Afin Bank has added Connect for Intermediaries as one of its mortgage packagers to partner with the new lender. 

The bank, which rolled out its products last week, is aimed at borrowers from the African diaspora and other foreign nationals with an overseas passport and a valid visa to work in the UK. 

It says these groups can struggle to get a mortgage from mainstream lenders because of circumstances such as their visa status or lack of UK credit history.

The broker network’s appointed representatives will have access to the lender’s products, which include loans for first-time buyers, home movers, remortgages, and buy-to-let investors. 

The lender will consider applicants with as little as six months’ UK residency, accept overseas deposits, subject to anti-money laundering checks, and allow capital raising for purposes such as debt consolidation, property investment, and business use. 

BTL loans are also available to clients who do not currently own a UK property.

Connect for Intermediaries director of mortgages Jane Benjamin (pictured) says: “This partnership strengthens our proposition for advisers who serve clients with more complex profiles, from visa status and overseas income to self-employment and limited UK credit history.”

Afin Bank intermediary sales director James Briggs: “We’ve designed our criteria around the needs of real people, not just tick-box applications. 

“By partnering with specialist distributors like Connect, we can ensure our mortgages reach the advisers and clients who will benefit from them most.”