Yes, undocumented immigrants can get a mortgage in the United States. Federal law does not bar lending based on immigration status, and a growing set of lenders offer mortgage programs that accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in place of a Social Security Number. The loans cost more and require more cash up front than a conventional mortgage, but they are a real, legal path to owning a home.
The Law Is on Your Side
Two federal statutes matter here. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes it illegal for a lender to discriminate against a credit applicant based on national origin.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1691 – Scope of Prohibition The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in residential real estate transactions, including mortgage lending, on the same basis.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3605 – Discrimination in Residential Real Estate-Related Transactions The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice have jointly cautioned lenders that using immigration status alone to deny credit may violate these laws.
Neither statute forces a lender to approve you. A lender can still say no for financial reasons: insufficient income, weak credit, too much debt. What a lender cannot do is reject you solely because you lack an SSN or are not a citizen. No federal law restricts non-citizens from owning real property in the U.S., and being deported does not cancel your ownership of a home you already bought.
The ITIN Is the Key Document
An ITIN is a nine-digit number the IRS issues to people who need to file federal tax returns but don’t qualify for a Social Security Number.3Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7 It was built for tax administration, not lending, but it has become the anchor of any mortgage application from an undocumented borrower because it lets you build a paper trail: filed tax returns, reported income, and a credit file tied to a single identifying number.
Getting an ITIN
You apply on IRS Form W-7 and submit it with a federal tax return. The IRS accepts 13 types of identity and foreign-status documents. A current passport is the cleanest option because it proves both identity and foreign status on its own. Without a passport, you combine two or more documents from the accepted list, which includes a national ID card, foreign driver’s license, civil birth certificate, and visa, among others.4Internal Revenue Service. Revised Application Standards for ITINs You can mail the application, apply in person at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, or use an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent, who can verify your documents so you don’t have to mail originals. Processing usually takes several weeks.
Keep It Active
An ITIN expires if it hasn’t appeared on a federal tax return for three consecutive years, and some also expire on a rolling schedule based on their middle digits.5Internal Revenue Service. It’s Time Again for Folks to Renew Their ITINs File every year and renew before the number lapses. Lenders want a continuous filing history. Gaps get flagged in underwriting.
What Lenders Want to See
Having an ITIN gets you in the door. Approval still turns on the same fundamentals any borrower faces, and the bar is usually a little higher because these loans carry more risk for the lender.
Income
Two or more years of federal tax returns filed under your ITIN is the core of the application. Beyond that, lenders look at recent pay stubs, employer verification letters, and bank statements. Self-employed borrowers or people with irregular pay can often qualify through a bank statement program, where the lender reviews 12 to 24 months of deposits instead of traditional pay records.
Credit
Most ITIN mortgage programs require a credit score of at least 660. You can build credit under an ITIN by opening a secured credit card, where a cash deposit sets your limit, and paying on time. Some landlords and utility companies report payments to the credit bureaus, which helps too. Two years of consistent activity gives an underwriter something real to evaluate, and a higher score cuts your rate and your required down payment.
Stability
Lenders check how long you’ve lived in the area and how steady your housing has been. Utility bills, leases, and a consistent address history all count. This isn’t a proxy for immigration status. It’s a read on whether you’re rooted enough to keep paying the loan.
Where the Loans Actually Come From
ITIN mortgages are not FHA or VA loans, and they are not conventional loans sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. They’re portfolio loans and non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) products, meaning the lender keeps the loan on its own books rather than selling it on the secondary market. That is why lenders can set their own rules on these files.
Credit unions, community banks, and some regional banks run ITIN programs as portfolio products. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are mission-driven lenders focused on underserved communities, sometimes offer better terms than commercial lenders and are worth calling first. Non-QM lenders specialize in borrowers who don’t fit a standard template and openly market ITIN products. The trade-off with non-QM is cost.
What It Costs
Expect to pay more than a borrower with an SSN taking out a conventional loan. The premium reflects the fact that the lender can’t sell the loan and considers it higher risk.
- Interest rates typically run 1 to 3 percentage points above conventional mortgage rates. If a standard 30-year fixed is around 7%, an ITIN borrower might see 8% to 10%, depending on credit and down payment.
- Down payments generally fall between 10% and 20%, and some lenders require 25% for weaker profiles. Conventional loans can go as low as 3% to 5%, so the gap is real.
- Closing costs run 2% to 5% of the loan amount, similar to conventional mortgages, and cover appraisal, title, lender fees, recording, and prepaid insurance and taxes.
Run the numbers before you fall in love with a house. On a $300,000 home with 15% down, you’re bringing $45,000 for the down payment plus roughly $5,000 to $13,000 in closing costs to the table. That cash requirement is the biggest practical barrier for most buyers.
Protecting the Home if You’re Deported
Deportation does not transfer your house to the government or the lender. You still own it. The practical problem is that you can’t easily make mortgage payments, manage the property, or handle paperwork from outside the country, and missed payments lead to foreclosure. That is how people actually lose homes in this situation, not through the removal itself.
The single most protective step is setting up a power of attorney before anything goes wrong. A power of attorney lets someone you trust make mortgage payments, deal with tenants, or sell the property on your behalf. An immigration or real estate attorney can draft one that specifically covers real property. Some owners also add a trusted family member who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident to the title, which can make it easier for that person to act if needed. Title changes carry their own legal and tax consequences, so talk to an attorney before doing this.
On a related worry: under current USCIS guidance, home mortgage loan programs are not considered in public charge determinations, and homeownership is generally read as a sign of financial stability.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Public Charge Resources Immigration policy shifts, though, so run your specific situation past an immigration attorney.
Watch for Predatory Lenders
ITIN borrowers get targeted, because the pool of legitimate lenders is small and scammers know the options are limited. Red flags worth walking away from:
- Guaranteed approval before the lender has reviewed your file. No legitimate lender does this.
- Large upfront fees before approval. Application fees exist but should be modest and disclosed in writing.
- Pressure to sign fast, or discouragement from reading the paperwork.
- Documents only in English when you need translation, with no willingness to accommodate a translator.
- Vague cost disclosures. A legitimate lender gives you a Loan Estimate within three business days of application, itemizing rates, fees, and total costs.
Get written Loan Estimates from at least three lenders and compare rates, closing costs, and monthly payments side by side. A HUD-approved housing counselor or a community organization with experience serving immigrant borrowers can read offers with you and catch problems you wouldn’t spot the first time through.