International Relocation to Frisco, TX: A Guide for Global Buyers (2026)
Updated: Oct 13
International Relocation to Frisco, TX: A Guide for Global Buyers (2026)
By Nitin Gupta, CRS, GRI, MRP — Broker Associate, Competitive Edge Realty | 480+ closed DFW transactions · $250M+ career volume · D Magazine Best REALTOR® 2020, 2023, 2024
Quick answer: You do not need U.S. citizenship, a green card, or a visa to buy a home in Frisco, TX. One Texas law, SB 17, blocks buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, with narrow exceptions. Check your status against it before you make an offer. I'm Nitin Gupta. I speak English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati, and I walk international buyers through every step, from Frisco new homes to closing.
Do you need to be a U.S. citizen or resident to buy in Frisco?
No. Texas sets no citizenship, residency, or visa requirement for owning a home. You can close from abroad, on a tourist visa, on a work visa, or as a green card holder. Three things change by status: your financing, your tax filings, and whether SB 17 applies to you.
Buying a home does not give you a visa, a green card, or a path to residency. Plan your immigration status separately with an immigration attorney.
Texas SB 17: check this before you make an offer
SB 17 took effect September 1, 2025. It bars certain people and companies tied to a "designated country" from buying or acquiring real property in Texas. The law targets countries named as national security risks, currently China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The governor can add countries.
Who SB 17 covers:
Individuals domiciled in a designated country.
Citizens of a designated country, including citizens living abroad. If you hold a second citizenship, get legal advice before you sign.
Citizens of a designated country who are in the U.S. unlawfully.
Companies headquartered in or controlled by a designated country.
Who SB 17 does not cover:
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and entities they own or control.
Individuals who are both domiciled in and citizens of a country that is not designated.
Leases shorter than one year.
The homestead exception: If you are from a designated country, lawfully present, and living in the U.S., you may buy one residence that you intend to use as your homestead. It does not cover investment properties, second homes, or purchases through a company.
Enforcement: The Texas Attorney General's rules took effect April 26, 2026. Parties that facilitate a sale, including licensed real estate professionals, must file a complaint when they know or should know a transaction violates the law. Penalties include a state jail felony charge, civil penalties up to $250,000 or 50% of the property's market value (whichever is greater), and a court order to divest the property. Expect your lender, title company, and agent to ask about your citizenship and domicile. Answer accurately.
Rules and country lists change. Confirm the current list with a Texas real estate attorney before you sign. This guide is general information as of October 2026, not legal, tax, or immigration advice.
Visa status and your financing options
You do not need a visa to buy. Your visa status does change how you finance.
Work visa holders living in the U.S. (H-1B, L-1, E-2, and similar): You may qualify for conventional financing. Your lender sets its own rules on visa length, employment history, and credit.
Foreign national loans: Built for buyers with no U.S. credit history or visa. Expect a larger down payment, commonly 25% to 40%, higher rates than conventional loans, and cash reserves on top of your down payment and closing costs.
ITIN: Some lenders ask for an ITIN. Many foreign national programs require neither a Social Security number nor an ITIN. Ask before you apply.
All cash: No lender approval. Read the cash buyer section below.
Get a pre-qualification letter before you tour. I connect you with lenders who handle foreign national loans. Start with my buyer services.
Tax residency is separate from immigration status
The IRS decides whether you are a resident alien or a nonresident alien for tax purposes. Owning a Frisco home does not decide it. Your days in the U.S. do.
Green card test: You are a tax resident if you were a lawful permanent resident at any time during the year.
Substantial presence test: You are a tax resident if you were in the U.S. at least 31 days this year and 183 days over three years. Count every day this year, one-third of last year's days, and one-sixth of the days from two years ago.
Closer connection exception: You can still be a nonresident if you were in the U.S. fewer than 183 days this year, keep your tax home abroad, and have a closer connection to that country.
Tax residents report worldwide income to the IRS. Nonresidents report U.S.-source income. Texas has no state income tax. Track your U.S. days every year, and hire a cross-border tax professional to run the numbers.
FIRPTA: what happens when you sell
If you are a foreign person when you sell, the buyer must withhold part of the sale price and send it to the IRS. Withholding applies to the gross price, not your profit.
Price of $300,000 or less, and the buyer will live in the home: 0%.
Price over $300,000 up to $1 million, and the buyer will live in the home: 10%.
Price over $1 million, or the buyer will not live in the home: 15%.
If your actual tax is lower than the withholding, apply for a withholding certificate early. Do not wait for closing.
Estate tax: the $60,000 threshold
If you are not a U.S. citizen and not domiciled in the U.S., federal estate tax can apply to your Frisco home once your U.S. assets pass $60,000. The top rate is 40%. Your heirs file Form 706-NA within nine months of your death. Some countries have estate tax treaties that raise the exemption. Texas has no state estate or inheritance tax.
Decide how you take title (individual, trust, or company) with a cross-border estate attorney before you sign the contract. Title structure changes both the tax and the reporting.
Texas homestead exemption: a residency requirement
The homestead exemption lowers your property tax bill. Texas requires you to own the home and live in it as your principal residence. Only individuals qualify, not companies. You apply through the county appraisal district (Frisco sits in Collin and Denton counties) with a Texas driver's license or state ID that shows the property address. The appraisal district may ask for more proof of residence. The deadline is April 30 for that tax year. You cannot claim it on a second home or an investment property.
Why global families choose Frisco
Top-rated schools. Frisco ISD is highly rated (A). Verify zoning by exact address, since parts of Frisco feed Prosper, Little Elm, or Lewisville ISD. Compare districts on my DFW school ratings page.
A fast-growing, diverse community. Frisco has one of the fastest-growing and increasingly diverse populations in the country, with a substantial and expanding Asian and South Asian community. See my Dallas Indian realtor page.
New construction. Abundant master-planned new homes appeal to families building a fresh start.
Global connectivity and jobs. A short drive to DFW International Airport and a corporate base including Toyota, PGA of America, and Keurig Dr Pepper.
Explore new homes via Frisco new homes and the Frisco relocation guide.
Buying in Frisco from abroad
You can do much of the purchase remotely: live video tours, digital signing, and a power of attorney for closing where needed. I coordinate the transaction across time zones. Read the Frisco relocation guide and the Dallas relocation guide before you land.
How to protect yourself as a cash buyer
Cash gives you speed. It also removes the checks a lender forces on every financed deal: no lender appraisal, no required title policy, no required survey. You must add those protections yourself. Do these in order.
Verify every wire by phone. Wire fraud targets cash buyers. Get the title company's phone number from its official website or your signed contract. Call it and confirm the account details before you send. Treat any emailed change to wiring instructions as fraud until a call proves otherwise.
Send money only to the title company's escrow account. Earnest money and closing funds go to the title company, never to the seller, a builder's sales office, or any agent, including me. Wire from an account in your own name.
Buy an owner's title insurance policy. With no lender, nobody requires one, so nobody buys one for you. The policy protects you against ownership defects the title search missed. Texas regulates title insurance premiums, so compare the title company's service, not its rates. Read the title commitment and every exception listed in it before you close.
Order a survey. Require a current survey or review the seller's. It shows boundaries, easements, and encroachments.
Hire your own inspector. With no lender, no outside party checks the house. Hire a TREC-licensed inspector and add a foundation specialist, because North Texas clay soil moves foundations. On new construction, inspect at pre-drywall and again before your final walk-through.
Use an option period. A Texas option period lets you terminate for any reason within the agreed number of days. Finish your inspection, survey, and title review inside that window.
Check HOA, MUD, and PID costs. Get the HOA resale certificate and confirm whether special district assessments apply. They add to your yearly cost and do not show in the list price.
Prepare source-of-funds documents. Title companies and banks ask where your money came from. Gather bank statements, property sale records, or gift letters. Redact account numbers on anything you send by email.
Move your money early. International wires can take days, and banks can hold large transfers for review. Lock your exchange rate with your bank so currency swings do not change your closing cost.
Think before you take title in a company or trust. FinCEN's residential real estate reporting rule covers all-cash purchases into LLCs and trusts. It does not cover purchases directly into an individual's name. It was scheduled to begin March 1, 2026, so ask your title company how it applies to your closing. A company also cannot claim the homestead exemption.
Keep a power of attorney narrow. If someone signs for you at closing, use a Texas-compliant, notarized power of attorney that covers this one transaction. Have the title company approve the wording first. They will tell you whether it must be recorded.
How a Frisco relocation realtor helps international buyers
I hold the relocation designation (MRP). I verify school zoning, compare neighborhoods, represent you with builders, connect you with foreign national lenders and attorneys, and coordinate a remote closing, in your language. See my designations, then connect with your Frisco real estate agent.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign national buy a house in Frisco, TX?
Yes. Texas has no citizenship, residency, or visa requirement for owning a home. The exception is SB 17, which restricts buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Financing and tax treatment differ for non-residents.
Does Texas SB 17 stop me from buying a home?
Only if you are tied to a designated country: China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. U.S. citizens and green card holders are exempt, as are people who are domiciled in and citizens of a non-designated country. Lawfully present residents of a designated country may buy one primary residence.
Do I need a visa or green card to buy a home in Frisco?
No. You can buy with cash or a foreign national loan without a visa or green card. Work visa holders living in the U.S. may qualify for conventional financing.
Does buying a home in Frisco give me a visa or residency?
No. Buying a home does not grant a visa, a green card, or any immigration status. Plan your immigration status separately with an immigration attorney.
How much down payment do international buyers need?
Foreign national loans commonly require 25% to 40% down, plus cash reserves. Work visa holders in the U.S. may qualify for conventional financing with a lower down payment. Your lender sets the final terms.
What is FIRPTA?
FIRPTA requires the buyer to withhold part of the sale price when a foreign person sells U.S. real estate. The rate is 0%, 10%, or 15% of the gross price, depending on the price and whether the buyer will live in the home.
How do I protect myself as a cash buyer in Frisco?
Verify wire instructions by phone, send funds only to the title company's escrow account, buy an owner's title insurance policy, order a survey, hire your own inspector, use the option period, and hire a Texas real estate attorney and a cross-border tax advisor.
Is Frisco a good place for international families?
Yes. Frisco offers highly rated Frisco ISD schools, a fast-growing and increasingly diverse community with a substantial Asian and South Asian population, abundant new construction, and easy access to DFW International Airport.
Does Nitin Gupta speak languages other than English?
Yes. Nitin serves clients in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati, which helps international and South Asian families navigate the buying process with clarity.
Tell me four things
Send me your target move date, the Frisco community you want to tour, your commute, and your price range. Call or text 469-269-6541, email nitin@nitinguptadfw.com, or use the contact page. Watch model home tours on my YouTube channel, or see the DFW relocation overview.
Call us at 469-269-6541 for more information about Frisco real estate!
FIND A LUXURY HOME IN FRISCO, TEXAS WITH NITIN GUPTA, BROKER ASSOCIATE, REALTOR®.
When purchasing a luxury home in Frisco, Texas, it's essential to consider factors such as location, architectural style, security, and amenities to ensure the home meets both lifestyle and investment needs. By selecting a property in a prestigious neighborhood with numerous amenities and security measures, buyers can ensure they're making a valuable and rewarding investment in the vibrant Frisco market.
For those looking to invest in luxury homes in Frisco, Texas, Nitin Gupta is an expert real estate professional ready to assist. Known for his extensive experience, market insights, and numerous awards, he is committed to finding his clients the best properties in the area.
Contact Nitin Gupta at 469-269-6541 or send a message today to explore exclusive listings and secure your ideal luxury residence in one of Frisco's elite communities.
