Potential Problems Verifying Identity for New Passport Application

jasonwatkins

smudge56 said:

I would ask them to look at the photos again and decide if someone else can have a look at the photos. If the facial matching software has recognised you from the old passport it should be ok. Some people are good at recognising faces and some aren’t. You may have been unlucky and got a new examiner looking at your application.  You could try asking the Twitter team also 

Thanks.  I might give that a go - nothing to lose i suppose !

jasonwatkins

Well I got a response to my request this morning for them to look at the photo again and it contained a link to the list of accepted occupations for countersignatories.  The same list I made it clear that I couldn't comply with.  Multiple times!

The reply did state that the list "was not exhaustive" and that it would be at their colleague's discretion as to whether or not they could accept a profession that was not on the list but that doesn't help either because the same situation applies.

So that really is the end of it now.  I'm going to draw a line under it and move on.   Thankyou to everyone who tried to help with your various ideas and suggestions which were all very much appreciated.

Brie

Anyone at your local Tesco or similar that you have chatted to over the last couple of years?  My OH always gets chatted up by the ladies on the service desk as he's well dressed and they always comment on it.  

Car mechanic?  Chap/chapess that cuts your hair?  Whoever runs the local laundramat?  Or fish and chip shop?? No neighbours whatsoever??  (my ex neighbours signed my application and I while I knew their first names I certainly didn't know their surname(s) so how is that knowing them well?)

jasonwatkins

Brie said:

Anyone at your local Tesco or similar that you have chatted to over the last couple of years?  My OH always gets chatted up by the ladies on the service desk as he's well dressed and they always comment on it.  

Car mechanic?  Chap/chapess that cuts your hair?  Whoever runs the local laundramat?  Or fish and chip shop?? No neighbours whatsoever??  (my ex neighbours signed my application and I while I knew their first names I certainly didn't know their surname(s) so how is that knowing them well?)

The ladies don't generally approach a gentleman such as myself unless it's to ask if the bus is due!

I did have some neighbours in this building some years ago who would have probably been ok but the elderly gentleman living beneath me died and the woman who lived across the hall from him lost her mum about a year later, who she lived with, so she moved away rather suddenly and rapidly and I haven't seen her since.

The ones I've got at the moment are very different though.   I've had some problems with the woman across the hall so I generally avoid any contact with her and the man underneath me doesn't seem to venture out of that flat at all.   The other flat has remained empty after the woman moved out when her mum died.

[Deleted User]

Another victim of the hostile environment it seems.

smudge56

jasonwatkins said:

Well I got a response to my request this morning for them to look at the photo again and it contained a link to the list of accepted occupations for countersignatories.  The same list I made it clear that I couldn't comply with.  Multiple times!

The reply did state that the list "was not exhaustive" and that it would be at their colleague's discretion as to whether or not they could accept a profession that was not on the list but that doesn't help either because the same situation applies.

So that really is the end of it now.  I'm going to draw a line under it and move on.   Thankyou to everyone who tried to help with your various ideas and suggestions which were all very much appreciated.

If you know someone over 70 it doesn’t matter what their occupation is/was.

smudge56

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1000799/Confirming_identity_-_countersignatory_and_digital_referees__V1_FOR_GOV.UK_PUBLICATION_.pdf

Taken from HMPO guidance - Using discretion 

The person confirming an identity is unqualified

If you (the examiner) have an application where the countersignatory or digital referee, is an unqualified person. You can accept them if the application has no fraud indicators and the countersignatory or digital referee:

• is 70 years old or older

• fulfils the rest of the criteria to confirm the customer’s identity but are not in (or

retired) from a recognised profession

• can produce original documents to confirm their identity

For example, a person can countersign an application if they are the customer’s retired next door neighbour who was a cleaner

jasonwatkins

[Deleted User] said:

Another victim of the hostile environment it seems.

Oh no, certainly not me.  I was born and raised in the UK.

smudge56 said:

jasonwatkins said:

Well I got a response to my request this morning for them to look at the photo again and it contained a link to the list of accepted occupations for countersignatories.  The same list I made it clear that I couldn't comply with.  Multiple times!

The reply did state that the list "was not exhaustive" and that it would be at their colleague's discretion as to whether or not they could accept a profession that was not on the list but that doesn't help either because the same situation applies.

So that really is the end of it now.  I'm going to draw a line under it and move on.   Thankyou to everyone who tried to help with your various ideas and suggestions which were all very much appreciated.

If you know someone over 70 it doesn’t matter what their occupation is/was.

I know just two people over 70.  My mum and my dad

jasonwatkins

AAARRRRRGGGHHH !!!     

smudge56

It will have been looked at again by another examiner and they have decided that they can recognise you from your previous passport photo.  It should be with you in a few days.  :-)