Passport application has failed

[TodaysFishIsTroutALaCreme]

My friends passport application has failed due to me not meeting the requirements as a counter signatory.

Thing is, I do have a profession that is on the list...almost. I have a profession that is very close to one of the ones listed but I have Registered in my title as I am governed by a professional body. I've signed loads of passports for people. My passport is in date etc so I don't know why it has failed. My friend doesn't really know anyone else who can countersign it for her and we go on holiday in 3.5 weeks. (She was a last minute addition to our booking)

Had this happened to anyone else and us there anything I can do to help? I'm going to be calling the passport office but I doubt they will speak to me.

Tia

There is nowhere to declare that on the application sadly

Can you not just put member of professional body when it asks for occupation? And I can't see why bookkeeper wouldn't be sufficient for qualifying as counter signatory. The list given on Government website states that they are examples of sort of professions.

Sorry but as you said you are qualified as a book keeper not an accountant. You just have to stick to what is asked for as they don't allow any substitution. All very rigid but for a reason. Would help if Home Office expanded their categories of professions allowed to sign. I'm 65 and nothing has changed in this respect for a long time. Some of the categories of profession they allow to sign are these days probably less qualified than you. Makes a bit of a mockery of the countersignature process.

@Khayker the list gives examples, I would think a registered bookkeeper falls under the umbrella of accountant. It doesn't say qualified accountant, just accountant.

Taken from .Gov website...

This is the category I would fall into. I am very much a fellow of a professional body. I have countersigned before with no issues so I don't understand why I could not in this instance

Accountant is not a protected job title. Registered Bookkeeper actually is.

Literally anyone can call themselves accountants with zero comeback* and in fact, I often tell people I am an accountant when discussing professions for the first time as a surprising amount of people don't know what a bookkeeper actually is. Someone actually thought I worked in a betting shop 😂

*disclaimer - you can't call your self a Chartered Accountant as its Chartered that is the protected bit (just as Registered in my title)

Repeating post as the screenshot didn't attach

Taken from .Gov website...

You must be a...member, associate or fellow of a professional body

This is the category I would fall into. I am very much a fellow of a professional body. I have countersigned before with no issues so I don't understand why I could not in this instance

Nurse, teacher?

This is what I meant by the list of professions needs to be updated. You are a professional but for the ages old guidance, you can't sign. Its rediculous.

It is bloody ridiculous and frustrating.

Taking out my job title, I still fall under the umbrella of being a Fellow of a professional body so by their own restrictive rules, I still should have been eligible

Unless, its nothing at all to do with my job and it was indeed just a simple admin error. They wont tell me so I will never know

I would say it is an admin error as I would say a registered bookkeeper falls within accountant. As the term doesn’t state qualified, Chartered etc it just says bookkeeper. Also you are registered to a professional body, which is the thing they can check or can lose if you are dodgy

Perhaps you got someone new and enthusiastic vetting the application or alternatively someone not properly trained. I wish their passport guidance was more specific. If you're a professional, a member of a professional organisation then that should be enough. Are teachers still on the list? An aquaintance of mine says she's a teacher, she's not qualified but has been teaching in a primary school in Wales for a few years. Wonder if she can sign? No idea how they check these things but its not fair on people who are being honest.

Taking out my job title, I still fall under the umbrella of being a Fellow of a professional body so by their own restrictive rules, I still should have been eligible

Don't confuse "profession" with "job title". I'm a Fellow of the Geological Society and a Chartered Geologist. This is what I put when I sign passport forms. My job title is "Asset Management Lead"; in my organisation. This requires the professional and technical skills that have earnt me those professional qualifications, but doesn't explicitly say so.

edit - addition
The reason that the Passport Office are for registered/chartered professionals, or people who are VAT registered etc is so that they (PO Office) can check up on the person doing the signing. I have had follow up phone calls from both the PO office and my professional body.

This would have been a good option for those without professional friends or connections but they don't do it anymore.
It's outrageous you need to "know" people, essentially be well-connected enough, to get a passport.
And why should anyone have anyone's full data protected information shared like that or have access to theirs.

How shocking. Why are so misaligned from all the data protection and privacy stuff. Why should someone somewhere be given access to my kids personal details for instance so they are allowed to travel.
Especially where are so many other ways of doing it or could be set up.

You are giving a random acquaintance a lot of personal information. They can do anything with it. And what about the kids details where there is event more personal information.

This makes perfect sense. Thank you. My job title/profession (i dont actually have a job, i have my own business) is Registered Bookkeeper, but from now on, I will definitely add Fellow of the International Association of Bookkeepers to that title.

Asking for proof the person on the photo is the applicant is fair enough. The citizen of good standing is the point rather than it being a class issue- there have obviously been incidents which is why GP's have been taken off the list in the last 10 years. I think needing a little more than someone being on the electoral roll is fair enough- after all there is little assurance they are who they say they are and having a passport is not really enough either-if you have had incidents. The list of people is long and varied I don't think many people would struggle with finding someone. It's also worth mentioning that if you don't let your passport lapse this only has to be done the first time.

It's not always the case that a passport renewal will not need a countersign.

I recently countersigned a renewal passport for someone whose passport had not lapsed but looks like they required a countersignature because their appearance had significantly changed within 10 years.

I just wanted to add that you should not worry about getting the passport back in time. My passport renewal was approved on Wednesday, printed Thursday and sent out yesterday. It is due to arrive (country abroad) on Tuesday. Am sure your friend will have hers next week!

somebody recently posted on our street WhatsApp group asking for passport sign. Somebody replied back. Yes, im a lawyer. Try that

Apparently with an online application, all the person wanting a passport does is provide the email address of someone. All that person is sent is a photo of the person, to confirm it’s a true likeness.

You seem to be taking this very personally!

Am I the only one wondering if the PO person assessing the passport also thought bookkeeper was to do with betting not accounting?

@cardboardvillage they really shouldn’t do that unless they have known the person for 2 years.

I’ve known most of the people on my street WhatsApp group for well over two years. Know their names, they know mine. No idea what most of them do for a living! Doubt any of them know that “Geoff who is always happy to help any neighbour with DIY ‘cos he has all the tools and loves doing it” is also a civil servant and able to countersign a passport for any neighbour he’s known long enough. I know that Dave across the road is a chef - it’s possible he actually has his own business.

So… putting out a request on the WhatsApp would be a perfectly legitimate thing to do.