Joint Mortgage Skilled Worker Visa

Podcast approved by The Openwork Partnership on 26/06/2025

Can I get a joint mortgage if I’m on a skilled worker visa?

Yes. Many lenders offer mortgages now for clients on a skilled worker visa. There’s often a requirement for you to have been living in the UK for a certain period of time, depending on which lender you’re approaching.

With some of them, you need to have been here for a year, with others it’s less than that, and some maybe slightly more. It also depends on your credit history.

More lenders are coming to the table to offer these types of applicants a mortgage. Some will allow two, three or even four people on one application, and you can use all three or four incomes as the basis for the mortgage.

Can applicants on a skilled worker visa include their spouse or partner in a joint mortgage application?

Yes, you can include your spouse or partner. If they are a UK citizen or they have indefinite leave to remain, that will strengthen the application – it will open you up to more lenders.

If your partner is on the same type of visa as yourself, there are still many lenders that can accept your visa status. They may have stricter criteria, but both options are available.

What other types of visa are accepted on a joint mortgage with skilled worker visa applicants?

There are two, really. The first is a spousal visa, and these are usually accepted as it means your spouse has the right to to work in the UK.

The second is indefinite leave to remain, which is more favourable because you’ve got permanent residency in the UK.

Does the length of employment history impact the likelihood of being approved for a joint mortgage with a skilled worker visa?

It can, but that’s true with any mortgage. If you’ve got a stable employment history, that improves your chances – because the lenders can see that you have consistent income. You can show you’ve already received stable pay and it’s likely to continue going forward.

If you’ve changed jobs recently, as long as the new role is on a permanent contract, lenders would consider that as well. They’re always going to look at the overall case to make a decision.

What are the eligibility criteria for joint mortgage applicants with a skilled worker visa?

The main one is the residency duration. Typically it’s one year in the UK, but some lenders will accept less than that. It’s largely going to take you a year to build up a credit profile anyway, and get registered on the electoral roll.

Employment status is also important. If you’ve got stable, continuous employment, that will be more favourable. Then it’s your visa – is there a good amount of time remaining on this?

Often lenders will want at least a year, but not always.

Finally it’s the deposit. The larger deposit you have, the more chance you have of approval. With a skilled worker visa, you can potentially get a mortgage approved with just a 5% deposit. Again, it’s just down to credit history. Good credit will put you in a better position to be accepted.

What factors do lenders take into account when assessing the affordability of a skilled visa joint mortgage?

The first is income, because lenders obviously want to make sure you’re able to repay the mortgage they are giving you. They will look at the combined income for both applicants.

Next is existing debts. They look at your current financial obligations – credit cards, loans and also living expenses. Your regular monthly expenditure will be reviewed, potentially by looking at your bank statements and credit report.

What do skilled worker visa holders need to know about the income assessment process for a joint mortgage?

The combined income is generally your gross income – your salary earnings before tax.

Lenders also look at income stability, in terms of the consistency and reliability of those income sources.

Lenders will consider additional income, such as bonuses or overtime. Is that consistent? They won’t just accept one payslip showing overtime or a month where you’ve had a bonus. They want to see it will be continuous before using that as income.

NHS staff or doctors can pick up extra shifts via bank work, and those can also be considered.

How can individuals on a skilled worker visa improve their chances of being approved for a joint mortgage?

One of the main things is your credit file, which is based on you opening and managing UK bank accounts or credit accounts. Once you’ve got those, obviously you need to use them responsibly because lenders check your credit-worthiness. Opening some accounts and maintaining them is key.

Next is saving for a deposit. A higher deposit reduces the lender’s risk, so they’re more likely to offer you a mortgage.

Try to maintain stable employment, as we touched on – consistency of work history in the UK is always preferred. Any debts you have, try to reduce those down as lower financial commitments are again looked on more favourably. You may potentially be able to borrow more.

The key, ultimately, is consulting a mortgage broker like ourselves. We can identify the suitable lenders and products – because that information isn’t always readily available. A broker like us, that does a lot of skilled worker mortgages, will know which lenders will accept you.

Can skilled worker visa applicants include income from multiple sources in a joint mortgage application?

Yes, income from second jobs can be used. Most lenders will want to see that you’ve been doing that second role for at least three months or more.

We’ve already touched on bonuses and overtime. That’s got to be consistent to be used. There’s also investment income such as dividends or rental income. Again lenders will check that these incomes will be consistent before taking them into account.

How can a mortgage broker help here? Have you got anything else to add?

A mortgage broker can help by providing general advice and accessing exclusive deals. We can match you with the right lenders, help you with documents that you may need to provide and just prepare your application. We will always explain your options clearly.

We’re always happy to take any questions from clients in this type of situation, so just get in touch.

YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

Approved by The Openwork Partnership on 26/06/2025.