Specialist lender Pepper Money has updated its residential mortgage criteria to allow UK visa holders’ income to be considered as part of affordability assessments on applications up to 75% loan-to-value, provided at least one applicant has permanent right to reside.

The change is designed to meet increasing demand from foreign nationals seeking to buy or remortgage homes in the UK.

It will enable UK-based individuals on certain visa types to access Pepper’s full range of residential mortgage products, including both purchase and remortgage options.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate at least two years of UK employment, a three-year UK address history, and current residency in the country.

Accepted visa types include the Skilled Worker visa (previously Tier 2), Senior or Specialist Worker visa, Health and Care Worker visa, Family visa, and the now-discontinued Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa for existing holders.

The new criteria are expected to benefit a wide group of specialist workers, including healthcare professionals and technical staff, who have historically faced barriers to securing mortgage finance due to inflexible eligibility requirements.

Paul Adams (pictured), sales director at Pepper Money, said the policy shift reflects the lender’s ongoing commitment to inclusive lending.

“As the UK continues to attract international talent across sectors like tech, healthcare and academia, it’s vital that our financial system evolves to support those contributing to the economy,” he said.

“By extending our product criteria to accept UK visa holders, we’re helping skilled individuals put down roots and participate further in UK life.”

He added that the changes were not simply about increasing product uptake, but about tackling structural inequality within the mortgage market.

“This isn’t just about expanding access, it’s about creating a fairer, more inclusive mortgage market. We’re working closely with brokers to provide more options for their just-off-high-street customers, deliver market-leading service, competitive rates, and certainty of price for a significant portion of the market who are in a good position to accept this finance, but would otherwise have been overlooked.”

The lender said all applicants under the revised criteria will be required to undergo a full affordability assessment and provide evidence of their visa status as part of the underwriting process. The changes take effect immediately.