Can I Buy a Home on an H-1B Visa in Texas?

Here is the money problem, Patriot Nation: you are on an H-1B visa, your career is here, and you are ready to stop paying rent, but every lender website seems to assume you need a green card first. The good news: nothing in immigration law or Texas law stops you from buying a home, and the loan path is clearer than most people expect. The details that decide your file are your visa status, your credit history, your income history, and your down payment, and every one of them is checkable before you ever apply. San Antonio is one of the most common Texas cities for H-1B professionals, and I close these files regularly.

Yes, visa holders can buy and finance a home in Texas

H-1B visa holders are lawful non-permanent residents, and nothing in immigration law or Texas law stops them from buying real estate. The mortgage approval is a lender decision, not a USCIS decision. Lenders underwrite your file like any other borrower, with extra attention to visa validity and employment stability. A valid, unexpired H-1B visa with work authorization, a Social Security number, and a U.S. credit history put you on the conventional path.

The term to know is lawful non-permanent resident: someone legally in the country with work authorization who is not a green card holder. The meaning is that you are treated like any other borrower for lending purposes, with your visa validity standing in for the residency proof a citizen or permanent resident has. The money part is that your buying power is decided by the same four things as everyone else: credit, income, debt, and down payment. The real-world consequence: the question is not whether you can buy, it is which loan path fits your file.

The May 2025 FHA change and what it means for you

As of May 25, 2025, HUD eliminated FHA-insured loan eligibility for non-permanent residents, so H-1B holders generally cannot get an FHA loan unless they hold a green card (HUD policy change, effective May 25, 2025). That change pushed most visa-holder buyers to conventional financing. If you were planning on FHA's 3.5% down, the conventional path changes the math, so the loan conversation comes before the house search.

The money part is where this bites: FHA's 3.5% down was the cheapest door into homeownership for many first-time buyers, and losing it means the down payment conversation changes for visa holders. The real-world consequence: do not build your plan around a program you cannot use. Confirm your current status with a loan officer before you budget around FHA.

Conventional is the main path: what lenders look for

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional loans are the main option for H-1B buyers (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Selling Guides, 2026). The typical requirements: a valid, unexpired H-1B visa with work authorization; a Social Security number; a U.S. credit score of 620 or higher, with 680 or better for the best pricing; about two years of steady employment and income history; and a debt-to-income ratio within lender limits. Down payments commonly run 3% to 10% for conventional loans, and some lenders ask for more when U.S. credit history is thin. Every one of these is lender-specific, so confirm the exact numbers for your file before you shop.

The meaning in plain English: conventional lenders treat your visa like a green card for underwriting purposes, as long as it is valid and unexpired. The real-world consequence: the score that gets you in the game is 620, and the score that gets you the better pricing is 680 or better, so the same credit work that helps any buyer helps you twice as much.

The document stack for an H-1B mortgage

Plan to bring: your passport, your H-1B approval notice (Form I-797), your I-94 arrival record, your Social Security card, an employer verification letter, recent pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, and bank statements. Lenders want to see visa validity with several years remaining and a stable employment record. If you have been in the U.S. for a short time, a lender experienced with visa-holder borrowers is the difference between a smooth file and a stalled one.

Texas specifics: no state barriers, same local process

Texas places no special restrictions on visa-holder buyers, and the buying process works the same as for any buyer: pre-approval, offer, option period, inspection, appraisal, and closing. The Texas items to plan for are the ones every buyer faces, property taxes, insurance, and closing costs, plus the lender's view of your visa term. Underwriting varies by lender, so work with a loan officer who has closed visa-holder files before, and check the official source for any requirement that matters to your file.

Frequently Asked Questions