Status first, house second
Non-US citizens can legally buy property in the United States. What changes is the financing, because residency status is one of the first things a US lender checks, and it narrows the loan types it can offer.
The practical consequence is that the order of your planning matters. If you know you are moving on a particular visa, or that a green card is in progress, find out what that status means for borrowing before you fall in love with a neighbourhood. The same household, with the same income, can face very different loan options depending on which box it sits in on the day of application.
It also works in one direction only. Buying a home does not give you a visa, residency or a green card. The immigration route and the property purchase are two separate plans, and the first one has to hold up on its own.
With a green card
Lawful permanent residents are, for mortgage purposes, treated much like US citizens. The main loan programmes are open to you, including conventional loans and FHA-insured loans, subject to the usual assessment of income, credit, the property and the lender's own criteria.
That does not make the application automatic. A lender will still want to see stable income it can verify, a US credit record or an acceptable substitute, and documentation of your status. But the structural hurdles that apply to temporary residents largely fall away.
On a temporary visa
Many people moving from Europe arrive on an employer-sponsored or other temporary visa. Lenders call them non-permanent residents, and the rules for them changed noticeably in 2025.
Until then, non-permanent residents could use FHA-insured loans, a popular route for buyers with a smaller down payment. HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-09, effective 25 May 2025, removed that eligibility. FHA programmes are now limited to US citizens and lawful permanent residents, and existing non-permanent resident borrowers cannot use FHA for future transactions either.
Conventional loans are still very much available. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide says it purchases mortgages made to non-US citizens who are lawful permanent or non-permanent residents under the same terms as for US citizens. The condition is that the borrower is legally present in the country, and it is up to the lender to establish that from your documents. Individual lenders can and do apply their own extra requirements on top, for example about the visa categories they accept, so it is worth asking early.
Buying before you live there
Some people want to buy before the move, or while their status is still being arranged. Without US residency, the mainstream programmes are generally out of reach, and lenders instead offer what are called foreign national loans. These sit in the non-QM part of the market, outside the standard rules that most conventional loans follow.
Expect a larger down payment and a higher interest rate than a resident would see, and expect the lender to look closely at your assets and income abroad. There are also ITIN loans, aimed at borrowers who have a US Individual Taxpayer Identification Number rather than a Social Security number. We deliberately do not quote percentages here: terms vary widely between lenders and change often, so treat any figure you see online as one lender's offer on one day.
Your credit history stays behind
This surprises almost everyone. Years of flawless borrowing in Germany, Spain or the Netherlands do not show up in a US credit score, because the US credit bureaus only hold what US lenders report to them. On arrival, most newcomers simply have no US score at all.
That is not the end of the road. Some lenders accept an international credit report or alternative documentation, and some foreign national programmes do not require a US score. Starting to build US credit as soon as you arrive, with a bank account and a card you pay off in full, also helps for the next application.
A word on investor visas
Entrepreneurs sometimes look at the E-2 treaty investor visa. It is open only to nationals of countries that have the relevant treaty with the United States. Many EU countries have one, but not all, so check yours on the US State Department's treaty country list at travel.state.gov.
The E-2 is also about a business, not a home. USCIS describes it as a substantial investment placed at risk in a real, operating commercial enterprise. Buying a house to live in is not that kind of investment, however much it costs. If this route interests you, speak to an immigration attorney before you shape any property plans around it.
Planning your US mortgage around your status
- Confirm your expected immigration status and its timing with an immigration attorney.
- Ask lenders which loan types they offer for that exact status.
- Leave FHA out of your plans unless you are a US citizen or green card holder.
- Ask whether the lender adds its own requirements for your visa category.
- If buying before the move, budget for a larger down payment and a higher rate.
- Ask lenders whether they accept an international credit report or alternative documentation.
- Start building US credit from the day you open a US bank account.
- Keep the property plan separate from any visa strategy.
Questions people moving from Europe ask
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This guide is general information, not personal financial, legal, tax or immigration advice. Nothing here is an offer, and no rate, loan amount, approval or visa outcome is promised. Mortgage availability is subject to immigration status, income, credit, appraisal and lender criteria, and both lending rules and immigration rules change. Consult a licensed US lender, an immigration attorney and a cross-border tax adviser. Any property securing a loan may be at risk if payments are not made.