FOREIGN NATIONAL & ITIN · FLORIDA
Foreign National Loans in Florida
Buy Florida property without a US credit file, US employment or US tax returns. Three separate programs sit behind that sentence — non-resident foreign national, work visa, and ITIN — and which one applies to you changes what you can buy.
Prefer to talk? Call (352) 580-6160.
Check Your Eligibility
WHO THIS FITS
Three programs, and the one that fits depends on your status
“Foreign national” gets used as a single label for three quite different borrowers, and they do not share documentation, occupancy rules or program options. Sorting out which one you are is the first real step, and it takes one conversation.
Which one describes you?
| “I live abroad and have no US financial footprint.” | No US credit file, no US employment, no US bank account needed. Documentation comes from your own country. → Foreign national |
|---|---|
| “I work in the US on a visa.” | US employment and income are used, and a thin US credit file is the usual obstacle rather than a disqualifier. → Work visa |
| “I pay US taxes with an ITIN, not a Social Security number.” | A separate program family, with its own occupancy and property rules. → ITIN |
| “I’m buying a rental, not a home.” | The property’s rent can carry the loan instead. → DSCR |
Either way the next step is the same: the short form above, or (352) 580-6160.
THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK
The questions that decide eligibility for an international buyer
Do I need a US credit history?
Not on qualifying foreign national programs. A credit report from your own country may be used where one exists, and where it does not, programs are available that rest on documented assets and income instead. A work visa borrower usually has some US credit file, just a thin one — that is a different problem with a different answer, which is why the three programs are kept separate here.
Do I need a Social Security number?
No. A non-resident foreign national needs no US Social Security number at all, and a borrower who pays US taxes under an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is served by a separate ITIN program family rather than being turned away. Passport documentation and, where the program calls for it, visa documentation take its place.
Can I buy a home to live in, or only an investment property?
It depends which of the three you are, and this is the distinction that most often gets flattened. A work visa borrower or an ITIN borrower can finance a primary residence on qualifying programs. A non-resident foreign national is generally buying a second home or an investment property, and where the purchase is a rental the property’s own income can carry the loan through a DSCR program — though foreign national terms there differ from the standard ones.
What is FIRPTA, and does it affect my purchase?
Not your purchase — your eventual sale. The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act requires the buyer to withhold a portion of the proceeds when a foreign person sells US real estate, and remit it to the IRS against any capital gains owed. It is a tax matter, it applies on the way out rather than the way in, and it has no bearing on whether you can finance the property. Speak with a US tax advisor familiar with international transactions before you buy. This is not tax advice.
HOW IT WORKS
How a file is built without US documentation
A standard mortgage file is assembled from US institutions: a US credit report, a US employer, US tax transcripts. An international buyer has none of those, and the programs built for this situation substitute rather than waive. Foreign bank statements, a foreign employment letter, foreign tax returns and a passport carry the same weight the US equivalents would.
Where the purchase is a rental, the documentation question can be sidestepped almost entirely, because the property’s own rent supports the loan instead. Program requirements differ by lender and by which of the three borrower types you are, and we confirm them for your scenario before you sign anything — no approval is implied until underwriting.
REQUIREMENTS REFERENCE
Foreign national requirements reference — Florida
The standing program rules, in one place. Requirements differ across the three borrower types, and every application is reviewed individually.
Common to the international programs
| US credit history | Not required on qualifying foreign national programs. Foreign credit reports may be used where they exist |
|---|---|
| US Social Security number | Not required. ITIN borrowers are served by their own program family |
| US tax returns | Not required. Foreign income and asset documentation may be used instead |
| Documentation | Passport, visa where applicable, and foreign bank statements, employment letters or tax returns |
| Occupancy — work visa and ITIN | Primary residence, second home or investment property on qualifying programs |
| Occupancy — non-resident | Second home and investment property on qualifying programs |
| Investment property | May be financed on the property's rental income — see DSCR loans. Foreign national terms differ from the standard ones |
| Entity vesting | LLC, partnership or corporation permitted on qualifying investment programs |
Is the property a manufactured or mobile home?
Then start with Florida manufactured and mobile home loans, which is the part of this business Atlantic does most. Property type and borrower status interact on these programs in ways that are worth sorting out before anything else, and that page is where that conversation starts.
Why the three-way distinction matters
A single lender will have one answer for “foreign national” and it will not be the same as the next lender’s — and the terms for an ITIN borrower are frequently not the terms for a non-resident, even inside one program. As a broker, Atlantic compares them rather than fitting you to whichever desk answered first. Most lenders set their own rules on top of the program minimums.
RELATED NON-QM PROGRAMS
The rest of the Non-QM set in Florida
Where the other programs fit
| Non-QM Loans | The hub — all five programs for borrowers a standard tax-return file leaves out. Learn more → |
|---|---|
| DSCR Loans | A rental judged by the rent it brings in. Learn more → |
| Bank Statement Loans | Your deposits replace tax returns. Learn more → |
| Asset Depletion Loans | Savings and investments stand in for income. Learn more → |
| No Income Verification | Credit and reserves, for a home you live in. Learn more → |
| Manufactured Home Loans | Every program covering manufactured and mobile homes. Learn more → |
Not sure which of the three applies to you? The Non-QM overview lays out every program side by side, and if the property is manufactured or mobile, Florida manufactured and mobile home loans is the better starting point.
WHY THESE PROGRAMS EXIST
Why Florida has programs for this at all
Florida is one of the most active markets in the world for international buyers, particularly from Latin America, Canada and Europe. That volume is why purpose-built programs exist here rather than the situation being handled as an exception — the documentation an international file actually contains is what these programs are designed around, instead of being a set of gaps in a US one.
Atlantic is a mortgage broker, not a lender. We arrange financing through licensed wholesale lenders, and no approval is implied until underwriting. Most lenders set their own rules on top of the program minimums, which matters more here than almost anywhere: the same passport and the same property can produce different answers at different desks.
No US credit history required on qualifying programs
No US Social Security number required
Foreign national, work visa and ITIN routes
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Foreign national loans in Florida — common questions
Can a foreign national get a mortgage in Florida?
Yes, on qualifying programs. Purpose-built foreign national programs exist precisely because Florida is one of the most active international buyer markets in the world. What changes is the documentation: a passport, foreign bank statements and foreign income or asset records take the place of a US credit file and US tax returns. No approval is implied until underwriting.
Do I need a US Social Security number or US credit history?
Neither, on qualifying foreign national programs. A borrower who pays US taxes under an ITIN is served by a separate program family rather than being excluded, and a work visa borrower with a thin US credit file has options built for exactly that. Foreign credit reports may be used where they exist.
What is the difference between a foreign national and an ITIN mortgage?
They are different programs for different people. A foreign national borrower typically lives outside the United States and has no US financial footprint. An ITIN borrower lives and pays taxes in the US without a Social Security number. Occupancy rules, documentation and property eligibility all differ between the two, which is why a single answer to “can a foreign buyer get a loan” is usually the wrong answer to somebody.
Can I buy a home to live in, or only an investment property?
A work visa or ITIN borrower can finance a primary residence on qualifying programs. A non-resident foreign national is generally buying a second home or an investment property. Where the purchase is a rental, the property’s own rental income can support the loan through a DSCR program, on terms that differ from the standard ones.
Can the property be held in an LLC?
Entity vesting in an LLC, partnership or corporation is permitted on qualifying investment programs, and it is a common structure for international investors buying US real estate for legal, tax and estate-planning reasons. Requirements differ by lender and we confirm them for your scenario before you sign anything.
Does FIRPTA affect me when I buy?
No. FIRPTA applies when a foreign person sells US real estate, not when they buy it: the buyer withholds a portion of the sale proceeds and remits it to the IRS against any capital gains owed by the foreign seller. It is a tax matter separate from mortgage financing. Speak with a US tax advisor familiar with international transactions. This is not tax advice.
Florida is open to international buyers
Call (352) 580-6160 or request a callback — one conversation is usually enough to work out which of the three programs applies to you, with no obligation to get started.
No approval is implied until underwriting.
Foreign national, work visa and ITIN mortgage programs are Non-QM programs and are not conventional, FHA, VA or USDA loans. They are subject to their own guidelines, credit approval, and full underwriting. Program availability, documentation requirements, occupancy and property eligibility vary by citizenship status, visa type, country of residence and intended use, and are set by the applicable lender and subject to change without notice. FIRPTA withholding applies to the sale of US real estate by foreign persons and is a tax matter separate from mortgage financing — consult a qualified US tax advisor. This is not tax advice. This is not an offer or commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity. Atlantic Mortgage & Finance Corp. · NMLS #3915 · Licensed Florida Mortgage Broker. For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.
Michael Dorosko — Ocala Branch Manager · NMLS #22951 · 25+ years in lending.
Atlantic Mortgage & Finance Corp. is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD, FHA, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or any government agency. Program guidelines are subject to change without notice.