The lender was created to support people 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. 

Almost nine out of ten Africans in the UK, or 87%, say they have been turned down for a mortgage, with 41% believing this was due to their visa status and 30% believing it was because of a lack of UK credit history, according to the lender’s own research.

The bank’s range includes mortgages for first-time buyers, home movers, remortgages and landlord products for borrowers who want to invest in the UK property market.  

All of its loans are available as fixed-rate or flexible tracker mortgages for properties in England and Wales. 

The BTL are also available to those clients who don’t currently own any UK property.   

The bank’s other key criteria features include: 

• Applications are accepted from clients originating from anywhere in the world 

• Will consider customers with a minimum UK residency of just six months 

• Flexible criteria around accepting deposits from overseas, subject to anti-money laundering checks 

• Capital raising is allowed for debt consolidation, property investment, business purposes and tax bills 

Afin Bank chief commercial officer Alan Davison says: “Afin Bank will treat its customers as people who need help overcoming obstacles, whether it’s their visa status because they come from overseas, or the fact that they are self-employed. Our focus is on helping more underserved borrowers get a home of their own.

He adds: “I am delighted that we have received our full approval in less than nine months and we can now start lending, helping people to move home, get the mortgage deal they deserve or get on the housing ladder for the first time.”