{"id":5457,"date":"2024-07-25T10:29:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T00:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/?p=5457"},"modified":"2024-07-25T10:29:36","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T00:29:36","slug":"low-deposit-scheme-opens-up-to-new-zealander-visa-holders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/financialplus.com.au\/low-deposit-scheme-opens-up-to-new-zealander-visa-holders\/","title":{"rendered":"Low deposit scheme opens up to New Zealander visa holders"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sure, the Kiwis have the All Blacks, the glaciers and landscapes fit for a Hobbit.<\/p>\n But Australia offers New Zealanders something that could deliver more of an adrenaline rush than bungy jumping in Queenstown.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the chance to buy their first home in Australia with as little as a 5% deposit.<\/p>\n The popular Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) lets Aussie citizens and permanent residents\u00a0buy their first home<\/a>\u00a0in Australia with just a 5% deposit. There\u2019s a version for\u00a0regional first-home buyers<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n Single parents<\/a>\u00a0can also use the scheme to buy a home with a 2% deposit.<\/p>\n And Housing Australia has just confirmed to us that New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holders are now considered \u2018permanent residents\u2019 for eligibility purposes for the HGS (more on the SCV below).<\/p>\n The HGS helps first home buyers and single parents buy a place of their own even when they have a deposit smaller than the standard 20%.<\/p>\n Essentially, the government acts as a guarantor for the home buyer\u2019s loan, so there is no need to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), which can help you save on upfront costs.<\/p>\n Not paying LMI can save buyers anywhere between $4,000 and $35,000, depending on the property price and deposit amount.<\/p>\n Australia and New Zealand have always shared a special bond. And we always welcome our mates from across the ditch.<\/p>\n That\u2019s seen a steady stream of travel back and forth across the Tasman, but in recent years Kiwis have been pulling up stumps and moving to Australia in big numbers.<\/p>\n In the 2022-2023 financial year, more than\u00a041,000 New Zealanders relocated to Australia<\/a>\u00a0on an SCV, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That\u2019s around 3,400 Kiwis arriving in Australia on an SCV every month.<\/p>\n This visa \u2013 while it has the word \u201cspecial\u201d in it \u2013 is the main visa New Zealanders get when visiting Australia and allows them to visit, study, stay, and work in Australia and is granted upon arrival (so long as they meet certain security, character and health requirements).<\/p>\n It can also allow them to directly apply for Australian citizenship \u2013 a pathway that many of the\u00a0670,000 Kiwis living in Australia<\/a>\u00a0would have completed.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the good news.<\/p>\n We reached out directly to Housing Australia, which runs the HGS, to confirm that New Zealanders can apply for the low deposit scheme.<\/p>\n It turns out that New Zealanders who hold a Special Category Visa Subclass 444 (SCV) are now regarded as permanent residents for the scheme and are therefore eligible to apply.<\/p>\nKiwis hoping to buy a first home in Australia have just scored gold! The popular Aussie low-deposit home buying scheme has been opened up to visa holders from across the Tasman. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/strong><\/p>\n
But first, how does the scheme work?<\/h3>\n
How many New Zealanders could benefit from this change?<\/h3>\n
Can\u2019t see anything about New Zealanders on the official HGS website?<\/h3>\n