Miami has long been the front door for international capital moving into U.S. real estate — and for good reason. A foreign investor can own an American rental property outright, collect rent in dollars, and build equity in one of the world's most stable property markets, all without ever holding U.S. citizenship or a green card. The obstacle has never been ownership. It's financing.
Most conventional banks are built around a borrower profile that a foreign national simply doesn't fit: a Social Security number, a domestic credit score, U.S. tax returns, and a W-2 job. Without those, a traditional mortgage application dead-ends fast. That's why the foreign national loan exists — a purpose-built product that lets non-U.S. citizens and non-residents finance investment property based on the deal and the asset, not a domestic paper trail.
This guide explains how foreign national loans actually work in 2026 — who qualifies, what documents you'll need, how the numbers compare to a standard investor loan, and how a private lender like Funded Capital closes these deals for investors buying from abroad. We finance foreign nationals every month, so we know exactly where the friction is and how to get around it.
What Is a Foreign National Loan?
A foreign national loan is a mortgage designed for a borrower who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident. It's used almost exclusively for investment property — single-family rentals, condos, small multifamily, and fix & flip projects — rather than a primary residence, because non-residents generally aren't living in the home they're financing.
The defining feature is what the lender does not require. There's no need for a Social Security number, a U.S. credit history, a green card, or American tax returns. Instead, the loan is underwritten around the property's economics and the borrower's ability to fund the down payment and reserves. In practice, most foreign national investment loans are structured as DSCR loans — the lender qualifies the deal on whether the property's rent covers its debt, not on the borrower's personal income.
Who Counts as a Foreign National
The term covers a wide range of borrowers. You may be a foreign national if you're a non-resident living abroad with no U.S. ties, a citizen of another country working in the U.S. on a visa, or a resident of a country with no reciprocal credit-reporting relationship with the U.S. The common thread is the absence of the standard domestic borrower footprint — and that's precisely what this loan is engineered to work around.
How Foreign Nationals Qualify Without U.S. Income
The single biggest advantage of financing through a private lender is that qualification doesn't hinge on documenting personal income. On most of our programs, there's no income verification at all. That removes the exact wall that stops foreign borrowers at a traditional bank — the demand for U.S. tax returns and employment history they can't produce.
Instead of income, three things drive approval on a foreign national loan.
The first is the property itself. On a DSCR loan, the lender calculates the debt-service coverage ratio — the property's monthly rent divided by its total monthly payment. If the rent covers the debt, the deal qualifies on its own merits, regardless of where the borrower lives or what they earn.
The second is the down payment and reserves. Foreign national loans carry lower leverage than a domestic loan, so the borrower brings more cash. Lenders also want to see reserves — several months of payments held in an accessible account — as proof the loan can be serviced.
The third is the entity. Most foreign investors buy through a U.S. LLC rather than in their personal name, for liability protection and cleaner tax treatment. Lending to the entity, with the foreign national as guarantor, is standard and often simplifies the file.
The Documents You'll Actually Need
Because the domestic paperwork is off the table, the document list is shorter and more international. A typical foreign national file includes:
| Requirement | What it looks like for a foreign national |
|---|---|
| Identity | Valid passport (and U.S. visa, if applicable) |
| Credit | Foreign credit report, or reference letters from banks in your home country |
| Down payment proof | Bank statements showing sourced, seasoned funds |
| Reserves | Several months of payments held in an accessible account |
| Entity docs | U.S. LLC formation documents, if buying through an entity |
| Property | Purchase contract, lease or market rent analysis |
Notably absent: Social Security number, U.S. tax returns, W-2s, and a domestic FICO score. In place of a U.S. credit score, lenders accept a credit report from your home country or, where that isn't available, reference letters from established banking relationships abroad.
Rates, Down Payments, and Terms in 2026
Foreign national financing prices at a modest premium to a standard investor loan — the trade-off for the flexibility and the lender's added cross-border risk. The gap is smaller than most investors expect, and the terms are entirely workable for a cash-flowing property.
Expect to put more down than a U.S. borrower would. Where a domestic investor might reach up to 80% LTV on a DSCR loan (rates from 6.0%), a foreign national typically finances in the 65–75% LTV range, meaning 25–35% down. On the short-term side, our fix & flip program funds up to 90% of cost for experienced U.S. borrowers; foreign nationals should plan on somewhat more equity in the deal. The extra down payment is the lender's cushion, and it's what makes a no-income-verification loan to a non-resident possible in the first place.
Here's how the two profiles compare at a glance:
| Factor | U.S. investor | Foreign national |
|---|---|---|
| Max LTV (DSCR) | Up to 80% | Typically 65–75% |
| Income verification | Not required | Not required |
| Credit | U.S. FICO | Foreign credit or bank references |
| Rate premium | Baseline | Modest premium |
| Typical structure | Personal or LLC | U.S. LLC, foreign guarantor |
Loan terms mirror standard investor products: 30-year DSCR loans for long-term rentals, and 12-to-24-month interest-only terms for fix & flip and new construction. If you're comparing the long-term rental route against a bank product, our breakdown of DSCR vs. conventional financing covers the full trade-off.
Closing From Abroad: How the Process Works
A common worry is whether a foreign investor even needs to be in the U.S. to close. They don't. The process is built to run remotely, and a lender that does these deals regularly has the infrastructure to handle it.
Documents are signed electronically or before a notary at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, and funds move by international wire. The two items worth handling early are a U.S. bank account — which makes wiring the down payment and receiving rent far easier — and, for entity buyers, forming the LLC and obtaining an EIN before you're under contract. Getting those in place ahead of time is the difference between a smooth two-week close and a scramble.
Speed still matters here. Even across borders, a private lender moves in a fraction of the time a bank would. At Funded Capital, we issue term sheets in two hours and can close in as little as five days once documents are in — and we lend in 44 states, so your target market is almost certainly covered.
Ready to Finance Your U.S. Investment?
Funded Capital was built for exactly this borrower — the investor whose deal is strong even when the standard paperwork isn't there. We're a Miami-based private lender working with foreign nationals and U.S. investors alike, and our programs are made to move fast:
- No income verification on most programs — qualify on the property, not your tax returns
- DSCR loans from 6.0% up to 80% LTV, and fix & flip from 8.75% up to 90% of cost
- Term sheets in 2 hours, closings in as little as 5 days
- Lending in 44 states, with entity and foreign-guarantor structures welcome
Start your file today. Apply now and get a term sheet on your deal in two hours, or call us at (305) 857-5620 to talk through your scenario.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign national get a mortgage in the United States? Yes. Foreign nationals can finance U.S. investment property through a foreign national loan, which doesn't require U.S. citizenship, a green card, or a Social Security number. These loans are typically structured as DSCR loans and qualify on the property's cash flow rather than the borrower's personal income.
Do I need a U.S. credit score to qualify? No. Because foreign nationals rarely have a U.S. FICO score, lenders accept a credit report from your home country or reference letters from your established banking relationships abroad. On no-income-verification programs, the property's debt-service coverage carries most of the qualification weight.
How much do I need to put down as a foreign national? More than a U.S. borrower — typically 25–35% down, which corresponds to roughly 65–75% LTV. The larger equity contribution is what allows a lender to approve a loan without verifying domestic income, and it protects both sides on a cross-border deal.
Should I buy the property in my own name or through an LLC? Most foreign investors buy through a U.S. LLC with themselves as personal guarantor. It offers liability protection, cleaner tax treatment, and often a smoother loan file. Forming the LLC and obtaining an EIN before you go under contract keeps the closing on schedule.
Can I close on the loan without traveling to the U.S.? Yes. Foreign national closings are designed to run remotely — documents are signed electronically or notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and funds move by international wire. Setting up a U.S. bank account in advance makes funding the down payment and collecting rent much simpler. Apply now to get started from anywhere.