Can I still buy a home in Florida with an EAD in 2026?

Yes. What changed is the FHA route, not your ability to buy. The conventional route remains open to work permit holders, and portfolio programs from private lenders do too. What changes is the program, not the possibility.

What exactly changed with FHA?

Effective for FHA case numbers assigned on or after May 25, 2025, FHA limited eligibility to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Non-permanent resident aliens with a valid work permit, who previously qualified, are no longer eligible for FHA-insured mortgages.

How much down payment do I need on the conventional route?

The conventional down payment can be very low for eligible first-time buyers, even lower than FHA’s. The exact amount depends on your credit, the property and the program.

What credit score do I need for a conventional loan?

The common minimum is 620, and the best pricing generally starts around 740. Conventional underwriting is stricter on credit than FHA was, which is the honest trade-off of this route.

Can I use Florida down payment assistance with an EAD?

It depends on the specific program and its own eligibility rules, which are separate from FHA’s. It is worth checking case by case rather than assuming either way.

What documents do I need?

Your valid EAD, government-issued identification, income documentation, and asset statements. The documentation list is similar to any conventional loan; what matters is that your work authorization is current.

What if my FHA case number was assigned before May 25, 2025?

Cases with numbers assigned before that date fall under the prior rules. If you were already in process, ask your loan officer for your case number and its assignment date in writing.

Written by Julian Hernandez

Can I buy a home in Florida with an EAD in 2026? What changed with FHA

Q: Is the conventional route more expensive than FHA?

Over the long run, usually not. Conventional private mortgage insurance cancels once you reach 20% equity. FHA mortgage insurance with a low down payment lasts the life of the loan. So the route that remains open can cost less over time than the one that closed.

August 22, 2026

Published August 21, 2026 · By Adrian Colin, licensed mortgage broker in Florida and Texas, NMLS 1684240

If you have a work permit and someone told you that you can no longer buy a home, here is the short version: they are wrong, but they are not making it up either.

Something real did change in 2025. It closed one door. It did not close the house.

What exactly changed

Effective for FHA case numbers assigned on or after May 25, 2025, FHA limited eligibility to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

Before that, a non-permanent resident with a valid EAD could get an FHA loan. Now they cannot. That is the change, and it is worth understanding precisely instead of by rumor.

If someone tells you that you cannot buy a home at all, they are confusing “FHA closed” with “everything closed.” Those are very different things.

So can I still buy?

Yes. The conventional route is open to work permit holders. So are portfolio programs from private lenders.

Owning property in the United States does not require citizenship or permanent residency. What your status changes is which financing is available, not your right to buy.

The part that surprises people: conventional can be cheaper

This is the piece almost nobody explains, and it is the reason I do not treat this change as a catastrophe.

For eligible first-time buyers, the conventional down payment can be very low, even lower than FHA’s. The route that remains open can ask for less money up front.

And there is a second difference that matters much more over time. Conventional private mortgage insurance cancels once you reach 20% equity. FHA mortgage insurance, with a low down payment, lasts the life of the loan.

On a 30-year loan that gap is not small. The door that closed was, for many buyers, the more expensive one.

The honest caveat

I am not going to pretend this change is good news across the board.

Conventional underwriting is stricter on credit. The common minimum is 620, and the best pricing generally starts around 740. FHA was more forgiving there.

So for a buyer with a work permit and thin or damaged credit, this change genuinely hurts. If that is you, the answer is not “no.” It is “not yet, and here is the plan” — usually a few months of specific work on your credit profile.

Anyone who tells you the change costs nothing is selling. Anyone who tells you it ends your chances is also wrong.

What you need

A valid, current EAD
Government-issued identification
Income documentation — and if you are self-employed, there are programs that use a profit and loss statement instead of tax returns
Asset statements for the down payment and closing costs

The list is similar to any conventional loan. What matters most is that your work authorization is current.

If you were already in process

Cases with FHA numbers assigned before May 25, 2025 fall under the prior rules.

If you were mid-process when this changed, ask your loan officer for your case number and its assignment date in writing. That single date determines which rules apply to you. Do not accept a verbal answer on something this consequential.

What to do now

If you were counting on FHA, the practical step is to have someone run your file against the conventional route and see what the real numbers look like. In many cases the payment ends up similar and the long-run cost lower.

If your credit is the obstacle, the step is a plan with dates, not a vague “work on your credit.”

Browse the programs in our Casa Catalog, add the ones that fit your situation, and leave us your name, phone and email. We review your case at no cost, we never ask for a credit card, and we work in English and Spanish.

Sources

HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2025-09 — Revisions to residency requirements, effective for case numbers assigned on or after May 25, 2025
HUD Handbook 4000.1 — FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — private mortgage insurance cancellation

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Adrian Colin is CEO/President and Loan Officer of Infinity Wholesale Mortgages, LLC, a mortgage broker licensed by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML). NMLS #1684240. Company NMLS #2420223.

Informational and educational article. Not a loan commitment, not an offer of credit, and not legal or immigration advice. Programs and requirements change without notice. Subject to credit and property approval, income verification and appraisal. Not available in all states. Equal Housing Opportunity.