If you are a foreign national living in the UK on a Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2 Visa) – for skilled workers coming to the UK to take up employment – then you may want to buy a property, either on a temporary basis until you return to your home country, or as a permanent investment.
Many Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2 Visa) holders wonder whether they will be able to get a mortgage in the UK. The basic answer to that question is yes: your Skilled Worker status will not in itself prevent you from being able to get a mortgage. However, different lenders will take different criteria into account when considering a mortgage application from a foreign national with a Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2 Visa). In addition to the normal affordability and credit assessments that lenders apply to all mortgage applications, lenders will usually take the following two factors into account when considering an application from a Skilled Worker visa holder.
- How long you have been resident in the UK.
- How long you have left on your Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2 Visa).
As a general rule of thumb, lenders will expect you to have been resident in the UK for at least two years – although some may look for three years’ UK residency. This is often the case both as a general eligibility criteria for the mortgage, and to ensure that the applicant has been in the UK long enough to build up a credible record of employment and credit history. Some lenders may also expect Skilled Worker mortgage applicants to have a UK-held bank account and/or savings.
It’s common for lenders to expect a minimum length of time remaining before your Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2 Visa) expires – typically six months or one year. Lenders may also take into account whether you are expecting to allow your visa to expire, or if it is likely to be renewed as a matter of course due to ongoing employment as a skilled worker in the UK.
Foreign national mortgages and other Visa types
Mortgages for foreign nationals follow a similar pattern to those for with Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2 Visas). Lenders typically expect the applicant to have been resident in the UK for at least two years, with a permanent job in the UK and a UK-held bank account. They will also usually expect foreign applicants to have either permanent residence rights in the UK, or an appropriate work permit.
People on other UK visas can also apply for a mortgage, for example Global Talent, Innovator Founder and other work visas. Lenders look at the type of visa, how long you have lived in the UK, how long is left on your visa, your income and your deposit. Some temporary work visas are harder to get a mortgage on, and fewer lenders will consider them. For more detail, read our guide to Skilled Worker visa mortgages in 2026.
