Why post two similar questions? It isn't necessary, and causes confusion..
IND are tightening their procedures by requiring that one of the referees should be someone "of standing in the community", rather than simply a friend or acquaintance. Effectively, what they are doing is much the same as the Passport Office has been doing for well over a hundred years....
Page 24 of the new Guide AN(TD) now says:
"
Each referee must have known you personally for at least three years. One referee should be a person of professional standing, such as a doctor, a minister of religion, civil servant or a member of a professional body eg accountant or solicitor (but not representing you with this application). The other should be the holder of a current British citizen passport. Each should be:
- aged 25 years or over
- not related to you
- not related to the other referee
- not your solicitor or agent representing you with this application
- not employed by the Home Office"
What IND
haven't done is to issue any detailed guidance to the public on the new requirements, and neither has their internal staff guidance been updated.
Don't take this as a definitive statement - it is only my suggestion - but until there is proper IND guidance available, I think it might be an idea to look at the guidance on coutersignatories (which is very comprehensive) on the Passport Office website - here -
www.passport.gov.uk/passport_countersign.asp. If you know someone who fits into that lengthy list of acceptable passport countersignatories, then phone up the Nationality Enquiry Bureau and ask them if they will accept them as a nationality referee. I'd be surprised if they say no...
paul
Edited by user
17 years ago
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Reason: Not specified