New to the USA · Florida
New to the USA? We may be able to help, depending on your visa and income status
A guide for new arrivals, and for the immigration attorneys and financial planners who help them.
The short answer: We may be able to help, depending on your visa and income status. You may qualify for a Florida home loan. Depending on the program, lenders verify lawful presence and a Social Security number or ITIN, and programs and lender requirements vary. Nothing is guaranteed. Depending on the lender and program, a lender may consider documented income, a new job or offer letter, savings and, in some non-QM programs, credit history built abroad, often with a larger down payment. I’m Darryn Stephen, a Senior Mortgage Advisor in Jupiter, FL, and I help buyers, immigration attorneys and financial planners work out what may fit.
- Florida-licensed
- NMLS #2664300
- Smart Home Loans NMLS #1734077
Who it may fit
- People who recently moved to the US for work or family and are starting a US credit history
- Buyers with a newer job, a job offer or a recent change in how they earn income
- Buyers with savings or income held in another country
- Households opening their first US credit accounts
This is about the loan situation, not who you are. A lender looks at documentation: status, income, credit, assets and the property.
What lenders verify
- Lawful presence and work authorization
- A Social Security number or ITIN
- Your income and the source of your funds
Availability depends on your visa or status, and lender rules vary. For example, some work-permit statuses are not eligible for certain programs. Your immigration attorney can advise on your status. I can’t.
How it works
- We start with your situation. How you earn income, your work history, your savings, and your credit in the US or abroad.
- I look at which programs may fit. Some lenders have more flexible approaches to thin or no US credit than others. Guidelines vary.
- Credit may be reviewed in other ways. Some programs may consider non-traditional credit, such as documented rent and utility payments. Credit history built abroad is generally limited to non-QM programs and certain lenders. Standard agency loans mostly rely on US credit or non-traditional credit.
- Income is documented. Depending on how you earn, a lender may ask for pay stubs, an offer letter, tax documents or bank statements.
- Your funds are sourced. The lender will want to see where your down payment is coming from. Funds held abroad may need extra documentation.
Often a larger down payment is needed than on a standard loan. It varies by lender, program and your profile.
For immigration attorneys and financial planners
If you help clients who are new to the US, a short conversation early may save them from surprises later. With your client’s consent, send me a few basics and I will explain in plain language what may be realistic and which documents to start gathering.
- What helps me answer quickly: how the client earns income, their credit history in the US or abroad, roughly where their savings are held, and their price range and timeline
- You stay the client’s main contact. I join a call with the client only if you ask
- I stay in my lane. I don’t give immigration, legal or tax advice. Those questions go back to you or the client’s tax professional
- No referral fees or kickbacks, ever
More about how I work with advisors is on my page for financial planners.
What to have ready
- A government-issued ID and the documents the lender asks for to confirm lawful presence and work authorization
- Recent pay stubs or an offer letter, plus tax documents or bank statements if you are self-employed, depending on the lender
- Statements for the accounts holding your down payment, closing costs and reserves, including accounts abroad, with translations if they are not in English
- Your credit information: any US accounts you have, records of rent and utility payments, and a credit report from abroad if you have one
- A list of your monthly debts
- Your timeline and the type of home you are considering
Where I help: Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Stuart, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, and the Tampa / Hillsborough County area, by phone, video or in person.
Questions people ask me
Straight answers. Programs and guidelines change, and everything depends on the lender, the program and the borrower's profile.
Can someone new to the US get a home loan?
We may be able to help, depending on your visa and income status. It may be possible once your status, income and funds can be documented. Depending on the program, lenders verify lawful presence, work authorization and an SSN or ITIN, and availability depends on your visa or status. Nothing is guaranteed, and options and requirements vary by lender and program.
Do I need lawful presence and an SSN or ITIN?
Generally, depending on the program. Lenders verify identity and eligibility, which usually includes lawful presence and a Social Security number or ITIN. Requirements vary by program and lender, and some work-permit statuses are not eligible for certain programs.
What if I have little or no US credit history?
Credit is still reviewed. Some programs may consider non-traditional credit, such as documented rent and utility payments. Credit history from another country is generally limited to non-QM programs and certain lenders, because standard agency loans mostly rely on US credit or non-traditional credit.
Does a new job count as income?
It depends. Lenders often like to see a work history, but a recent start or an offer letter may be considered, especially in the same line of work. It varies by lender and program.
Can I use savings held in another country?
Funds held abroad may be usable for the down payment, closing costs and reserves once they are documented and sourced to the lender’s requirements. Transfer timing, exchange rates and translations may affect your timeline.
What can an immigration attorney or planner send you?
With the client’s consent, a short summary of how the client earns income, their credit history in the US or abroad, where their savings are held, and their price range and timeline. I reply in plain language with what may be realistic and which documents to start gathering.
Do you give immigration, legal or tax advice?
No. I explain how a loan may work. Questions about status, legal or tax matters belong with your immigration attorney or tax professional, and I’m glad to work alongside them.
New to the USA, or helping someone who is?
Call or text me and tell me a little about the situation. I’ll tell you honestly what may be realistic and what to gather first. No pressure.
Honest answer: if a loan won’t work I’ll tell you. But not without trying.
Smart Home Loans NMLS #1734077 · Darryn Stephen NMLS #2664300 · Equal Housing Opportunity. Not a commitment to lend. Programs, terms and eligibility depend on the lender and the borrower’s profile. This is general information, not legal, immigration, tax or financial advice. Program availability and requirements vary widely by lender.
Let’s talk it through
No pressure, just clear answers about what may fit. Call, text or email me.
Ready to apply? Start at smarthomeloans.net.