme |
| Loan | $512,000 | $608,000, no mortgage insurance |
| Land transfer duty | $33,470 | $33,470, before any first home buyer concession |
| Foreign purchaser additional duty at 8% | $51,200 | Nil |
| Foreign investment application fee | $15,600 | Nil |
| Conveyancing and costs | about $3,000 | about $3,000 |
| **Cash needed** | **$231,270** | **$68,470** |

For illustration, at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years, $512,000 costs about $3,070 a month and $608,000 about $3,645 a month. Waiting saves Marcus about $162,800 in cash, and if a lender caps him at 70% the deposit rises to $192,000 and the gap widens again. Buying during the bridging window rarely makes sense unless the wait is long and the property unrepeatable.

A partial Victorian first home buyer duty concession may also apply after the grant on a purchase between $600,000 and $750,000, which would reduce the right-hand column further. Check the current position at [sro.vic.gov.au](https://www.sro.vic.gov.au).

## If you are already mid-purchase when your visa lapses

This happens more than you would expect: pre-approval issued on a substantive visa, contract signed, then the visa expires before settlement. Tell your broker immediately. A lender can reassess before funding, and a change of visa status is exactly the sort of change that triggers it. Options include bringing settlement forward, seeking an extension, or moving to a lender that accepts the new status. A [subject to finance clause](/legal/subject-to-finance-clause/) is your protection, so never waive it on a bridging visa.

## The better plan in most cases

1. Get a [pre-approval](/guides/home-loan-pre-approval/) while you still hold a substantive visa, not after it lapses.
2. Keep your employment stable. Job changes are the most common cause of a decline.
3. Keep saving into a visible Australian account so genuine savings are ready the day the grant arrives.
4. Ask us to model the purchase both ways so the decision is arithmetic rather than anxiety.

For the underlying rules, see [buying property as a temporary resident](/guides/buying-property-as-a-temporary-resident/), [FIRB approval for property](/legal/firb-approval-for-property/) and [foreign purchaser additional duty](/legal/foreign-purchaser-additional-duty-victoria/). Our [home loans for visa holders](/services/home-loans-for-visa-holders/) page covers our process, [home loans by visa subclass](/guides/home-loans-by-visa-subclass/) compares every visa, and the [186 and 187 page](/guides/visa-186-187-employer-sponsored-home-loans/) covers what changes on grant day.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I buy a house on a bridging visa in Australia?

Legally, yes, with foreign investment approval, and only a new dwelling, an off-the-plan property or vacant land while the ban on foreign persons buying established dwellings runs to 30 June 2029. You will also pay the foreign purchaser duty surcharge. The practical barrier is finance: most lenders exclude bridging visas, and the few that do not want a lodged permanent visa application and a large deposit.

### Do I pay the foreign purchaser surcharge on a bridging visa?

Yes. Victoria's rule is explicit that if you have applied for a visa but have not yet received it, you are still a foreign natural person, so the 8% additional duty applies on top of ordinary land transfer duty. The exceptions are the same as for any foreign purchaser: buying your principal place of residence with a spouse who is not a foreign purchaser, and meeting the residence condition.

### Which lenders accept bridging visa applicants?

We will not name lenders, because visa policy changes without notice and a page cannot stay accurate. The honest picture is that most decline, and a small group will consider a strong file: a Bridging visa A with full work rights, a lodged permanent visa application, several years with one employer and a deposit of 20% or more. We confirm the current position before an application is submitted.

### Should I wait for my permanent visa before buying?

Usually, yes. On a $640,000 Victorian purchase, permanent residency removes about $66,800 in surcharge and application fees, opens established housing, and makes a 5% deposit with no mortgage insurance possible. The counter-arguments are a very long processing wait or a rising market. Those are real, and we model them, but the numbers usually favour waiting.

### What happens to my existing home loan if I go onto a bridging visa?

An existing loan does not change because your visa does; you keep making repayments under the same contract. What becomes harder is anything needing a fresh credit decision: refinancing, increasing the loan, or buying again. If you are planning to refinance, do it before your substantive visa lapses rather than during the bridging period.

## Talk to GNT Finance

If you are on a bridging visa, the most valuable thing we can give you is a straight answer about whether an application is worth making now. Gorakh Timilsina assessed files like these as a senior credit officer before founding GNT Finance, and consultations are available in English, Nepali or Hindi, with an interpreter in your language on request. [Book a free consultation](/contact/) or call 0426 403 703.

*This page is general information only and not legal, tax, migration or financial advice. Visa and foreign investment rules change — confirm current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs, the Foreign Investment Review Board or a registered migration agent.*