Nurse First Home Buyer Scheme: What's Available

What First Home Buyer Schemes Are Available to Nurses in Australia?

Nurses in Australia can access three main categories of first home buyer support: federal government schemes including the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy, state-based First Home Owner Grants, and stamp duty concessions. These schemes can be stacked in most cases to reduce your upfront costs substantially.

The distinction matters because each scheme addresses a different cost barrier. The 5% Deposit Scheme removes the need for lenders mortgage insurance when you have a 5 percent deposit. Help to Buy reduces the size of the loan you need by contributing government equity. The First Home Owner Grant provides cash you can put toward your deposit or settlement costs. Stamp duty concessions reduce or eliminate the transfer duty payable on the property purchase.

Consider a registered nurse purchasing a new home in regional Queensland. At current settings, that nurse could potentially combine the $30,000 Queensland First Home Owner Grant, exemption from stamp duty on the new build, and the 5% Deposit Scheme. The combined effect is a deposit requirement of 5 percent instead of 20 percent, no lenders mortgage insurance premium, $30,000 in cash toward settlement, and no stamp duty liability. The alternative without these schemes would require a 20 percent deposit plus lenders mortgage insurance on any shortfall, plus stamp duty, plus settlement costs drawn entirely from savings.

Most mortgage brokers for nurses work with first home buyers coordinating these schemes as a routine part of the application process. The eligibility rules differ between schemes, but the application pathway is generally managed through a single broker and a participating lender.

Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme for Nurses

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme allows first home buyers, including all registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives, to purchase a home with a 5 percent deposit without paying lenders mortgage insurance. Housing Australia provides a government-backed guarantee of up to 15 percent of the property value, which satisfies the lender's requirement for a 20 percent deposit plus buffer without the borrower needing to pay for mortgage insurance.

From 1 October 2025, the scheme removed income caps, removed place limits, and expanded property price thresholds. The property price caps now sit at $1,500,000 in Sydney and regional NSW centres, $950,000 in Melbourne and regional Victorian centres, $1,000,000 in Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast, $850,000 in Perth, $900,000 in Adelaide, $1,000,000 in the ACT, $750,000 in Darwin (from 1 July 2026), $600,000 in the rest of the Northern Territory, and $700,000 in Hobart and regional Tasmanian centres.

You cannot apply directly to Housing Australia. Applications go through a participating lender, and your broker will coordinate the application as part of the loan approval process. You must be purchasing your first home, intend to live in the property as your principal place of residence, and meet the lender's standard credit criteria. Australian citizens and permanent residents are both eligible.

The scheme is uncapped, meaning there is no annual limit on the number of places available. This is a meaningful change from the previous Home Guarantee Scheme structure, which operated on a ballot system during periods of high demand. The current settings make the scheme accessible to any eligible first home buyer who meets the criteria, provided a participating lender approves the loan.

Help to Buy Scheme for Nurses

The Help to Buy Scheme is a shared equity program in which the Australian Government contributes up to 40 percent of the purchase price for a new home or up to 30 percent for an existing home. In return, the government holds an equivalent equity share in the property. You contribute a minimum deposit of 2 percent, and the scheme removes the need for lenders mortgage insurance.

Income caps apply under Help to Buy. As at 1 July 2026, the cap is $103,000 for individuals and $165,000 for couples and single parents. These thresholds are indexed annually to wage growth. The scheme is capped at 10,000 places each year across Australia, and once those places are filled, no further applications are accepted until the next allocation period.

You must be an Australian citizen to qualify. Permanent residents are not eligible for Help to Buy, which differs from the 5% Deposit Scheme, where permanent residents can apply. You cannot currently own property in Australia or overseas, and the property must be your principal place of residence. You cannot combine Help to Buy with the 5% Deposit Scheme or with other shared equity schemes or government equity loans.

The scheme launched on 5 December 2025 and operates in all states and territories. Applications are lodged through participating lenders. The government's equity contribution does not require regular repayments, but when you sell the property or refinance to buy out the government's share, the government receives the corresponding percentage of the sale or valuation price. If the property increases in value, the government's share increases proportionally. If the property decreases in value, the government's share decreases in the same proportion.

A nurse earning $95,000 annually and purchasing an existing home could use Help to Buy to reduce the loan size by 30 percent. The nurse would need to provide a 2 percent deposit and finance the remaining 68 percent through a standard home loan. At a later date, the nurse could refinance to buy out the government's equity share at the market value of that 30 percent share at the time of buyout.

First Home Owner Grant for Nurse First Home Buyers

The First Home Owner Grant provides a cash payment to eligible first home buyers purchasing or building a new home. The grant is administered by state and territory revenue offices, and the amount and eligibility criteria vary by jurisdiction.

Queensland offers a $30,000 grant for new homes valued up to $750,000. The $30,000 rate has no legislated expiry date at present, and the QLD First Home Owner Grant continues to apply to eligible contracts. New South Wales provides a $10,000 grant for new homes up to $600,000, or $750,000 for house-and-land packages. Victoria offers $10,000 for new homes up to $750,000. Western Australia provides $10,000 with no price cap, following an increase in the related first home buyer stamp duty concession cap to $800,000 from 7 May 2026. South Australia offers $15,000 for new homes with no price cap, a policy in place since June 2024. Tasmania provides $20,000 for new homes under contracts commenced between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, reduced from the previous $30,000 rate that applied to contracts signed before 30 June 2026. The Northern Territory offers up to $50,000 through the HomeGrown Territory Grant for new homes, extended to contracts signed by 30 September 2027. The Australian Capital Territory does not offer a cash First Home Owner Grant but provides a stamp duty exemption instead.

All grants apply to new or substantially renovated homes only. A new home is defined as a home that has not been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence. Substantially renovated means the renovations make the home suitable for occupation for the first time or render it equivalent to a newly constructed home. The test for substantial renovation is defined differently across jurisdictions, and you should confirm the specific definition with the relevant state revenue office before entering a contract.

The grant is typically paid on settlement and can be used toward the deposit, the balance of the purchase price, or other settlement costs. In most states, you apply through your lender or conveyancer, who lodges the application with the revenue office on your behalf. The grant is paid directly to your lender or conveyancer, and they apply it as instructed in your application.

Stamp Duty Concessions for Nurse First Home Buyers

Stamp duty concessions reduce or eliminate the transfer duty payable when you purchase your first home. These concessions apply regardless of your profession and are available to all eligible first home buyers, including nurses and midwives.

New South Wales provides full exemption from stamp duty for first home buyers purchasing homes up to $800,000, whether new or existing. A concessional rate applies to homes between $800,000 and $1,000,000, and no assistance is available above $1,000,000. Victoria offers full exemption for homes up to $600,000 and a sliding-scale concession for homes between $600,001 and $750,000. Western Australia provides full exemption up to $600,000 and scaled concessions for homes up to $800,000, following changes effective 7 May 2026 that raised the thresholds from $500,000 and $700,000 respectively. The Australian Capital Territory abolished stamp duty for all ACT first home buyers from 1 July 2026, regardless of property value or income, making it the only jurisdiction in Australia with no stamp duty liability for first home buyers on any property.

Queensland abolished stamp duty on new homes for first home buyers, and South Australia abolished stamp duty on new homes for first home buyers with no price cap from June 2024. These concessions apply automatically when you lodge your transfer documents with the relevant state revenue office, provided you meet the first home buyer criteria.

The value of these concessions increases with property price. A nurse purchasing a home in Sydney at $750,000 would save approximately $28,000 in stamp duty under the NSW exemption. A nurse purchasing in Melbourne at $650,000 would receive a partial concession, with the exact saving determined by the sliding scale between $600,000 and $750,000. A nurse purchasing in Canberra at any price point pays no stamp duty from 1 July 2026 onward.

Can Nurses Stack Multiple First Home Buyer Schemes?

You can generally combine the 5% Deposit Scheme, First Home Owner Grant, and stamp duty concessions when purchasing your first home. Each scheme addresses a separate cost or requirement, and there is no restriction preventing you from accessing all three simultaneously, provided you meet the individual eligibility criteria for each.

A nurse building a new home in regional Queensland at $700,000 could access the $30,000 Queensland First Home Owner Grant, pay no stamp duty on the new build, and use the 5% Deposit Scheme to borrow with a 5 percent deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance. The total upfront cost in that scenario is a $35,000 deposit, and the $30,000 grant can be applied toward that deposit or toward other settlement costs, leaving a net cash requirement of $5,000 from savings, plus additional settlement costs such as conveyancing and building inspection fees.

You cannot combine Help to Buy with the 5% Deposit Scheme. Help to Buy also cannot be combined with other shared equity programs or government equity loans. You can, however, combine Help to Buy with the First Home Owner Grant and stamp duty concessions, provided the property you are purchasing falls within the price caps and other eligibility rules for Help to Buy.

Working with a broker who specialises in home loans for nurses ensures that you understand which combinations apply in your situation and that the applications are lodged correctly with each relevant authority. The schemes are administered by different government agencies, and the timing of each application varies depending on the stage of the purchase process.

How to Apply for First Home Buyer Schemes as a Nurse

You cannot apply directly to Housing Australia for the 5% Deposit Scheme or Help to Buy. Both schemes require you to apply through a participating lender. Your mortgage broker will assess your eligibility, recommend a suitable lender from the list of participants, and coordinate the application as part of your loan approval process.

The First Home Owner Grant application is typically lodged by your conveyancer or lender on your behalf once you have exchanged contracts. You will need to provide proof of identity, evidence that you are a first home buyer, and confirmation that the property meets the definition of a new home under your state's legislation. The application is submitted to your state revenue office, and the grant is usually paid on settlement.

Stamp duty concessions are applied when your transfer documents are lodged with the state revenue office. Your conveyancer will complete the relevant first home buyer declaration as part of the transfer process, and the concession or exemption is applied automatically based on the information in that declaration and the purchase price of the property.

For the 5% Deposit Scheme, your broker will confirm that the property falls within the price cap for your location, that you meet the first home buyer criteria, and that the lender is comfortable with your financial position at a 95 percent LVR. The lender then applies for the government guarantee on your behalf as part of the loan approval process. You do not lodge a separate application with Housing Australia.

For Help to Buy, the same process applies. Your broker confirms your eligibility against the income cap, citizenship requirement, and property price cap, and the lender lodges the application for the government equity contribution as part of the loan approval. The government's equity share is registered on the title at settlement, and you receive documentation setting out the terms of the shared equity arrangement, including the process for buying out the government's share at a later date.

Starting the conversation with a broker who works specifically with nurses will give you a clear view of which schemes apply in your situation and how the timing works across the different applications. Most first home buyer loans for nurses involve at least two or three of the schemes covered in this article, and coordinating those applications correctly is a routine part of the broker's role.

Call one of our team or book an appointment at a time that works for you. We'll confirm your eligibility across the federal and state schemes, identify which combinations apply to the property and location you're considering, and manage the applications through to settlement.

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