Temporary visa holders banned from buying established homes until 30 June 2029 — what can you still buy in Australia?

If you hold a temporary visa (482, 491, 500, temporary partner…) and have been planning to buy a home in Australia, here is what you need to know before inspecting a single property: the ban on foreign persons — including temporary visa holders — buying established dwellings took effect on 1 April 2025, and Budget 2026–27 has just EXTENDED that ban until 30 June 2029.

The short answer: for at least the next three years, temporary visa holders cannot buy established homes. You can still buy new dwellings, off-the-plan properties, or vacant land to build on — with FIRB approval and fees. Permanent residents and citizens are entirely unaffected.

This article explains the scope of the ban, what remains available, and how to re-plan your path to home ownership.

Who the ban covers, and which properties

A “foreign person” under the FIRB framework includes temporary visa holders — 482, 491, 500, temporary-stage partner visas, bridging visas… — not just people living outside Australia. The target of the ban is the established dwelling: a home that has been built and previously occupied — in other words, most of the supply on the resale market.

There is one narrow exception: redevelopment projects of 20 or more dwellings — designed for property developers, and almost never relevant to individual buyers.

What you can still buy — and how the process works

Temporary visa holders retain three lawful options:

1. A new dwelling — never previously occupied, bought directly from a developer.
2. Off-the-plan — purchased from the plans, settled on completion.
3. Vacant land to build on — with conditions requiring construction within a set period.

All three require FIRB approval (a foreign investment application) and an application fee — fees scale with property value and are adjusted periodically; check the current schedule on the official site. On top of that, most states levy a foreign purchaser stamp duty surcharge (commonly in the 7–8% range of the property value, varying by state — check your state’s rate). This surcharge stacks on ordinary stamp duty, making total transaction costs for temporary visa holders significantly higher than for an Australian buying the same home.

Also note: the vacancy fee (charged to foreign owners who leave dwellings empty) has been increased — if you buy and don’t occupy, holding costs are not trivial. See the ATO/FIRB pages for detail.

Frequently asked questions

I bought an established home BEFORE April 2025 — am I affected?

No. The ban is not retrospective — transactions lawfully completed before the commencement date are unaffected. You continue to own the property as normal (existing obligations such as the vacancy fee still apply where relevant).

My spouse is a PR — can we buy together?

This is an area with its own rules: a purchase involving one PR/citizen and one temporary visa holder is treated differently from a pure foreign-person purchase, depending on the ownership structure (joint tenants, ownership shares…). Do not guess your way through this — the wrong structure can amount to a FIRB breach with real penalties. Get FIRB/property law advice before signing any contract.

Could the ban end earlier than 2029?

The current end date is 30 June 2029 per Budget 2026–27. Policy can move in either direction — follow official announcements rather than building plans on speculation.

The planning angle: work to your PR milestone, don’t look for loopholes

Viewed plainly, this ban is one more entry on the list of what PR is worth. A permanent resident buys established property like any Australian: no FIRB, no foreign surcharges (subject to each state’s rules), and access to the entire resale market.

So if you are on a PR pathway (482 → 186, 491 → 191, temporary partner → PR), the rational comparison is usually:

• Model both scenarios: buying a new dwelling now (FIRB + fees + surcharge + a narrower pool) versus waiting for your PR milestone and buying established (full market, no surcharges). Your distance to PR is the deciding variable.
• Ignore “workarounds” — having someone hold the title for you, convoluted ownership structures… FIRB breaches carry heavy penalties, and a record of breaking Australian law is a burden on your own migration file.
• For visa-by-visa purchase rights and overall strategy, see our guide to buying property in Australia on PR and temporary visas.

Summary

From 1 April 2025, extended through 30 June 2029, temporary visa holders cannot buy established dwellings in Australia; new builds, off-the-plan and vacant land remain open with FIRB approval, fees and state surcharges. The ban is not retrospective; PRs and citizens are unaffected. For most temporary visa holders planning to settle long term, the sensible move is to plan around the PR milestone rather than paying premium costs for a narrow choice today. Want your property plan aligned with your visa pathway? Book a free assessment with VisaAffairs.

References

• Foreign Investment Review Board — the foreign investment framework and residential land guidance.
• ATO — Foreign investment in Australia — residential application process, fees and the vacancy fee.

This article is general information current at publication. Australian migration rules change regularly — check the date and contact VisaAffairs before relying on it for your own case. Book a consultation for advice on your specific circumstances.