Direct answer: Yes — if you are in the United States on a TN visa, you can buy and own a home in Texas. The TN visa is a USMCA (formerly NAFTA) professional work status for citizens of Canada and Mexico, and Texas places no citizenship or residency requirement on owning property. Most TN professionals already have a Social Security number and a U.S. credit file, which means a conventional mortgage is usually on the table — and when it is not, ITIN and foreign-national loan programs fill the gap. This guide covers who qualifies, how the mortgage paths work, what lenders ask for, and the Houston-area realities.

Reviewed by Linh Luong — Designated Broker, Core Properties (TREC #9014736). Core Properties TX is a bilingual brokerage representing immigrant and foreign-national buyers across Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Cypress, Pearland, and Austin.

This article is general education, not personalized legal, tax, immigration, or mortgage advice. Visa rules and lending programs change, and they vary by lender and by situation. Before you act, confirm the details with a licensed mortgage lender and — where your status is involved — a qualified immigration attorney or CPA.

You moved to Texas on a TN visa to do the work you trained for — one of the professional fields the USMCA agreement covers. You file taxes here, you have built credit, and you are tired of paying rent. Someone may have told you a temporary visa means you cannot own a home. That is not true. We help TN professionals from Canada and Mexico buy homes across the Houston area, and here are the honest answers we give our clients — no jargon.

What is a TN visa, and who qualifies?

The TN visa — TN stands for Trade NAFTA, now carried forward under the USMCA agreement — is a nonimmigrant work status available only to citizens of Canada and Mexico. It lets professionals in a defined list of occupations — engineers, accountants, scientists, physicians, management consultants, and others — work in the United States for a qualifying employer. TN status is granted in increments of up to three years and can be renewed, but it is a temporary, nonimmigrant status — it is not a green card, and it does not by itself put you on a path to permanent residence. Because the work authorization is tied to a specific employer, questions about renewals and status changes belong with an immigration attorney — what matters for homebuying is simpler than the immigration paperwork suggests.

Can you buy a house in Texas on a TN visa?

Yes. Texas has no citizenship or residency requirement for owning real estate. If you have valid TN status and meet a lender’s requirements, you can buy a home in your own name, and the contract, title, and closing process are identical to any other buyer’s. Owning property is a financial decision, not an immigration one — buying a home neither helps nor hurts your visa case, and it does not change your status.

One question we hear a lot in 2026 is about Texas Senate Bill 17, the state law that restricts certain property purchases by individuals from a short list of designated countries, such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Canada and Mexico are not on that list, so TN professionals from those countries are not affected by it as the law stands today. For certainty on your situation, a Texas real estate attorney can confirm it — we walked through the same law for work-visa buyers in our H-1B home-buying questions guide.

Your mortgage paths as a TN visa buyer

Here is the news that sets TN buyers apart from some other foreign nationals: because TN status comes with employment authorization, most TN professionals are issued a Social Security number and build a normal U.S. credit file. That opens the most common door.

  • Conventional financing. With a valid visa, an SSN, a steady employment history, and reasonable credit, many TN buyers qualify for conventional loans on terms similar to a permanent resident’s. Lenders look at how much visa and employment time you have remaining, so documentation of your status and your job matters.
  • FHA and other government-backed loans. Some non-permanent residents with work authorization and an SSN can also qualify for FHA loans, which allow lower down payments. The eligibility rules are specific, so ask a lender who works with visa holders regularly.
  • ITIN and foreign-national loans. If you do not yet have an SSN, your credit file is thin, or your income is hard to document in the conventional way, portfolio lenders offer ITIN and foreign-national programs that underwrite differently. These typically ask for more money down and carry higher rates, but they get the deal done. Our guide to ITIN mortgages for foreign nationals walks through how those loans work.

No lender path is guaranteed from a brokerage page — these are the patterns we see. The honest move is to get pre-qualified with two or three lenders who work with visa buyers, so you compare real offers rather than averages from an article.

What lenders typically ask TN buyers to document

Every lender writes its own overlay rules, but the requests tend to rhyme. Most TN files include some version of the following:

  • A valid passport and TN visa or I-94 record confirming your status.
  • Your Social Security number and the employment offer or verification letter tied to your TN role.
  • Two years of income history — W-2s, pay stubs, and tax returns, or business records if your income is more complex.
  • A documented down payment, with a clear paper trail for any funds transferred from a Canadian or Mexican account or gifted by family abroad.
  • A U.S. credit history, or alternative credit (rent, utilities, insurance) if your file is still young.

The cross-border pieces — proving where down-payment funds came from, or income earned abroad — are where a TN file most often slows down, so organize those documents early to keep a closing on schedule.

How much down payment will you need?

It depends on the loan path and your file, so treat any number as a starting point, not a promise:

  • Conventional loans for well-qualified TN buyers can sometimes start in the 5% to 10% range, though lender overlays often push that higher.
  • FHA loans allow lower down payments for those who qualify.
  • ITIN and foreign-national loans typically ask for 15% to 25% down, because the lender holds the loan in its own portfolio.

Rates and down payments move with the market and with your credit, income, and remaining visa term. The only way to know your real numbers is a pre-qualification — which is exactly why we connect clients to more than one lender.

Why Houston works for Canadian and Mexican professionals

Houston is one of the most internationally connected job markets in the country, with deep demand in energy, healthcare, aerospace, and technology — the same fields that put many professionals on a TN visa in the first place. For buyers relocating from Canada or Mexico, that depth of employment matters, because TN status is tied to your job.

On the housing side, the metro gives TN buyers real range: established communities with strong schools and resale demand in Katy and Sugar Land, newer construction at more accessible price points in Cypress and parts of Pearland, and closer-in options for buyers who want a shorter commute. We help you weigh commute, budget, schools, and resale based on what you tell us matters, not on assumptions. And because we represent foreign-national buyers across the metro every week, the cross-border questions — credit, currency, visa timing — are familiar territory, not a surprise at closing.

Common pitfalls TN buyers run into

  • Assuming you have to wait for a green card. You do not. A valid TN visa is enough to buy, and waiting can mean years of rent you did not need to pay.
  • Applying with only one lender. Overlay rules for non-permanent residents vary widely, and the buyer who compares two or three almost always lands better terms.
  • Ignoring the visa-renewal timeline. Think through what happens if your status changes before you buy, not after. The good news: if your TN is not renewed, you keep the house — you can keep it as a rental, sell it, or manage it from abroad.
  • Underestimating the cross-border paper trail. Down-payment funds moving from a foreign account need clear documentation. Start that paperwork early.
  • Skipping representation that knows visa files. The questions are specific, and a general agent may never have closed a TN deal.

How Core Properties can help

We have walked TN, H-1B, OPT, and ITIN buyers from pre-qualification to closing across the Houston metro and Austin. We connect you with lenders who understand visa-holder files, help you organize the cross-border documents before they slow you down, and represent your interests through inspection, negotiation, and closing — in English and Vietnamese.

When you are ready to talk numbers and neighborhoods:

Core Properties TX
1334 Brittmoore Rd #1327, Houston, TX 77043
Phone: (281) 779-8488
Email: support@corepropertiestx.com
Brokerage: Core Properties, TREC License 9014736 · Designated Broker: Linh Luong, TREC License 687812

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a house in Texas on a TN visa?
Yes. Texas has no citizenship or residency requirement for owning property. With valid TN status and a lender who works with visa holders, you can buy a home in your own name.

Do I need a green card or U.S. citizenship to get a mortgage?
No. A green card is not required. Many TN professionals qualify for conventional financing with a valid visa, a Social Security number, steady income, and reasonable credit. When that path is not open, ITIN and foreign-national loan programs are alternatives.

How is buying on a TN visa different from buying on an H-1B?
The mechanics are very similar. Both are nonimmigrant work statuses, and both usually come with a Social Security number, so conventional financing is often available. Lender overlay rules and the time remaining on your status matter in both cases.

How much down payment do TN visa buyers usually need?
It varies by loan path and by your file. Conventional loans for well-qualified buyers can start lower, while ITIN and foreign-national loans typically ask for 15 to 25 percent down. A pre-qualification with a lender gives you real numbers.

What happens to my house if my TN status is not renewed?
You keep it. Property ownership does not depend on your visa status. You can keep the home as a rental, sell it, or manage it from abroad.

Does Texas Senate Bill 17 stop Canadian or Mexican citizens from buying property?
No. SB 17 restricts purchases by individuals from a short list of designated countries, and Canada and Mexico are not on that list as the law stands today. For certainty on your situation, confirm with a Texas real estate attorney.