Referees

[Marco 72]

What are the requirements for someone to be a 'referee' on a naturalisation application, apart from the fact that they should not be related to the applicant? Would it be ok for one's employer, or a former university supervisor, to be a referee? How long do they need to have known the applicant?
What exactly should a referee write in an application form?
Thanks,

Marco

[lemess]

Referees don't have to write anything - they just sign a specific page on the form that basically says :

6.6 I declare that
• I am a British citizen aged 25 or over;
• I am not a relative, solicitor or agent of the applicant;
• I have known the applicant in Section 1 of this form personally for X years; ( must be at least 3 years)
• He/she is of good character and has sufficient knowledge of the English/Welsh/Scottish Gaelic;
• I am willing to give full details of my knowledge of the applicant;
• I support his/her application for naturalisation as a British citizen.
*My current/expired British citizen passport number is X
*My naturalisation/registration certificate number is X
(British citizens by naturalisation or registration only)

That's it. They need to give their name, date and place of birth, address, contact telephone and passport number and sign the above undertaking. This is taken from the naturalisation form ( AN_NEW).

So to answer your question as long as someone is a british citizen, not a relative and they have known the applicant personally for more than 3 years they can fill that section. It makes no difference if they are a work colleague, supervisor etc. as long as they do know the applicant personally ( and not just professionally). Hope this helps.

[John]

Marco, you are no doubt asking for the future given that you have only just got ILR, according to your posting in another topic.

Referees? Given that you say in that other topic that you have lived in the UK since the 1990s there are probably lots of people qualified to sign your form. Just take account of the 25 year minimum age and that fact that the person needs to be British and have know you for at least three years.

The Guide AN(NEW) is slightly more details than the form AN(NEW). For example the two referees must not be married or related to one another.

Neighbours? Ex-neighbours? Lots of people are probably qualified to sign your form.

[Marco 72]

Hi, thanks a lot for your replies. Yes, I'm thinking of applying for naturalisation a year from now but wasn't quite sure about the referees. So it would be ok for me to ask someone I used to know, say, until 3-4 years ago but whom I haven't seen since?
Thanks,

Marco

[John]

So it would be ok for me to ask someone I used to know, say, until 3-4 years ago but whom I haven't seen since?

Indeed yes ... no problem ... and my wife did exactly that. She applied just three years (and one day!) after first arrivng in the UK. But one of her referees certified (correctly) that he had known her for 22 years ... even though in truth for most of the intervening period they had had no contact at all. Simply he was the then Missionary who converted her to Christianity all those years ago, and who now by coincidence lives only about 15 miles from us.

So Marco I guess your intended referee will not be as extreme as that!

[JAJ]

Referees don't have to write anything - they just sign a specific page on the form that basically says :

6.6 I declare that
• I am a British citizen aged 25 or over;

And to clarify:

- it doesn't matter how the referee acquired British citizenship (British by descent or by naturalisation/registration is ok)
- If naturalised British, the referee does not have to have had British citizenship for any specific period of time.