Vida has made two key enhancements to its criteria that aim to make homeownership more accessible.

For foreign nationals cases where at least one borrower does not have permanent rights to reside and the loan-to-value (LTV) is above 75%, Vida has reduced the minimum income eligibility for joint applications.

Previously, the main borrower needed to earn £50k but the changes mean, a combined total income of £70k is acceptable.

Applications where the main borrower earns at least £50k and the combined income is less than £70k remain acceptable.

Vida has also increased the threshold for excluding defaults and CCJs when allocating product tiers from £250 to £500 across all product tiers.

The existing threshold for ignoring unsecured missed payments under £250 remains unchanged.

Vida Homeloans head of mortgage product management Ross Williams says: “The affordability enhancement builds on the improvements we’ve delivered for Foreign National customers.”

“It means that couples applying together can combine their incomes to meet eligibility requirements, providing greater flexibility and opening more opportunities for Foreign National customers looking to secure a mortgage in the UK.”

“By increasing the thresholds for CCJs and Defaults we disregard, we’re making it easier for customers to secure a mortgage without being held back by historic issues—while maintaining responsible lending standards.”

Last month, Vida Homeloans launched Let to Move, a solution designed to support customers navigating life transitions.