Car Finance Options for Non-Residents

Cash Direct offers a range of loan options for new migrants working in Australia. If you are a Non-Permanent Resident in Australia, with a Temporary Working Visa, an International Student Visa or have a Family or Partner based Visa; you can qualify for a Cash Direct Visa Loan.
We offer Small Loans of between $200 to $2,000, that can be paid over 1 to 12 months. We also offer medium loans of up to $5,000, typically paid over 12 months. We can consider larger loans where you have higher income and capacity to repay a larger loan.

Visa Loan Eligibility

How can I qualify for a Visa Loan? Easy, you will just need to have:

• Australian Employment of at least 20 hours per week

• An Australian bank account, receiving your wages, and showing a consistent and responsible budget

• A valid Passport and Visa, supporting a Visa term that is beyond the loan term

• Clear credit in Australia

• A good Character Referee that can provide a character reference and be your back up contact

Applying for a Visa Loan is 100% Online and Paperless. It will take less than a few minutes to apply online, and once approved, you sign up electronically, and money is transferred into your Australian bank account within 1 hour. As a Cash Direct Member, you will get Express Service for any future loan needs.

Click here to Apply Online Now.

Is it easier to get a loan once you become a Permanent Resident?

Yes, much easier. Once you have your permanent residency, you will find the larger banks and lenders will be much more comfortable lending to you. You can then qualify for highly competitive car and home loans. Your permanent residency will also give you access to free education at Public Schools and access to Medicare, Australia’s Public Health Care System. If you need help funding your Permanent Resident Application, click here.

Non-Resident Car Loan

Borrowing money to purchase a car as a non-resident of Australia can be challenging. If you are on a Temporary Work or Student Visa, Australian banks and traditional lenders will be concerned with the temporary nature of your residence in Australia. Further, a typical car loan term may exceed the term of your current visa.

The Non-Resident Car Loan, or Car Loan for Australian Visa workers is designed to provide funding for an economy car purchase to support affordable transport in Australia.

This can also be used to fund another vehicle such as motorcycle or scooter also. Some new migrants are comfortable using public transport which can be sound in the major metropolitan areas of Australia.  If you do need your own car, particularly if you have family with you, or are planning to have your family live with you shortly, a car can be critical.

However, we recommend to new migrants to Australia pursue a lower cost, more affordable car to preserve their budget for other critical milestone events enroute to Permanent Residency.

How do I buy a car in Australia?

In Australia, you can purchase a car in 4 main ways yourself:

1. Private retail through online car sale sites , such as:

   • Carsales
   • Carsguide
   • Tradingpost
   • Autotrader

2. Through a Car Dealership in your local area

3. Through one of the main wholesale car auction sites, such as:

   • Manheim Cars
   • Pickles Cars

4. Through a specialist car broker that will source your car.

If you feel knowledgeable and comfortable with purchasing a car, we would suggest buying it directly yourself through on one of the online car sale sites or wholesale auction sites.  It is estimated that, you pay much less:

• Private sales are 8-10% cheaper than dealer prices, and

• Auction sites are often 15-20% cheaper than dealer prices.

In each case you can attain mechanical warranty insurance, roadworthy test and even roadside membership to reduce the risk of an unforeseen mechanical issue.

How does the Non-Resident Car loan work?

Our goal is to help you find an affordable car ownership solution to cover the transport needs for you and your family.  

We encourage you to narrow down the type of car you want and set an affordable budget so it does not impact too heavily on your monthly budget. Particularly if you have upcoming new Visa or Visa Extension milestones to prioritise.
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Buying online or through the online Auction sites is a smart way to do this. Once you know the car you need and budget, we can help pre-approve your loan so you can then negotiate the best price possible.
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On purchase we will arrange the transfer of funds directly to seller or to your nominated bank account.
What else will be required for approval?

1. We need to ensure your budget can support the loan and expense of having the car

2. We’ll need the Registration of the Car and ensure you have adequate insurance for the car

3. Reimbursing employer for expenses paid on their behalf

4. We also require 2 pictures of the car you are purchasing, front and back

5. The Car must be clear of any financial liabilities and unencumbered. We will then use this as security for the loan, which is released once the loan is paid in full

These loans are typically:

• Up to $10,000 and at times larger if you have higher income and capacity to repay alarger loan amount

• New tools for job function, particularly for mechanical or chef related roles

• Paid weekly in line with your wages, generally over 2-4 years maximum, and no longer than your remaining Visa term

• Free of extra charges for early repayment

To apply for a Cash Direct Visa Loan in minutes, click here.