Can I claim the BC FTHB exemption if I owned a home in another country?

Direct answer

No — BC's First Time Home Buyers' Program (Section 5 of the Property Transfer Tax Act) requires that the buyer has NEVER owned an interest in a principal residence ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD at any time. Prior ownership of a primary home in the United States, India, China, the United Kingdom, or any other jurisdiction disqualifies the buyer permanently from BC FTHB exemption — the test is global, not Canadian. This is one of the most common disqualifiers for BC newcomer buyers who became Canadian permanent residents after disposing of a home in their country of origin. The federal First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and the federal Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) use a more lenient four-year-lookback test (no ownership of a home you lived in during the year of opening or the four previous calendar years), which means a long-time PR who has been renting in Canada for 5+ years CAN open an FHSA and use HBP funds — but still cannot claim BC FTHB. The Newly Built Home Exemption is a separate program and does NOT have the lifetime-no-ownership test; eligible buyers can still claim NBHE on a qualifying new home up to $1.1M even if they previously owned abroad. Always disclose prior global ownership to your conveyancer — false claims trigger penalties + interest + repayment.