Meet Ahmed

32, Senior software engineer

He's been doing the work for years, but it's his employment status that raises the questions.

Five years in the UK, three of them on continuous assignments through the same specialist agency, he's ready to buy and has six month left on his current visa.

A sole purchase for a long-term contractor whose income comes through an agency and whose visa is due for renewal.

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Application type

Purchase

Property & deposit

£375k & 20% deposit

Income source

Agency contractor

Range

Worldwide Welcome

Mortgage for an agency worker with under six months left on a visa

Ahmed's income isn't unusual in the technology sector, long-term contracting through an agency is how a lot of senior engineers work.

The difficulty is that agency income and a visa with limited time remaining each trip a rule at some lenders, and together they can close the door entirely.

So the case comes down to the same questions we'd ask of anyone: is the income established, and is it likely to continue?

A breakdown of the case

Ahmed's situation

Why this can be hard to place

Ahmed moved to the UK from Dubai just over five years ago and has built a successful career working on large technology projects.

For more than three years he has worked continuously through a specialist contracting agency, delivering assignments for major organisations. There's been no gap between contracts.

His current visa is due to expire in six months. He's committed to staying in the UK and intends to renew. He's now ready to buy his own home with a 20% deposit. The challenge is that not every lender views the agency income in the same way.

How Nottingham Building Society would consider this case

We would look at two things:

whether Ahmed's agency income is established enough to rely on;
whether his right to remain in the UK is likely to continue beyond the current visa.

Element	What we see in this case	How we would treat it
Agency income	Three years of continuous assignments through the same agency, with no breaks between contracts.	Accepted for affordability as agency worker income, evidenced by contracts, payslips and bank statements.
Employment status	Not permanently employed, not a limited company contractor.	Assessed on the agency income track record rather than forced into an employed or self-employed box.
Visa	Six months remaining on the current visa.	No minimum period remaining required under Worldwide Welcome. Considered alongside Ahmed's five year UK history and stated intention to renew.
Deposit	20% from his own savings.	Standard evidence of deposit source.

Eligibility assessment table

What makes this possible?

Worldwide Welcome supports applicants with a short time remaining on a visa.
No minimum visa expiry period required.
Agency worker income accepted for affordability.
Five year UK track record and continuous work history support the case.

Got a case like Ahmed's?

Got a client like Ahmed on your desk? Someone who's built a life and a career in the UK, only to find that a visa date or the way they're paid makes lenders hesitate.

Our Worldwide Welcome range starts from the person, not the paperwork.

Explore our foreign national & returning expats range to see how we'd help you get their case over the line.

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What you would need to submit

The quicker we can see the whole picture, the quicker we can give you a decision. For a case like Ahmed's:

Set the scence - A clear explanation of the customers circumstances and UK plans.
Right to reside - Visa details and GOV.UK share code at application stage.
Income stability - Confirmation of employment and length of service.
Overseas exposure - Details of any overseas commitments or liabilities.
Deposit source - Evidence of the customer’s deposit position.
Recent relocation - Context around any recent move to, or return to, the UK.

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Please visit our lending criteria and packaging guides

For full criteria information and packaging requirements on foreign national and returning expats cases.

Lending criteria Packaging guide