Passport Application validation...

C_Mababejive

Isnt this all about old fashioned in this modern age...?

I have just received a passport application pack from my Countries' Embassy and in line with UK passports it says that it must be validated by..

Police officer
Member of Clergy
Medical Doctor
Dentist
Lawyer
Bank Official
MP
JP/Commisioner of Oaths
Teacher
Accountant

What kind of joke is this and what makes this group of people so special that they can be deemed suitable to undertake this job and presumably charge a little tax free fee for it?

London50

Hi

First it is no joke,the reason they are classed by your county deemed sutable to undertake this job is that they believe those persons are best suited by profession to undertake it and to correct one point JP's are not allowed in this country to charge for that service.

Mr_Wang

Surely your kids teacher will do it for free?

Flugelhorn

Used to be a far smaller list of people - they have to be people who are registered somewhere else ie medical register, crockford's etc.

I no longer do them as prefer not to have to keep putting my passport number on the form....

... agreed kids teacher might do it but they usually have to have known you for at least 2 years.

C_Mababejive

But why is someone like for eg,a primary school teacher or the man who picks carp out of my molars deemed to be of,for want of a better phrase,of such a high standing as to be totally above reproach/honest/professional as to validate my existence? YSWIM?

Mr_Wang

C_Mababejive wrote: »

But why is someone like for eg,a primary school teacher or the man who picks carp out of my molars deemed to be of,for want of a better phrase,of such a high standing as to be totally above reproach/honest/professional as to validate my existence? YSWIM?

...Because they have something at stake, i.e their profession and the credibility associated with it.

Imagine if you met a guy in the queue to go sign on, would you really trust that he was out signing passport applications?

mazza111

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Isnt this all about old fashioned in this modern age...?

I have just received a passport application pack from my Countries' Embassy and in line with UK passports it says that it must be validated by..

Police officer
Member of Clergy
Medical Doctor
Dentist
Lawyer
Bank Official
MP
JP/Commisioner of Oaths
Teacher
Accountant

What kind of joke is this and what makes this group of people so special that they can be deemed suitable to undertake this job and presumably charge a little tax free fee for it?

My fella has just applied for his Irish passport and the list was the same. However, they don't have to have known you for 2 years as long as you can be identified from existing documents, sign in front of the said profession and you have the 4 photos with you. We took ours to the local police station with the notes and an officer signed it without any problem. It's these professions because they are all regulated as in registered with their relevant boards. The Irish one actually stated Postmasters too.

C_Mababejive

Mr_Wang wrote: »

...Because they have something at stake, i.e their profession and the credibility associated with it.

Imagine if you met a guy in the queue to go sign on, would you really trust that he was out signing passport applications?

But people doing those jobs are just as capable of committing crime/being dishonest as any other working person. There is no shortage of doctors or dentists who have been prosecuted for groping patients. There is no shortage of ministers of the clergy who have kiddie fiddled. In essence,we cannot judge a persons character just by the fact that (a) they are employed and (b) the work they do. I Know of a JP who has just been caught drink driving.

Mr_Wang

C_Mababejive wrote: »

But people doing those jobs are just as capable of committing crime/being dishonest as any other working person. There is no shortage of doctors or dentists who have been prosecuted for groping patients. There is no shortage of ministers of the clergy who have kiddie fiddled. In essence,we cannot judge a persons character just by the fact that (a) they are employed and (b) the work they do. I Know of a JP who has just been caught drink driving.

I agree, but statistics show that uneducated people from the lower spectrums of society are far more likely to commit a crime than those well educated and employed.

I am from a working class background myself, so am not judging. But the fact is a teacher for example is less likely to nick a car than someone you'd see on Jeremy Kyle.

Flugelhorn

Agreed there are crooks everywhere!!!

But at least they can find people like doctors - you have to be registered with the GMC (at great expense - with an address they can find you at) or you can't work.

Am sure you can find someone to do the signing for you - no big deal if you ask nicely!!

mazza111

See my prior post. Although they may look at you as if you have 2 heads at the police station (the first one said we can't do that, we don't know you!), if you take the passport notes with you, you should have no problem. I highlighted the part in the notes that they needed so see, and the plod who done it was lovely.