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Starting a new job and buying a home often arrive together — a better salary is frequently the very thing that makes the purchase possible. The catch is that most new roles begin with a probation period, and some lenders see that as a risk. The good news: being on probation is not a dealbreaker. Plenty of lenders will approve a home loan for a borrower in their first weeks of a new role. The trick is knowing which lenders, and how to present the application.
A home loan is assessed on your ability to keep making repayments for decades, and your income is the engine of that. During probation, either side can usually end the employment with minimal notice, so a cautious credit assessor sees income that is less certain than a confirmed permanent role. That is the whole concern — nothing about probation affects your credit file or your deposit. It is purely a question of income stability, which means it can be answered with evidence of stability from elsewhere: your industry track record, your employment history, and the strength of the rest of your application.
This is the single most important thing to understand. There is no industry-wide rule on probation — each lender writes its own credit policy, and they land in genuinely different places:
Applying to the wrong lender and getting declined creates a credit enquiry and a declined application you may need to disclose, which makes the next application harder. Matching your situation to a lender whose policy already fits is exactly the kind of legwork a broker does before anything is lodged — a core part of improving your approval chances.
Lenders distinguish sharply between a new job and a new career. If you have moved from one employer to another in the same industry — same or similar role, similar or better pay — most assessors read that as career progression, and many policies explicitly relax probation requirements where there is continuity of industry or occupation. A nurse moving hospitals, an electrician changing firms, an accountant moving up at a new practice: these are easy stories to tell.
A genuine career change is harder — say, leaving a trade to start in sales — because your track record in the old field says less about your prospects in the new one. It is still workable, but expect fewer lenders and more questions. Gaps between jobs also draw attention; a short, explained gap is fine, but months of unemployment immediately before the new role weakens the continuity argument. Be ready to explain your last two to three years of employment cleanly.
Your employment type changes the picture as much as probation does:
If you are weighing up a job offer and a home purchase at the same time, the structure of the new role is worth factoring into your timing.
Free, instant, and no details required — see roughly what lenders could approve for you.
Because probation is a confidence question, the file that answers it convincingly wins. Alongside the standard paperwork in our documents checklist, these carry real weight:
A larger deposit helps too: a lower LVR reduces the lender's risk and widens the pool of lenders willing to look past probation.
You do not necessarily have to wait. If your continuity story is strong, applying during probation with the right lender is routine. But timing still matters at the edges: if probation ends in a few weeks, waiting can open up more lenders and sharper pricing; if you are getting pre-approval before house-hunting, remember that pre-approvals expire and lenders re-verify employment before formal approval, so a job change between pre-approval and purchase must be disclosed. Run your numbers through the borrowing capacity calculator early, and compare your options across home loans before locking in a plan.
Probation lending is one of those areas where the answer is less about whether and more about which lender. We deal with these policies every week and can tell you quickly which lenders suit your role, industry and timeline — before any application touches your credit file. Get in touch and we will map it out with you.
Yes. Some lenders lend to permanent employees from their first payslip, others want industry continuity or a lower LVR, and a few prefer probation completed. Because policies vary so much, the key is applying to a lender whose credit policy already accepts your situation rather than testing one at random.
Yes. Lenders verify employment directly and your start date appears in your contract and payslips, so it will come out regardless. Non-disclosure damages your credibility and can jeopardise the loan. Disclosed upfront and packaged well, probation is a manageable policy question, not a secret to keep.
Tell your broker or lender immediately. Pre-approval is based on the employment you had at the time, and lenders re-verify before formal approval and often before settlement. A move to a similar or better role in the same industry is usually workable, but it may mean adjusting which lender you proceed with.
Most lenders want a track record in the casual role — commonly somewhere around six to twelve months, though policies differ — because casual hours and income can fluctuate. A long history of consistent casual earnings in the same industry strengthens the case considerably.
Generally no — it affects which lenders will approve you rather than the size of the loan, which still comes down to income, expenses and commitments. Some lenders may cap the LVR for borrowers on probation, which can affect how much deposit you need rather than your serviceability.
This article is general information only and doesn't consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs — it isn't personal credit advice, and lending criteria, rates, fees and government schemes change. Before acting, speak with a licensed MakeMyLoan broker or credit representative who will assess your circumstances and provide a credit guide before any credit assistance is given.
