H-1B and visa holder mortgages: no green card needed

H-1B, L-1 and EAD mortgages: the short answer

A common question: "My green card isn't approved yet. Can I get a mortgage now?" Yes. Non-permanent residents who are lawfully living in the U.S. can get a conventional loan on the same terms as U.S. citizens.

• Fannie Mae's Selling Guide says it buys loans made to lawful permanent and non-permanent resident aliens under the same terms available to U.S. citizens; the lender decides, case by case, which documents prove the borrower's status (B2-2-02).
• Freddie Mac's Guide says the same: lawful permanent or nonpermanent residents are eligible, and a borrower with no lawful residency status is not (5103.2).

So H-1B, L-1, O-1, E-2 and TN holders, and people waiting on a green card with an EAD, can use conventional financing. As for citizens, what decides the loan is income, credit, down payment funds and debts.

Note: FHA no longer accepts non-permanent residents

Many older articles still say "H-1B holders can get an FHA loan." That is out of date. HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2025-09, issued March 26, 2025, removed non-permanent residents from FHA eligibility for every FHA case number assigned on or after May 25, 2025. FHA now takes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) and citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau. In an October 9, 2026 release, HUD cited ICE data showing non-permanent residents' share of FHA purchase loans fell from about 5.8% before the change to about 0.1% after.

For visa holders that means:

• The main path is a conventional loan; for a rental, look at DSCR loans.
• No Social Security number, newly arrived, a very short credit history, or living overseas: see foreign national and ITIN loans.
• Once you have a green card, FHA is back on the table on the same terms as citizens.

Status documents: what to have ready

The lender verifies your status. Typical documents:

• Passport, visa page and I-94 record
• I-797 approval notice (H-1B, L-1 and similar)
• EAD card (Form I-766), common for pending I-485 applicants, H-4 EAD and L-2
• Social Security card, used for credit and identity, but a Social Security card alone does not prove immigration or work status (HUD says so explicitly in ML 2025-09)

A visa or EAD that expires soon is the most common follow-up question. Lenders want income that is likely to continue, and many ask for evidence of renewal, such as a new I-797, a filed extension or an employer letter. The closer the expiration date, the earlier you should have the renewal papers ready. Questions about visa categories and renewals belong with an immigration attorney.

Income: counted like a citizen's, with a few twists

• Usually a two-year work history. Recent pay stubs and two years of W-2s; the underwriter will confirm employment with your employer.
• Recently moved from OPT to H-1B, with less than two years of work: not automatically a problem. Schooling followed by work in the same field may count. Show me your offer letter, pay stubs and degree before you apply and I will tell you where you stand.
• Changing employers (H-1B transfer): a job change before closing means income and status are verified again. Ideally wait until the new job is settled and you have the first pay stub, or tell me in advance.
• Spouse on H-4: without an EAD there is usually no qualifying income, so the primary visa holder can apply alone; a spouse with an H-4 EAD and a job can add that income.
• Self-employed or business owners: see the self-employed mortgage guide.

Credit: you need a U.S. credit history

Conventional loans look at the U.S. credit history built on your Social Security number; credit history from China or another country usually cannot stand in for it. If you arrived in the last year or two:

• Open one or two credit cards early, pay them in full on time and keep balances low
• Pay rent, utilities and your phone bill on time; some reviews can use these records as extra support
• In the months before you buy, do not open new cards or finance a car

If your credit history is simply too short, foreign national loans can use international credit references. I will look at your file when you get pre-approved.

Down payment money: the paper trail matters most

• Your own savings: every transfer from China or another country into a U.S. account needs a clear source and wire record, with translations for statements not in English. The earlier the money arrives and the cleaner the trail, the smoother underwriting goes.
• A gift from parents: conventional loans allow a down payment gift from a relative with a signed gift letter saying it does not have to be repaid, plus the transfer records (Fannie Mae's gift rules). If your parents are overseas, plan which accounts the money comes from and keep every record.
• Large unexplained deposits: the underwriter will ask for a written explanation and proof. Avoid moving money between accounts or depositing cash in the months before you buy.

For a fuller document list and what to avoid before closing, see the first-time buyer loan guide.

Can an F-1 student get a mortgage?

F-1 students usually have no qualifying U.S. wage income, so a conventional loan based on their own income is usually hard. Common routes:

• Wait until you have a job (OPT, H-1B) and steady pay, then apply for a conventional loan
• Buy with cash, or look at foreign national loans that do not rely on U.S. income (these usually need more down and cost more than conventional loans)
• Parents who live overseas without lawful U.S. residency usually cannot be co-borrowers on a conventional loan

F-1 students are generally "exempt individuals" for their first five calendar years, so for tax purposes most are nonresident aliens, which matters when you sell (next section).

Tax status: the thing people forget until they sell

Immigration status and tax status are different. Under the IRS substantial presence test you are a resident for tax purposes if you were in the U.S. at least 31 days this year and 183 days over three years, counting all days this year, one third of last year's and one sixth of the year before. Most H-1B and L-1 workers meet it after about a year; F-1 students are generally exempt from counting days in their first years.

Why think about it when you buy? Because if you sell while you are a foreign person (a nonresident alien for tax), FIRPTA withholding applies: the buyer must withhold part of the price for the IRS, generally 15% of the amount realized. There is no withholding when the buyer acquires the home as a residence and the price is $300,000 or less (IRS). If you might leave the U.S. or change status before selling, work it out with a CPA first; the same goes for the home-sale exclusion ($250,000 single, $500,000 married). How to reduce or recover FIRPTA withholding: taxes when you sell a home.

Georgia's foreign land law does not cover homes

Georgia's SB 420, signed in 2024, restricts agents of the governments of certain "foreign adversary" countries (China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia) and businesses from those countries from buying farmland and commercial land within 10 miles of a military installation. According to the Associated Press, the law does not cover residential property, and U.S. citizens and legal residents are not covered. Buying a home in Atlanta to live in works the same as for any other buyer. For a specific situation, ask an attorney.

If your status changes after you buy

• You get your green card: keep making payments as usual; nothing has to be redone. For a future refinance or second home, FHA becomes an option.
• Your visa is not renewed and you leave the U.S.: the mortgage does not end because your status changed; keep paying on time. A primary-residence loan requires you to move in as the contract says (the standard security instrument generally says within 60 days of closing, for at least a year); after that you can rent the home out and report the rent on a U.S. return.
• Going through EB-5: plan the investment and the down payment separately, since both need a documented source of funds; see EB-5 investor visas.

Document checklist for visa holders

• Passport, visa, I-94; I-797 or EAD (front and back)
• Social Security number
• Pay stubs for the last 30 days and two years of W-2s; tax returns when needed
• Complete statements for the last two months for every bank and investment account (every page)
• Money from overseas: wire records and translated statements
• Gifts: gift letter and transfer records
• Visa or EAD expiring soon: renewal papers or an employer letter

Underwriters may ask for more, depending on the file.

How I can help

I'm a Chinese-speaking loan officer licensed in Georgia and California (NMLS #2869394, OrangePath Financial), and many of my clients are engineers, doctors and researchers on H-1B, L-1 or waiting on green cards. Before you apply, I review your status documents and expiration dates, work history and credit, and tell you whether a conventional loan or another program fits, so there are no surprises in underwriting.

If you are buying in Atlanta, I can also be your real estate agent. Still choosing an area? Check prices with the home value estimate, the yearly tax with the Georgia property tax calculator, and school assignment by address on the school map. Moving from California? See moving from California to Atlanta.

Next steps

• Get pre-approved: a 5-minute call or WeChat first, no credit check; tell me your visa type, expiration date and work history and I will tell you where you stand
• Foreign national and ITIN loans: no Social Security number, short credit history or living overseas; see the foreign national mortgage guide
• First-time buyer loan guide: six steps from pre-approval to closing
• Atlanta home loans · California home loans