Foreign nationals are UK residents who have a visa which entitles them to live and work in the UK.
Where a foreign nationals’ income is used for affordability:
- We lend up to 90% LTV
- The foreign national must have 2 years’ UK credit history as evidenced by the start date of their oldest account as shown on Experian
- All customers must meet our minimum income and credit score requirements
If a foreign national’s income is not used for affordability, no additional LTV restrictions will apply subject to affordability. We'll also require them to have only 1 year's UK credit history in line with our standard lending criteria.
There's no requirement for time remaining on the visa, but it is expected to be valid up until the point of offer. Underwriters will apply appropriate discretion on a case-by-case basis.
Customers with:
- British or Irish citizenship,
- EU settled or pre-settled status,
- Indefinite leave to remain, or
- A family visa, where applying in joint names with a customer with permanent right to reside,
Are not considered foreign nationals.
Packaging guidance:
Leave to remain in the UK and all visas must be evidenced by a stamp in the customer’s passport or a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
Where an customer has EU Settled or Pre-Settled status, we’ll require the customer's gov.uk share code or their BRP as proof of their immigration status.
Where any of the above documentation cannot be provided, we require a Home Office letter to verify the customer's current residential status.