An Afghan mortgage broker in Melbourne

Is there a Dari-speaking mortgage broker in Melbourne?

Yes. Shaheera at Exceed Finance is Afghan and speaks Dari, including Hazaragi. We have helped Afghan families across Melbourne's south-east into their homes for years, and Shaheera can take you through deposits, borrowing power, contracts and the whole loan process in Dari rather than through a family member translating.

Can I get a home loan in Australia on a temporary or partner visa?

Sometimes, and it depends on both the lender and your visa subclass. Some lenders will not lend to temporary residents at all. Others will, usually with a larger deposit. Permanent residents are generally treated like citizens by most lenders, so if permanent residency is close, timing can matter more than which lender you pick. There is a separate question about whether you are allowed to buy the property in the first place, which is the next one below. Worth sorting out before you walk into a bank branch, because a declined application leaves a mark on your credit file.

Do I need FIRB approval, and can I still buy an established house?

If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you count as a foreign person under the foreign investment rules, and that includes most temporary visa holders. Two things follow. You generally have to notify the Australian Taxation Office before buying any residential property, whatever it costs. And between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2029, foreign persons are generally prohibited from buying established dwellings, with only limited exceptions. New and near-new dwellings, and off-the-plan purchases, are still open with approval.

This is set by the Foreign Investment Review Board and administered by the ATO. It sits completely separate from your home loan, and the exceptions and fees do change, so check foreigninvestment.gov.au or get your own advice before you sign anything. What we can do is tell you where you stand on the finance side and raise it early, which is usually the point at which people find out.

My parents want to help with my deposit. Will the lender accept that?

Usually yes. Most lenders accept a gifted deposit from family, but they will want a signed letter confirming it is a gift and not a loan, and many want the money sitting in your account for a period before settlement. Some also want to see genuine savings alongside it. It is very common among our clients and it is manageable, as long as it is set up properly rather than explained after the fact.

I work casual shifts and some of my income is irregular. Can I still borrow?

Often yes. Lenders treat casual, shift, overtime and second-job income very differently. Some will use it after six months in a role, others want twelve, and some count only a portion of it. Matching your income pattern to a lender that accepts it is a large part of the job, and it is a common reason an application knocked back at one bank gets approved somewhere else.

Do you charge for this?

Our service is free to you on residential home loans. Everything is disclosed to you in writing before you commit to anything, and as a licensed credit representative we operate under Best Interests Duty, which legally requires us to act in your interests rather than our own.