Nobody to sign passport photos, anyway out of it

ev8

Emmia said:

ev8 said:

jimi_man said:

Do you have any friends at all? And if so what do they do? Or did do? Or any people whatsoever that know you? Or did know you? 

No not one. I have friends but they do not fit this criteria and also some I haven't known as long or well enough to ask them this.

Do you have anyone you know however well that fits the criteria for profession and time you've known them? If you do, ask them. 

I'm someone who works in a profession on the list and I've done the passport photos for a few people I've known socially for long enough. It's no bother really for me, but I know people find it awkward to ask. I just tend to say if they want someone to sign photos that I'm happy to do it.

No, that's why I opened the thread TBH

ev8

strawb_shortcake said:

ev8 said:

strawb_shortcake said:

I don't mean this as a slight on anyone at  all and not insinuating this applies to the OP, I'm just curious. But if ill health limits your ability to leave the home and your social interaction with others then is foreign travel a realistic option?

Perhaps we are lucky in our local area, but we have lots of support groups for people with ill health and disabilities. If you have access to these then it's quite possible that either a volunteer or a carer would be able to counter sign passports and other documents (if youve attended long enough).

As I said this isn't a slight or criticism on anyone, I'm on the fringes of a stroke support group and have seen first hand the value that these groups bring to the survivors 

It does feel like a bit of a slight, I've not been able to socialise much and don't see and meet people regularly so have no connection with people who could do this for me, however I am able to do some things if I pace myself and store up my energy and also, my conditions are so much better in warmer weather, so that would permit me to do more than here in the UK in winter.

Maybe you are lucky, you also forget that people can have family as their carers who are not allowed to sign these forms.

I'm sorry you feel that way but I did specifically say it may not apply to you. But there has been several threads asking the same question. If I had a family member with ill health looking to travel but had no connection with seemingly anyone to countersign a passport, then I'd be concerned above their welfare when travelling.

But it was also highlighting that different support groups and social groups may have a volunteer that can sign a passport. It may not help you but it may help someone else with the same question.

If there are several threads the issue may be more that it doesn't fit for everyone and it's a restrictive rule, rather than the fact there is something wrong with us for having nobody. And not having a personal connection to those in a list of professions does not in any way pertain to their welfare while travelling. Having connections and friends in different professions other than the ones in a list of 'good standing' in no way impacts safety or welfare while travelling. Also people do want a passport for other reasons than travel, especially in case of emergency or a form of ID.

Emmia

ev8 said:

Emmia said:

ev8 said:

jimi_man said:

Do you have any friends at all? And if so what do they do? Or did do? Or any people whatsoever that know you? Or did know you? 

No not one. I have friends but they do not fit this criteria and also some I haven't known as long or well enough to ask them this.

Do you have anyone you know however well that fits the criteria for profession and time you've known them? If you do, ask them. 

I'm someone who works in a profession on the list and I've done the passport photos for a few people I've known socially for long enough. It's no bother really for me, but I know people find it awkward to ask. I just tend to say if they want someone to sign photos that I'm happy to do it.

No, that's why I opened the thread TBH

Well unfortunately, there is no way round it as a criteria. It's one of the essential rules. So bluntly you either need to think of someone, or not apply for a passport and accept you won't travel.

ev8

Emmia said:

ev8 said:

Emmia said:

ev8 said:

jimi_man said:

Do you have any friends at all? And if so what do they do? Or did do? Or any people whatsoever that know you? Or did know you? 

No not one. I have friends but they do not fit this criteria and also some I haven't known as long or well enough to ask them this.

Do you have anyone you know however well that fits the criteria for profession and time you've known them? If you do, ask them. 

I'm someone who works in a profession on the list and I've done the passport photos for a few people I've known socially for long enough. It's no bother really for me, but I know people find it awkward to ask. I just tend to say if they want someone to sign photos that I'm happy to do it.

No, that's why I opened the thread TBH

Well unfortunately, there is no way round it as a criteria. It's one of the essential rules. So bluntly you either need to think of someone, or not apply for a passport and accept you won't travel.

Well clearly, but there seems to be an issue with a big demographic not being able to find a person and so being limited to a life with no passport. 

That's fine to be blunt, it's just I'm not unable to read, I've read the list and just know nobody who fits the criteria.

jimi_man

ev8 said:

jimi_man said:

Do you have any friends at all? And if so what do they do? Or did do? Or any people whatsoever that know you? Or did know you? 

No not one. I have friends but they do not fit this criteria and also some I haven't known as long or well enough to ask them this.

Hi

Apologies, I’m not asking if you have any friends that fit the criteria, I accept that you don’t know people on the first list. I’m trying to ascertain what your friends do to see if they’d fit the second list, which is far easier to fulfil.
For example do you have a friend that has a job, hasn’t been to prison and isn’t a bankrupt person. And has lived in the same place for a couple of years, maybe on the Voters register… that type of thing.  Doesn’t matter what the job is, they could work in the checkout at Sainsbury’s but still fit the bill. 

The more information you give then the more we can help. 

ev8

jimi_man said:

ev8 said:

jimi_man said:

Do you have any friends at all? And if so what do they do? Or did do? Or any people whatsoever that know you? Or did know you? 

No not one. I have friends but they do not fit this criteria and also some I haven't known as long or well enough to ask them this.

Hi

Apologies, I’m not asking if you have any friends that fit the criteria, I accept that you don’t know people on the first list. I’m trying to ascertain what your friends do to see if they’d fit the second list, which is far easier to fulfil.
For example do you have a friend that has a job, hasn’t been to prison and isn’t a bankrupt person. And has lived in the same place for a couple of years, maybe on the Voters register… that type of thing.  Doesn’t matter what the job is, they could work in the checkout at Sainsbury’s but still fit the bill. 

The more information you give then the more we can help. 

I'm unsure TBH, and I don't know if anyone I know has ever been bankrupt, I'm not sure how I even ask that.

ev8

So looking at the criteria it says no to doctors, unless they know you well and recognise you from a photo and as I've said, I've been with the same surgery since I was a baby, I wonder if I would count as an exception for that possibly 

NoodleDoodleMan

ev8 said:

strawb_shortcake said:

ev8 said:

strawb_shortcake said:

I don't mean this as a slight on anyone at  all and not insinuating this applies to the OP, I'm just curious. But if ill health limits your ability to leave the home and your social interaction with others then is foreign travel a realistic option?

Perhaps we are lucky in our local area, but we have lots of support groups for people with ill health and disabilities. If you have access to these then it's quite possible that either a volunteer or a carer would be able to counter sign passports and other documents (if youve attended long enough).

As I said this isn't a slight or criticism on anyone, I'm on the fringes of a stroke support group and have seen first hand the value that these groups bring to the survivors 

It does feel like a bit of a slight, I've not been able to socialise much and don't see and meet people regularly so have no connection with people who could do this for me, however I am able to do some things if I pace myself and store up my energy and also, my conditions are so much better in warmer weather, so that would permit me to do more than here in the UK in winter.

Maybe you are lucky, you also forget that people can have family as their carers who are not allowed to sign these forms.

I'm sorry you feel that way but I did specifically say it may not apply to you. But there has been several threads asking the same question. If I had a family member with ill health looking to travel but had no connection with seemingly anyone to countersign a passport, then I'd be concerned above their welfare when travelling.

But it was also highlighting that different support groups and social groups may have a volunteer that can sign a passport. It may not help you but it may help someone else with the same question.

If there are several threads the issue may be more that it doesn't fit for everyone and it's a restrictive rule, rather than the fact there is something wrong with us for having nobody. And not having a personal connection to those in a list of professions does not in any way pertain to their welfare while travelling. Having connections and friends in different professions other than the ones in a list of 'good standing' in no way impacts safety or welfare while travelling. Also people do want a passport for other reasons than travel, especially in case of emergency or a form of ID.

These rules have been in place for a very long time, governments can't issue passports to applicants unless their identity can be verified by a reliable source.

That's the reality, it's restrictive for a legitimate purpose -  nothing to do with the applicants safety or welfare whilst travelling.

If you have a driver licence that's an acceptable form of ID in the UK.

ev8

NoodleDoodleMan said:

ev8 said:

strawb_shortcake said:

ev8 said:

strawb_shortcake said:

I don't mean this as a slight on anyone at  all and not insinuating this applies to the OP, I'm just curious. But if ill health limits your ability to leave the home and your social interaction with others then is foreign travel a realistic option?

Perhaps we are lucky in our local area, but we have lots of support groups for people with ill health and disabilities. If you have access to these then it's quite possible that either a volunteer or a carer would be able to counter sign passports and other documents (if youve attended long enough).

As I said this isn't a slight or criticism on anyone, I'm on the fringes of a stroke support group and have seen first hand the value that these groups bring to the survivors 

It does feel like a bit of a slight, I've not been able to socialise much and don't see and meet people regularly so have no connection with people who could do this for me, however I am able to do some things if I pace myself and store up my energy and also, my conditions are so much better in warmer weather, so that would permit me to do more than here in the UK in winter.

Maybe you are lucky, you also forget that people can have family as their carers who are not allowed to sign these forms.

I'm sorry you feel that way but I did specifically say it may not apply to you. But there has been several threads asking the same question. If I had a family member with ill health looking to travel but had no connection with seemingly anyone to countersign a passport, then I'd be concerned above their welfare when travelling.

But it was also highlighting that different support groups and social groups may have a volunteer that can sign a passport. It may not help you but it may help someone else with the same question.

If there are several threads the issue may be more that it doesn't fit for everyone and it's a restrictive rule, rather than the fact there is something wrong with us for having nobody. And not having a personal connection to those in a list of professions does not in any way pertain to their welfare while travelling. Having connections and friends in different professions other than the ones in a list of 'good standing' in no way impacts safety or welfare while travelling. Also people do want a passport for other reasons than travel, especially in case of emergency or a form of ID.

These rules have been in place for a very long time, governments can't issue passports to applicants unless their identity can be verified by a reliable source.

That's the reality, it's restrictive for a legitimate purpose -  nothing to do with the applicants safety or welfare whilst travelling.

If you have a driver licence that's an acceptable form of ID in the UK.

It's pretty obvious if this topic keeps coming up it's restrictive to quite a lot of people. Other countries don't have this, a birth certificate and maybe a former ID like a drivers licence should be enough. It's a strange thing to have to do when we should be entitled by being a citizen.

I do not want a driving licence, I want a passport because i want one and want to leave the country, which I cannot do on a drivers licence. 

NoodleDoodleMan

I would be surprised if other countries issue passports without the applicant's identity being verified in a similar manner to here - however that's irrelevant in the case of British citizens, we have to respect our laws.

In today's world of criminality and terrorism the state has to take reasonable steps to ensure that applicants are who they say are.

For example, in 1971 the author Frederick Forsyth caused a drama when he wrote "The Day of the Jackal" and exposed a loophole to obtain a British passport illegally. 

Not suggesting you are in that scenario of course.

Hopefully this can be resolved.