Skilled & Care Worker visa mortgages · Edinburgh

Yes — you can buy a home in the UK. Your visa is enough.

People on a Skilled Worker visa or a Health & Care Worker visa get mortgages every week. We are the Edinburgh advisers who arrange them, and it costs you nothing.

Our clients often are surprised to know that:

✓You don’t need indefinite leave — a work visa is enough
✓A 5% deposit can be enough
✓No minimum time in the UK, or left on your visa
✓No minimum income
✓“No” from your own bank is not the final answer

Told twice I needed indefinite leave. They found a lender in a week.
A. O. — Care worker, Edinburgh

Three years left on my visa, 5% deposit. I didn’t think it was possible.
R. P. — Engineer, Midlothian

They handled the lender. I sent documents and chose a kitchen.
S. K. — NHS nurse, Edinburgh

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Authorised and regulated by the FCA. Firm reference number [TBC] — look us up on the FCA register. Advice is free: the lender pays us, and there is no broker fee.

Illustrative testimonials for draft review — to be replaced with genuine client reviews before launch.

Talk to our advisor

Ask anything. An adviser replies within one working day.

However suits you

One adviser, one to one

You get the same person from the first question to the day you get the keys. Pick whichever way is easiest for you.

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By video call

Evenings and weekends included, wherever you are in the UK. Share your screen and we’ll walk through the paperwork together.

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In person

Meet us in Edinburgh, or we’ll come to you anywhere in Midlothian. Bring your questions and a list — nothing is too basic.

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On the phone

Sometimes a ten-minute call answers everything. Ring us and speak to an adviser, not a call centre.

The mortgage guide

Everything you need to know, in one page

Am I eligible?

Almost certainly, yes. You do not need indefinite leave to remain, and you do not need to have been here for years. With the right lender, these are the only things that really matter — and none of them is a wall.

No minimum time in the UK

Some lenders will consider you however recently you arrived. Others prefer 12–24 months. We know which is which.

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No minimum visa time left

A short time left on your visa doesn’t rule you out — especially where you’re settled in work with a realistic route to staying.

No minimum income

Lenders run an affordability check on your real situation rather than applying a fixed salary cut-off.

Deposits from 5%

A small number of lenders will consider visa holders with a 5% deposit. 10% opens more doors; 25% gives the widest choice.

Who this covers: care assistants, senior carers, NHS staff, engineers, teachers, IT and hospitality workers alike.

How it works — four steps to your keys

A friendly, free chat

Tell us about your visa, your work and your plans. No obligation, and we won’t use words we haven’t explained.

An Agreement in Principle

We match you with a lender who accepts your visa position, and get their written “yes, probably” — often within days. Estate agents will want to see it.

We handle the application

We deal with every form and every lender conversation. The lender arranges a valuation, and then issues your formal mortgage offer.

Moving day

Your solicitor concludes the missives in Scotland (contracts, in England), then completion — and a front door with your name on it.

Start to finish this usually takes no longer than it would for anyone else buying a home.

What you’ll need

PassportYour BRP card or eVisa share codeProof of your visa status3 months’ payslips3 months’ bank statementsProof of your depositYour employment contract

Missing something? Tell us anyway. There is nearly always another document that does the same job, and finding it is our problem, not yours.

How much can I borrow?

There is no single number, but there is a real answer. Most online calculators give visa holders a misleading figure, because they don’t model the lenders who will actually say yes to you. Here is what genuinely moves the number:

What you earn, and how

Salary, regular overtime, shift allowances and second jobs can all count. Care and NHS shift patterns are well understood by the lenders we use.

Your deposit, as a percentage

This is your loan to value. A bigger deposit usually means a lower rate as well as a bigger loan.

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What you already pay out

Loans, cards, childcare and any money you send abroad all feed the affordability check.

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The mortgage term

A longer term lowers the monthly payment on a repayment mortgage, though you pay more interest over the years.

Ask us and we’ll work it out properly. Send us your situation and you’ll have a realistic figure — with the lenders behind it — within one working day.

Questions people actually ask

Frequently asked questions

Can I really buy with only a 5% deposit?

Sometimes, yes. A small number of lenders will consider a 5% deposit from visa holders. It is a narrower list than at 10% or 25%, and the rate is usually a little higher — but it exists, and we know who is on it.

How long do I need to have lived in the UK?

There is no universal minimum. Some lenders will consider you however recently you arrived; others want 12 or 24 months. The question is which lender you are sent to, not whether you qualify at all.

What if my visa has only a short time left?

It does not rule you out. Lenders look at whether you are settled in work with a realistic route to staying. We have arranged mortgages for people with well under a year left on their visa.

Do I need indefinite leave to remain?

No. Indefinite leave to remain makes the list of lenders longer, but a work visa on its own is enough for a mortgage. This is the single most common thing people are told wrongly.

Do I need a UK credit history?

A short credit history is normal when you have recently arrived, and it does not rule you out. Being on the electoral roll and keeping a UK current account in good order both help.

My bank already said no. Is that the end of it?

No. Your bank can only offer its own products, and its rules on visas may be the strictest on the market. A “no” from one lender says nothing about the other lenders we can approach.

I’m a care worker — does this apply to me?

Yes. The Health & Care Worker visa is one of the two we specialise in. Care assistants, senior carers and NHS staff are a large part of who we help.

Should I fix my interest rate?

A fixed rate locks your monthly payment for an agreed number of years, which most first-time buyers prefer. Whether it is right for you depends on your plans, and it is exactly the sort of thing we talk through.

What happens when my deal ends?

You move to the lender’s standard rate unless you act, which usually costs more. We get in touch before that happens and arrange a remortgage onto a new deal.

How long does the whole thing take?

An Agreement in Principle often takes days. From accepted offer to keys is typically two to three months, much of which is the solicitors. Your visa does not make it slower.

What do you charge?

Nothing. Our advice is free from start to finish — the lender pays us a commission when your mortgage completes. There is no broker fee, and nothing to pay if you decide not to go ahead.

Answers are general information, not advice for your situation. Ask us and we’ll answer for your circumstances.