Buying a home when you’re new to Canada

What buying here as a newcomer looks like

1. 1Check that you can buyFirst — the federal rules decide this
2. 2Know the extra costsThe 20% tax, and the yearly one
3. 3Build your teamA lawyer, an accountant, a broker
4. 4Sort your financingNon-resident lending is its own world
5. 5Time it wellAround your immigration milestones
6. 6Find your home & completeThe part I take off your plate

What I handle, and what’s yours

Questions worth asking any agent

Choosing who helps you buy from a new country matters. These are the questions I’d want you to ask me — and anyone you’re considering.

• Have you worked with newcomer or non-resident buyers before?
• Who do you recommend for non-resident financing, immigration, and tax?
• How do the federal ban and the 20% tax apply to my exact situation?
• What will I pay, all in — including the 20% and the yearly tax?
• How do you coordinate with my lawyer and accountant?
• Can I start before my PR or before 2027 — and how?
• If I’m buying from abroad, how will you be my eyes on a home?

Common questions from newcomers

• Can a non-Canadian buy a home in BC right now?+

  It depends on your situation — and for a lot of newcomers, the answer is yes. The federal Foreign Buyer Ban prevents most non-Canadians from buying in urban areas (which is essentially all of the Lower Mainland) until January 1, 2027. But there are real exemptions, and they cover many of the people who reach out to me: permanent residents aren’t subject to the ban at all; a non-Canadian spouse or common-law partner of a citizen or PR can buy jointly with them; and some people on work permits or studying here qualify if they meet specific conditions. The honest next step is a quick conversation with an immigration lawyer to confirm exactly where you land — I work with good ones and can connect you.

  Go deeper›

  The ban is the federal Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, in force since January 1, 2023 and extended in February 2024 to expire January 1, 2027. It applies in Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations — which covers the Vancouver CMA (all of Metro Vancouver) and the Abbotsford–Mission CMA (the Fraser Valley urban core). It excludes buildings of four or more units. The exemption categories include permanent residents, refugees and protected persons, spouses/common-law partners of citizens or PRs buying jointly, certain temporary residents on work permits or in study programs who meet defined residency and tax-filing conditions, and diplomats. The conditions are specific and the penalty for getting it wrong is steep (a fine up to $10,000 plus a possible court-ordered sale), so confirm your category with an immigration lawyer before you write an offer.
• When does the federal Foreign Buyer Ban end?+

  January 1, 2027. The original two-year measure (in force since January 1, 2023) was extended once, in February 2024, to a four-year window ending January 1, 2027. After that date the federal ban as written sunsets — but the BC provincial 20% additional tax is a separate law and continues on its own. If you’re waiting for the ban to lift, the planning is worth starting now, because the timing of your purchase touches both regimes at once.
• What is the BC 20% additional Property Transfer Tax?+

  It’s a 20% surcharge on the value of a home bought by a non-resident, in five specified regions: Metro Vancouver, the Capital Regional District, the Fraser Valley, the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the Central Okanagan. It stacks on top of the regular Property Transfer Tax every buyer pays. On a $1.5M home that’s $300,000 of extra tax — real money, and worth modelling precisely before you fall for a place. One important detail: it applies to your share of the title. So if you and a Canadian-citizen spouse buy 50/50, the 20% applies only to your half.

  Go deeper›

  The tax applies to a foreign national, foreign corporation, or taxable trustee buying residential property in the specified areas; it’s charged on your proportional ownership share of the fair market value. On a 50/50 joint title on a $1.5M home, your half attracts 20% × $750,000 = $150,000. There is a refund pathway: if you pay the 20% upfront and become a permanent resident within one year of completion, you can apply for a refund. Because title structure changes the tax, this is a conversation for a BC real estate lawyer (and, where a couple is involved, a family lawyer) — purely tax-driven ownership splits carry their own risks.
• Does a spouse exemption remove the 20% tax too?+

  Not quite — and this catches a lot of cross-border families off guard, so it’s worth being clear. For the federal ban, a non-Canadian spouse or common-law partner of a citizen or PR is exempt when buying jointly with them. But for the BC 20% tax, there is no spousal exemption — your share of the home still attracts the 20%, even on joint title with a Canadian-resident spouse. The two laws ask different questions, so a joint purchase can clear the federal ban and still owe the provincial tax. The refund pathway (if you become a PR within a year) is often the lever that matters most here. Your real estate lawyer and accountant will map it to your exact situation.
• What should I do during this window before 2027?+

  It depends entirely on your path to status, which is why the first call is to an immigration lawyer. A few common situations: if your permanent residency is close, timing your purchase for after you land can erase both the federal ban and the 20% tax at once. If you’re a temporary resident who meets the federal conditions, you may be able to buy now and claim the 20% back later if PR follows within a year. And if there’s no near-term PR path, you’re generally looking at buying on or after January 1, 2027, with the 20% as a real acquisition cost to plan for. None of these are decisions to make alone — but all of them reward planning early.
• What’s different about financing as a non-resident?+

  It’s a different process, and going in expecting that saves a lot of stress. Most Canadian lenders have non-resident programs, but they ask for a larger down payment (often 35% or more) and charge a somewhat higher rate, with more documentation — verified source of funds, foreign-income verification, and anti-money-laundering checks. A practical one people miss: your down payment usually needs to sit in a Canadian account for about 30 days before completion, so a wire on closing day can delay things. The bank-direct route is rarely the best one here — a mortgage broker who handles non-resident files regularly will find you a better fit, and I’m glad to connect you with one.
• How does the yearly Speculation and Vacancy Tax affect me?+

  It’s an annual tax — not a one-time one — so it’s worth knowing before you buy, not after. For foreign owners the rate is scheduled to be 3% of the property’s assessed value for the 2026 tax year (up from 2%), in the designated regions. The key relief: a home that’s rented for at least six months of the year, in stretches of 30 days or more to arm’s-length tenants, is generally exempt. So if the plan is occasional personal use rather than renting it out, the speculation tax can become the largest yearly cost of owning after the mortgage — always confirm the current rate on gov.bc.ca and model it with your accountant before you commit.
• Are tax residency and immigration residency the same thing?+

  No — and keeping them separate prevents real mistakes. Immigration status (citizen, permanent resident, work permit, and so on) is what the federal ban and the upfront 20% tax look at. Tax residency is a different question the CRA assesses from your ties to Canada — your home, family, and day-to-day life here. You can be one without the other. This is exactly why the team matters: an immigration lawyer speaks to your status and your path, and an accountant speaks to your tax residency and your ongoing reporting. I’ll make sure both questions are on the table early so the right people can answer them.