Referee for naturalisation

djb123 · Post by **djb123** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:20 pm

Marco 72 wrote:Referees are not required to say anything about the applicant's presence in the UK during the qualifying period. All they have to do is confirm your identity, that the details on page 4 are correct (to the best of their knowledge) and that they have no convictions. That's it. When I applied for naturalisation my referees were people I hadn't seen in years, who had no idea where I had been living in the meantime.

You've missed a couple of other things that the referees for a naturalisation application have to confirm - "they have known the applicant personally for more than 3 years" and "they are willing to give full details of their knowledge of the applicant".

It all depends on the relationship you have with your doctor, as some might feel happy agreeing to do that for you, and some might not feel they know you well enough.

Marco 72 · Post by **Marco 72** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:24 pm

djb123 wrote:It all depends on the relationship you have with your doctor, as some might feel happy agreeing to do that for you, and some might not feel they know you well enough.

Indeed, but my point was that the doctor was not refusing to act as a referee. He was refusing to certify the applicant's presence in the UK, which is a totally different thing.

republique · Post by **republique** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:27 pm

Marco 72 wrote:
republique wrote:No you misunderstand. I asked him to be a referee, as he could establish he knew me for 3 years based on my record of appts. I am saying that referees collaterally establishes your presence in the UK as well primarily your good character so to speak.
Referees are not required to say anything about the applicant's presence in the UK during the qualifying period. All they have to do is confirm your identity, that the details on page 4 are correct (to the best of their knowledge) and that they have no convictions. That's it. When I applied for naturalisation my referees were people I hadn't seen in years, who had no idea where I had been living in the meantime.

When I asked my GP to certify my passport application he checked the surgery records to make sure he had known me for two years, as required. I'm sure if I had asked him to certify my physical presence in the UK he would have refused. People only see their GP's once every few months - how do they know you're not living somewhere else?

Perhaps you should make it clear to your GP that you are not asking them to confirm your presence in the UK. If you like you can ask them to confirm that you have been a patient there for X years and use that, together with other documents (passport, letters from employers, bank statements, etc) to establish proof of residence.

I get your point and that was how it was explained to him. I didn't tell him he was confirming my presence just that he knew me but he didn't want to do it and there is no point trying to make a closed clam open.

eyesonly · Post by **eyesonly** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:25 pm

can a GP actually act as a referee? The list at this link does not actually mention GP

http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/siteco ... iew=Binary

djb123 · Post by **djb123** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:56 am

eyesonly wrote:can a GP actually act as a referee? The list at this link does not actually mention GP

http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/siteco ... iew=Binary

On the page with instructions for completing the form it says "One referee should be a person of any nationality who is of professional standing such as a doctor, minister of religion, civil servant or a member of a professional association such as an accountant or a solicitor. "

http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/britis ... ngtheform/

eyesonly · Post by **eyesonly** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:37 am

djb123 thanks for the clarification

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Referee for naturalisation