Refusing to sign passport

I think the friend broke the bonds of friendship first by suggesting that the OP lie on an official document ("My friend basically said we can just say I am one of the approved professionals as they don't check anyway but I said this would be fraud")

I think the OP is probaby better off without such "friends" in her life.

Yeah I wouldn't bother with you either

Yeah sorry OP, as pp said that just sounds unnecessarily unhelpful and I'd be fucked off with you too if you were my friend. There was zero reason for you not to sign it (being honest about everything of course), if you weren't eligible they'd have just told her to find someone else.

Despite plenty of posters saying it was fine to do so as long as you didn't lie about your job title? Why not? Nothing wrong with telling her you don't think you'll be accepted but happy to try by completing it honestly. Seems unnecessarily unhelpful just to refuse.

You have to be a qualified professional it’s says on the government website. Send her the link to that and send the stuff back.

I used to sign a lot as I was a councillor and trustee of many boards, councillor itself is enough but I think showing that I was well-known on various charities and community groups is (I think) what they're getting at with the "good-standing" approach

I remember leaving the uk to go live in Australia, the woman at the check in desk was telling us how luck we were to go live in Australia to escape the Uk. Every single British person we spoke to said the same thing. When we left Australia to return to the Uk every Australian seemed to act as though we’d slapped them in the face. The woman at the airport in Australia was completely gobsmacked that we were leaving. 🤣🤣

That’s the British version of national pride I grew up with. However with Brexit there was strong feelings against immigration and wanting to go back to the good old days when Britain ruled the waves.

Australia has even more immigration than the UK per capita and we’ve had Pauline Hanson from 1990s but it hasn’t been swept up in the global lurch to the nationalist Right that happened from 2016 onwards - UK included.

They do check

Ive had calls a few times when I have signed them

Getting a signature for my Irish assort was a massive faff so I feel your friends pain (but I think she's being dramatic by not speaking to you).

There was small list of professions to pick from and there was one person I vaguely knew that could sign based on this, they were a physiotherapist. I asked them, they signed great.

But then it turns out the passport office needs to ring them to confirm, and ofc the staff only work 9-5 weekdays, exactly the same hours as my friend who is in appointments all day and therefore missed all of their calls!

I wasn't allowed to use her again, so had to find someone else who would be able to take calls during the day.

Not that any of this helps! Just felt like ranting.

I do this for people as I have a professional al role. They do check. I often get phone calls asking me to confirm.

I’ve lived in both countries, in my experience Brits are completely opposite to how they feel about their country to Aussies. There seems to be national pride when the football is on but not really much any other time.

I don’t need to, I’ve lived in both countries and I don’t read The Guardian.

I used to think that too but I think it’s changed since I left the UK. The nationalism around Brexit surprised me and every time I go back home there are even more union jacks hanging everywhere. It feels a somewhat different country than the one I was familiar with.

Your friend is clearly a user! For something like a passport I would not do it either. I'm not sure if you could actually so it it's been a number of years since I renewed mine. For DS who is a child I definitely asked a professional.

There's a lot of misinformation here saying OP wouldn't be in trouble and they would cone for OPs friend. Ermmmm nooo OP is a responsible adult signing a declaration.

Speak to someone that doesn't read the guardian, let me know what you find out 😅

in my experience British people do nothing but moan about all things British...which is the polar opposite.

If you are not comfortable to sign it then don't. She can find someone else. From all of these posts there seem to be plenty of people around who will sign it regardless of their standing in the community.

As PP have said, you could've signed it.

You have to be a person with a profession on the list OR a person of good standing in the community.

Yes they are just like British people in that respect at least

Yes typical Aussies, think anything to do with Australia is the best in the world and highly suspicious of anything/one who isn't...

I'd sign it and put your profession and employer (NHS) that way you're not lying and if it isn't accepted that's not your fault. I honestly think it will be though.

Yeah it's basically any Australian 😀

In Australia house they rang my counter signatory right there in front of me

Having said all these i would not sign just because of of how she is treating you right now. It is also uncool she is telling you to lie !