I'm a Filipino nurse on a 482 visa. Can I buy a house?

Generally not under the FHB scheme stack — 482 holders are excluded from the 5% Scheme, FHOG, stamp duty exemption and FHSS. The priority is to transition to 186 PR (often via your hospital employer), then activate the stack.

I work casual nursing shifts. Will lenders count my income?

Yes, but with stricter requirements — typically 12-24 months of consistent history, counted at about 80%. The lender you're matched to matters significantly.

Why is the bank only counting 80% of my overtime?

It's a standard prudential discount applied across all lenders to variable income, not specific to you. The 5% Scheme plus a stable nursing base typically still delivers strong serviceability.

Filipino Nurses Buying Their First Home in Brisbane: A Complete Guide for 2026 • Low Deposit Homes

June 15, 2026

Filipino Nurses Buying Their First Home in Brisbane: A Complete Guide for 2026

A complete 2026 guide for Filipino nurses buying a first home in Brisbane — how lenders treat nursing income, couple vs single strategy, the scheme stack and the best corridors.

By Chaice Paterson, CEO & Founder, Low Deposit Homes | Updated June 2026

For Filipino nurses working in Brisbane in 2026 — at Royal Brisbane and Women’s, Princess Alexandra, Mater, Logan, Caboolture, Prince Charles or Mater Springfield, or in aged care — first home buying is more accessible than most realise. Filipino nurses on PR (189/190/186/187) are treated as equivalent to citizens by every scheme except Help to Buy. For a nurse couple on combined $170,000-$200,000, an $880,000 new build in Logan, North Brisbane or Springfield is comfortably achievable using the 5% Deposit Scheme + QLD stamp duty exemption + FHSS — about $48,000 total cash on hand. This is the nurse-specific companion to our Filipino first home buyer guide.

Why is 2026 a strong year for Filipino nurses buying in Brisbane?

Three factors converge: nursing income is highly favoured by lenders (low-risk profession rating, with some LMI waivers/discounts on top of the 5% Scheme’s $0 LMI); Brisbane prices crossed $1M median mid-2025 with KPMG forecasting +10.9% for 2026, so waiting 12-24 months typically means $100,000-$200,000 more; and the 5% Scheme has been broadened (no income or place cap since October 2025, PR treated as citizens).

How do Australian lenders treat Filipino nursing income?

Base salary is counted at 100%. Permanent shift allowances, casual loading, overtime, bonuses and on-call are typically counted at 80% (reflecting prudential caution), with 12-24 months of consistent history required for variable components. In practice lenders see about 85-90% of your headline gross — a nurse on $110,000 gross is usually assessed at $95,000-$100,000. Understanding this prevents the “my income is $110K, why am I only offered $X?” frustration.

What’s the right strategy for a Filipino nurse couple?

Both full-time on combined $170,000-$200,000: assessed serviceability around $155,000-$180,000, supporting a loan of $700,000-$750,000 and a package up to ~$880,000-$920,000 with a 5% deposit. Recommended stack: 5% Deposit Scheme + QLD stamp duty exemption + FHSS. Recommended corridors: Logan, North Brisbane or Springfield ($800K-$1M packages). Cash on hand: about $48,000-$50,000 on an $880K package.

What’s the right strategy for a single Filipino nurse?

Full-time on $95,000-$110,000: assessed serviceability around $85,000-$100,000, supporting a loan of $450,000-$520,000 and a package up to ~$475,000-$545,000 — below most current Brisbane new-build pricing. Realistic options: buy in an outer corridor at a lower price point; buy with a partner (even one on $60-70K materially expands capacity); build a larger deposit and buy later; consider apartments/townhouses (not an LDH segment); or, on citizenship, explore Help to Buy (the 40% government equity share sharply reduces what must be serviced). What we don’t recommend: using the Family Home Guarantee to chase $720K packages on a single $95K income — it removes LMI but doesn’t reduce loan size, and a $705,600 loan won’t pass the bank’s stress test.

Where should Filipino nurses buy in Brisbane?

Logan (Logan Hospital, PA Hospital ~30-40 min) — heart of the community, $800-950K. North Brisbane (Caboolture, Redcliffe Hospitals) — strong Filipino healthcare concentration, $800-950K. Springfield (Mater Springfield, Ipswich Hospital) — masterplanned, $850K-1M. Inala/Forest Lake (PA, QEII) — some sub-$750K FHOG-eligible stock (increasingly rare). Sunnybank (PA ~15-20 min) — $850K-1M+.

How does Low Deposit Homes help Filipino nurses?

Hospital-specific corridor matching (mapping your hospital and roster to a sensible commute); lender selection tuned to nursing overtime and allowances; FHSS coordination with the myGov determination and the 90-day notification window; and timeline coordination so pre-approval and contract signing align with your strongest payslip evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Q: I’m a Filipino nurse on a 482 — can I buy?
Generally not under the scheme stack; transition to 186 PR first, then activate it.

Q: I work casual shifts — will lenders count my income?
Yes, with 12-24 months of consistent history at ~80%; lender match matters.

Q: I’m not sure how much I can release through FHSS.
Run your determination through the myGov ATO portal — free, quick, authoritative (don’t rely on your super statement).

Start your Brisbane first home buyer journey

Book a free 15-minute consultation — book your free call | 1800 920 172. Check your numbers with the free Grant Eligibility Calculator.

Low Deposit Homes operates under Winning Homes Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 633 321 758). All calculations are indicative.