Nobody to sign passport photos, anyway out of it

ev8

jimi_man said:

ev8 said:

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.

So are you saying that you do have a friend or some friends but you don’t know anything about them - how long they’ve lived somewhere, what they do for a job or whether they’ve been in and out of prison etc? What about a neighbour or someone that lives close to you who knows you or can recognise you? Or an acquaintance that you know through your family? 

To clarify I’m not talking about the list of accepted professions, I’m talking about the second category which is persons of good standing in the local community - could just be someone who has held down a reasonable job. I know someone who worked in IT and signed it successfully. (And IT is just an example - use your imagination and think of other jobs). 

With reference to a doctor, they can only really be used if they are a friend rather than you know them professionally. 

Maybe your local pharmacist if you go there a lot and they know who you are as the restriction doesn’t apply to them. It’s only for identity purposes and they don’t have to be a close friend. Obviously they need a U.K. passport. 

I will be honest and say that we’re trying to assist but you’re not being very forthcoming with details which I’m starting to find slightly concerning. 

The only other option is to join a few local community groups of some sort or maybe adult education, and get to know some people and then wait two years and then ask one of them to do it. Or start going to a pub and get to know the manager/landlord. Two years later you can ask them to do it.

Anyone who is on that list of professions will always be glad to do it as it is an accepted thing. I’m a retired police officer and I must have done well into double figures of these over the years. It’s not exactly onerous so you should always ask. 

The pharmacist I've used is from a chain and the person changes regularly.

I know people have tried to help, I can't help it if I already looked at the list and can't find anyone to do it. I have looked and exhausted it because I don't know or speak to many people. In the face of society today, I'm not sure why that's so offensive to people.

Is it so hard to believe a disabled person doesn't have a regular pub, or ever even goes to the pub but would like to do something nice for once and use a passport? Not everyone is like everyone else and I don't have a large social circle and nobody I knows fits any of this and I'm stuck. 

eskbanker

ev8 said:

I know people have tried to help, I can't help it if I already looked at the list and can't find anyone to do it. I have looked and exhausted it because I don't know or speak to many people. In the face of society today, I'm not sure why that's so offensive to people.

Is it so hard to believe a disabled person doesn't have a regular pub, or ever even goes to the pub but would like to do something nice for once and use a passport? Not everyone is like everyone else and I don't have a large social circle and nobody I knows fits any of this and I'm stuck. 

As you recognise, people are trying to help, but obviously nobody can wave a magic wand and get the rules changed for you - in the absence of anyone on here being aware of any undocumented loopholes that you can benefit from, was the advice line able to suggest anything?

NoodleDoodleMan

eskbanker said:

ev8 said:

I know people have tried to help, I can't help it if I already looked at the list and can't find anyone to do it. I have looked and exhausted it because I don't know or speak to many people. In the face of society today, I'm not sure why that's so offensive to people.

Is it so hard to believe a disabled person doesn't have a regular pub, or ever even goes to the pub but would like to do something nice for once and use a passport? Not everyone is like everyone else and I don't have a large social circle and nobody I knows fits any of this and I'm stuck. 

As you recognise, people are trying to help, but obviously nobody can wave a magic wand and get the rules changed for you - in the absence of anyone on here being aware of any undocumented loopholes that you can benefit from, was the advice line able to suggest anything?

Indeed - regardless of the perceived inadequacies of the system the authorities are not going to change the rules which have been in place for a very long time without a compelling arguement.

This problem has arisen on these forums previously - I remember remarking that our MP once told me that if he took a passport issue to the appropriate (Home Office) department of government he could expect a very quick reply from the Passport Office.

Of course, neither he nor the constituent may have liked the outcome of the response - but at least it wasn't a prolonged matter.

jimi_man

ev8 said:

jimi_man said:

ev8 said:

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.

So are you saying that you do have a friend or some friends but you don’t know anything about them - how long they’ve lived somewhere, what they do for a job or whether they’ve been in and out of prison etc? What about a neighbour or someone that lives close to you who knows you or can recognise you? Or an acquaintance that you know through your family? 

To clarify I’m not talking about the list of accepted professions, I’m talking about the second category which is persons of good standing in the local community - could just be someone who has held down a reasonable job. I know someone who worked in IT and signed it successfully. (And IT is just an example - use your imagination and think of other jobs). 

With reference to a doctor, they can only really be used if they are a friend rather than you know them professionally. 

Maybe your local pharmacist if you go there a lot and they know who you are as the restriction doesn’t apply to them. It’s only for identity purposes and they don’t have to be a close friend. Obviously they need a U.K. passport. 

I will be honest and say that we’re trying to assist but you’re not being very forthcoming with details which I’m starting to find slightly concerning. 

The only other option is to join a few local community groups of some sort or maybe adult education, and get to know some people and then wait two years and then ask one of them to do it. Or start going to a pub and get to know the manager/landlord. Two years later you can ask them to do it.

Anyone who is on that list of professions will always be glad to do it as it is an accepted thing. I’m a retired police officer and I must have done well into double figures of these over the years. It’s not exactly onerous so you should always ask. 

The pharmacist I've used is from a chain and the person changes regularly.

I know people have tried to help, I can't help it if I already looked at the list and can't find anyone to do it. I have looked and exhausted it because I don't know or speak to many people. In the face of society today, I'm not sure why that's so offensive to people.

Is it so hard to believe a disabled person doesn't have a regular pub, or ever even goes to the pub but would like to do something nice for once and use a passport? Not everyone is like everyone else and I don't have a large social circle and nobody I knows fits any of this and I'm stuck. 

No it's not offensive at all. It is slightly difficult to believe though, that you quite literally don't know anyone else in the world irrespective of who they are.

BTW forget the bankrupt thing - no-one is suggesting you have to ask someone if they have been bankrupt. Once you have someone in mind you get them to do it. If the passport office don't accept that person then they'll tell you. 

However as has been said these are the rules in place at this time and if you don't know anyone at all then unfortunately that's it - you cannot apply for a passport - period. So you are restricted to enjoying travel in the UK.

If however you'd like to travel abroad in the future then you'll need to start engaging with some other people as I mentioned in an earlier post, joining some different groups, adult education, following a rock band - literally anything that involves interacting with other human beings. After two years then you can ask someone to do it. 

I appreciate it may not be easy from your perspective and I sympathise but owing to the rules that exist, there is no other way that you are going to get to travel out of the UK. 

Mands

ev8 said:

You people are really sympathetic to people with anxiety/social anxiety and asking someone I just 'know of' if they've ever been bankrupt isn't really something I can work up the courage to do and also, there really isn't anyone who does fit the criteria anyway.

You don't ask someone if they've been made bankrupt. That's not your business to know and asking would socially awkward for both sides. Instead you make them aware bankruptcy excludes them and nest that in the other requirements. Then they can say they can't sign, or don't want to sign, without bankruptcy being acknowledged.

You: Hey Fergus, I'm looking for someone to countersign my passport application and I wondered if you might be able? 
Fergus: Me? Oh, I don't know. What does it involve?
You: It needs to be someone I've known for xxx number of years, who hasn't been made bankrupt, who has a passport themselves
Fergus: Ahhh, sorry. That's not something I can do. I hope you find someone though
You: No problem, I hope you don't mind me asking. And, I meant to say ... your window boxes are looking really pretty this year. Have you changed the flower mix? 

No difficult personal information exchanged, no feelings hurt. 

Brie

Has anyone suggested your hairdresser/barber?  People do tend to go to the same one for years.  

Or is there anyone who knows you due to your disability?  A regular carer, cleaner etc?

brianposter

Are you sure that your neighbours do not know who you are even if you do not know them ?

smudge56

Brie said:

Has anyone suggested your hairdresser/barber?  People do tend to go to the same one for years.  

Or is there anyone who knows you due to your disability?  A regular carer, cleaner etc?

Unless the hairdresser or barber own their business they won’t be accepted.  Neither will a cleaner or carer.  Though anyone over 70 with a valid passport can countersign the application.  

smudge56

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/confirming-identity-countersignatory-and-digital-referees/confirming-id-referees#Referee_using_discretion

J_B

NoodleDoodleMan said:

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

Isn't that an american thing?

Or did you mean driving license?