What Is a WVOE (Written Verification of Employment)?

Short answer

A WVOE is a Written Verification of Employment, usually Fannie Mae Form 1005, where your employer confirms your job, dates of employment and pay directly to the lender. Fannie Mae lets lenders use it to document employment and income (as of October 2026). Some non-QM programs go further and qualify you mainly on the WVOE instead of paystubs, W-2s and tax returns.

Definition

A form the lender sends to your employer, and gets back directly from your employer, confirming your position, dates of employment and a breakdown of your pay. You sign it to authorize the release.

Worked example

Example only, not a quote: you earn a $96,000 base salary and have worked for the same company for 3 years. Your employer completes Form 1005 showing your start date, position, current base pay of $8,000 a month, and gross earnings year to date and for past years. The lender uses $8,000 a month as qualifying income, then confirms you still work there with a verbal check within 10 business days before closing.

What the employer fills in

You sign Form 1005 to authorize the release. Per the form, the lender sends it directly to your employer, and it "is not to be transmitted through the applicant or any other party." The employer completes Part II:

• Your position and dates of employment
• Current gross base pay and its period (annual, monthly, weekly or hourly)
• Gross earnings year to date and for past years, split into base, overtime, commissions and bonus
• Average weekly hours if hourly, military pay details if applicable, and remarks such as time off work
• Optional items, per Fannie Mae: probability of continued employment, whether overtime or bonus will continue, recent and next pay raises, and reason for leaving a past job

How WVOE-only loans differ

On a conventional loan, the WVOE is one acceptable income document inside a full-documentation file. On WVOE loans, a non-QM option, it is the main income document. WVOE-only programs are non-QM, and each lender sets its own rules on time on the job, bank statements and other documents. Ask us which lenders fit your file.

Because these are non-QM loans, pricing and down payment differ from conventional. Rates vary daily; call for today's pricing. Approval is subject to credit and underwriting.

Who usually cannot use it

• Self-employed borrowers and business owners: a WVOE verifies a job with an employer, and under Fannie Mae, 25% or more ownership of the business means you are qualified as self-employed. Look at bank statement loans instead.
• Employed by family or an interested party: many WVOE-only lenders restrict it, so ask before you apply. Fannie Mae allows it on conventional loans but requires at least 12 months with the business and the most recent year's signed tax returns showing under 25% ownership.

In South Florida

Many South Florida workers are on payroll at family-owned businesses, and that is where WVOE files most often get stuck. If a relative owns or runs the company, expect extra documentation or a different program. Only pay the employer reports on payroll can go on the form, so cash income that never hits payroll will not count.