Vida Homeloans has widened its foreign national lending criteria across its entire buy-to-let range, reducing residency requirements and accepting a broader mix of applicant statuses.

The specialist lender has confirmed that its foreign national policy will now apply across all buy-to-let products, in a move designed to give brokers greater scope when placing complex cases.

The changes mean mixed-status applicants will now be considered under standard policy, up to scheme limits. Where one applicant has an indefinite right to live and work in the UK and another holds a non-permanent but acceptable visa type, applications can proceed provided the visa holder has lived in the UK for at least 12 months.

Vida will also consider buy-to-let applications from foreign nationals who do not hold Indefinite Leave to Remain, so long as they have a visa included on the lender’s approved list.

In addition, the minimum continuous UK residency requirement for buy-to-let applicants has been reduced from 24 months to 12 months.

Ross Williams (pictured), head of mortgage product management at Vida, said: “These changes build on the improvements we introduced for Residential Foreign National borrowers last year, and we’re pleased to extend this level of support to buy-to-let customers.

“By allowing mixed-status applicants to apply under standard policy, and by widening eligibility to include Foreign Nationals without Indefinite Leave to Remain when they hold one of our approved visa types, we’re giving brokers the confidence, flexibility, and certainty they need to place more complex cases with Vida.”

The lender said the changes are intended to provide greater clarity for intermediaries working with clients who may previously have fallen outside standard criteria, particularly where residency status differs between joint applicants.