countersigning passports

Loobysaver

I'm having problems with the countersignature on my dd's passport too. It has just been returned to me as I didn't realise it was only certain professionals that could sign the form and I got a qualified Electrician to sign it - utter madness!

Can anyone tell me if a nurse with the qualificatin RGN can countersign as on the website it says SRN. Is that the same thing?

andrewmoorcroft

Loobysaver wrote: »

It has just been returned to me as I didn't realise it was only certain professionals that could sign the form and I got a qualified Electrician to sign it - utter madness!

I agree- you are utterly mad or just joking?
Why didn't you get a professional cleaner, or lap dancer then?
There is a clear list of who can sign. There is a strong relationship between level of qualification, profession, traceability, integrity and the likelyhood that this group will not be into serious crime.
For example- it would be easy to find a professional drug dealer that would sign, but how difficult would it be to find a dodgy doctor to sign a dodgy passport application?

Loobysaver

andrewmoorcroft wrote: »

I agree- you are utterly mad or just joking?
Why didn't you get a professional cleaner, or lap dancer then?
There is a clear list of who can sign. There is a strong relationship between level of qualification, profession, traceability, integrity and the likelyhood that this group will not be into serious crime.
For example- it would be easy to find a professional drug dealer that would sign, but how difficult would it be to find a dodgy doctor to sign a dodgy passport application?

I don't appreciate your rudeness and would prefer that you didn't reply at all if you can't say anything constructive!

I've yet to see a 3 year college course on how to be a drug dealer!:rolleyes:

lil_dino

Why not just phone the passport office? You can actually speak to a PERSON at the passport office now! Unlike the computerised system they had a few years ago this is so much better and you do get your queries answered!
They are very friendly and helpful and if I remember correctly are open 24 hrs!!! The phone lines I mean! Great service!

taxi97w

andrewmoorcroft wrote: »

I agree- you are utterly mad or just joking?
Why didn't you get a professional cleaner, or lap dancer then?
There is a clear list of who can sign. There is a strong relationship between level of qualification, profession, traceability, integrity and the likelyhood that this group will not be into serious crime.
For example- it would be easy to find a professional drug dealer that would sign, but how difficult would it be to find a dodgy doctor to sign a dodgy passport application?

Hah!

Ever heard of white collar crime?

It's the most profitable crime there is!

Then there's white collar drug barons, white collar coke snorters, but that's for another day.

angel

I just recently signed another one for a friends daughter. Although I still work in a cattery I'm now a school governor too. On the form where it lists people who can sign it ends the list with "etc". She went and got her passport the same day and it was fine. A week or so later I had a call from the passport Office, they were doing a security check. I thought oh, oh. But everything was fine and I said to her that I wasn't too sure if school governor counted under the "etc." part but she said that it did.

It was good to know that they do security checks too!

andrewmoorcroft

Loobysaver wrote: »

I don't appreciate your rudeness and would prefer that you didn't reply at all if you can't say anything constructive!

I've yet to see a 3 year college course on how to be a drug dealer!:rolleyes:

Sorry if i upset you. My comments were constructive to help you understand why only certain professionals are allowed to sign and why certain professions are not.
Conversley, you accused the system as being utter madness, unless you were refering to yourself choosing an electrician!
In the nicest possible way you're still missing the point that i'm trying to help you with - being a professional and how long the college course takes has an extremely loose relationship to integrity and traceability. The professions on the approved list are considered by government to be 'generally' associated with integrity and traceability.
The system is not bullet proof, we often hear about the bad boy in a position of reponsilbility because they make headline news. It's a compromise to make the system workable.
I'm often surprised that people dont know someone who can sign for them. The problem is strongly related to social class. GENERALLY speaking there are an upper class group, highly qualified, non-smoking in responsible positions with neighbours that are dentists etc who know hundreds of people that can sign. At the other extreme in the lower social groups there will be people who dont know anyone on the signatory list. This is generally the group that has problems filling in the form properly, following instructions and finding someone to sign. This is of course GENERALISATION which the arrogant will argue and defend against by offering examples that conflict with the generalisation.
An illegal passport is one of the most powerful ID forms for criminal activity. The system is there for security reasons to help us all by reducing the passport criminal activity and you should respect the system. You should also learn to respect people who are prepared to take the time to explain and help you understand and perhaps if you did you wouldn't make the mistake you did.
Good luck with your application.

GemChiefSaver

Hi

Just wondered if anyone can help me??

A friend has asked me to countersign her kids passports, however I was always under the impression you had to be a doctor or other professional to do this. When I said this to my friend, she seemed to think it would be ok because I am a 'professional'... in that I have a BSc Honours degree (In Business Information Systems) and I work for the NHS on the Admin & Clerical side of things.

I personally don't think I can countersign the passport, but just wondered what others thought? I don't want to let my friend down, but also don't want to sign it and get myself into trouble! Help, I don't know what to do!!

Caz312

there is a pretty extensive list

http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-countersign.asp

but agree, don't think you fall into these categories with the info you have given

mutley74

GemChiefSaver wrote: »

Hi

Just wondered if anyone can help me??

A friend has asked me to countersign her kids passports, however I was always under the impression you had to be a doctor or other professional to do this. When I said this to my friend, she seemed to think it would be ok because I am a 'professional'... in that I have a BSc Honours degree (In Business Information Systems) and I work for the NHS on the Admin & Clerical side of things.

I personally don't think I can countersign the passport, but just wondered what others thought? I don't want to let my friend down, but also don't want to sign it and get myself into trouble! Help, I don't know what to do!!

send the passport an email on their website - under contact us.
usually they reply back same day.