Question about referees when applying for British Citizenship

[voyager1]

I want to apply for British Citizenship from outside the UK. It says on the British Citizenship application form that I will have to get my biometrics done. My question is do I have to travel to the UK to get my biometrics done?

[CR001]

Your previous posts suggest you are applying on form UKM.

You will be asked (and email or letter) to do your biometrics in your country of residence where you have submitted from. No need to travel to the UK just for biometric enrolment.

[voyager1]

I have a couple of questions and the first one is about referees.

I am currently thinking of applying for British Citizenship through the UKM form route. I know that one of the referees must be a British citizen and that they must be in specific professions.

1)But what I want to know is does the relationship with the referee have to be a professional relationship whereby I worked with them, or can the relationship be just a social one, whereby they are just a friend and I didn't have a professional relationship with them.

So can the relationship with the referee be just purely a social relationship or does it have to be a professional relationship that we have/once had?

2) My second question is to do with the question regarding occupation. If I am unemployed at the time of filling out the form and I write unemployed under the Occupatio question, will that negatively affect my chances of getting British Citizenship? Is it important to be employed in order to be accepted for British Citizenship, or doesn't it matter when applying through this specific application route?

[CR001]

1. Either, you do not have to be linked to the person professionally no.

2. No effect or issue. Employment is NOT a requirement for Citizenship.

[voyager1]

Can any of the 2 referees required when applying/registering for British Citizenship through the UKM form be a retired former professional who is a British citizen? Or do they have to still be working?

[CR001]

If they are still current/active members of their professional body, if applicable, then yes.

What profession are they??

[voyager1]

If they are still current/active members of their professional body, if applicable, then yes.

What profession are they??

Sorry I meant to ask can ONE of the 2 referees required when applying/registering for British Citizenship through the UKM form be a retired former professional who is a British citizen?

It says the following on the form: "The other referee must
normally be a holder of a British citizen passport and either a professional person or over the age
of 25."

One of the people I have in mind is British, but the person in question is retired and elderly now. They are not current/active members of their profession(teacher/lecturer) as far as I am aware. But they are obviously over the age of 25.

[voyager1]

Does anyone have an answer to my question?

Can an older person who was a working professional in the past, but who is now fully retired from work, be used as a referee?