UK citizenship application - friend wants me to be a referee and say I've known her longer than I really have

[northernstar0412]

Hi,
A friend from overseas who is applying for British citizenship asked me to be a referee.

My job is included in the list of acceptable occupations but I have only known her for 2 years and 8 months. The government's website says we need to have known each other for at least 3 years.

My friend said - "You can just say you've known me longer - how can they prove it?"

I can be fined £5k or receive a prison term if I knowingly give false information, according to the official website. So I told my friend I was happy to be a referee but I would be stating on the form that I'd known her 2 years and 8 months.

She doesn't want to delay her application for four months and is now looking for another referee, but doesn't know many people here.

Am I BU?

I'm ignorant of these things, but is it not your country of residence that counts in international travel or is it the country who issued your passport?
I'm in the unique position of having an Irish passport, which means that I can travel freely and work freely within the UK but that I also have an EU passport. We've reciprocal agreements with the US/Canada/Aus but I've never travelled out of Europe. So I'm not an expert on travel or visas (never required a visa before for any travel). Possibly why I'm not sympathetic if it is actually a pain in the arse.

How is it a hassle having to travel?

Having to stand in the "non-EU" queue or needing visas or things I'd imagine it's a total pain.

We have friends who are British, living in America on a work visa. Every time they come home to see family in Glasgow, they have to make a trip to the US Embassy in London before flying home to have their visa re-accredited. It's a real pain and a big extra expense for them.

Ok, so maybe it's for travel/passport purposes. She'd have annoyed me though, so I wouldn't sign. I would have if all was legit.

If she's been here on and off for years
it is very odd that she knows nobody who could sign who has known her for 3 years
(and it is NOT a flexible date)

Walk away

@HooNoes

I'm ignorant of these things, but is it not your country of residence that counts in international travel or is it the country who issued your passport? I'm in the unique position of having an Irish passport, which means that I can travel freely and work freely within the UK but that I also have an EU passport. We've reciprocal agreements with the US/Canada/Aus but I've never travelled out of Europe. So I'm not an expert on travel or visas (never required a visa before for any travel). Possibly why I'm not sympathetic if it is actually a pain in the arse.

It's the passport you travel on.

I wouldnt lie, but I would'nt report her!

Well no, I wouldn't report her either. That's just being a cunt.

@HooNoes

I'm ignorant of these things, but is it not your country of residence that counts in international travel or is it the country who issued your passport? I'm in the unique position of having an Irish passport, which means that I can travel freely and work freely within the UK but that I also have an EU passport. We've reciprocal agreements with the US/Canada/Aus but I've never travelled out of Europe. So I'm not an expert on travel or visas (never required a visa before for any travel). Possibly why I'm not sympathetic if it is actually a pain in the arse.

Your passport is what counts when you travel. As someone who lived in the UK from the age of eight but wasn’t a citizen getting a visa for a holiday was a pain in the arse and costly, it also meant lengthy queue’s when I got home because I didn’t have a British passport.

I could only travel to 11 countries without a visa, dominica, haiti, maldives, micronesia, palau, qatar, Saint V and G, Somoa, seychelles, trinidad and tobago, vanuatu. So yeah, not exactly common holiday destinations!

Now I have a British passport I can travel to 139 countries without a visa if I go on holiday.

sorry, to be clear, I meant to write: Could I not agree to be a referee but state clearly on the government's form that I have known her only for 2 years and 8 months - that would not be an offence, would it?
What's the point in doing that? It clearly states she needs a referee who's known her for 3 years.

How does it work post Brexit? Do you need a visa to go to France for e.g.

I'm in the unique position of having an Irish passport

Sorry to burst your bubble but you're not the only one - they even have an office of staff to issue them.

@HooNoes

How does it work post Brexit? Do you need a visa to go to France for e.g.

I don't think even government knows the answer to this 100%😂

Sorry to burst your bubble but you're not the only one - they even have an office of staff to issue them.
Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I was talking about my country, not myself and as we don't have a great deal of citizens, we are in a pretty unique position.

schrodinger
I don't think even government knows the answer to this 100%😂
I have long since tuned out of Brexit negotiation talks, so haven't a clue either.

I am the professional that all my neighbours, friends, past friends, work colleagues absolutely love to sign their various govt and passport documents.

I never lie, and, much to many of their annoyances, I always read and check the documents.

I cant understand why you would even be agreeing to this. You have known this person very casually for less than the time required. Fine, she might want something, but the rules are there to try, no matter how poorly, to protect this country. I genuinely do not see how you can agree to this request. Please dont.

HooNoes
Your Country will have issued guidance to its citizens.
The Irish government certainly has.
If you have not read it over the last 4 years
you really should start

@HooNoes

schrodinger I don't think even government knows the answer to this 100%😂 I have long since tuned out of Brexit negotiation talks, so haven't a clue either.

Me too. And I am EU citizen. I've really just given up and will wait what will happen🤷🏻

HooNoes - nothing changes for Irish citizens, so I cba tuning in to hear what the outcome is for British citizens (as I'm not one).

I would never do anything for anyone that would result in a jail term or a criminal record. Except possibly for my child. I wouldn't do it.

If Irish people think that they will not be affected by what is coming down the track on getting in and out of the UK
more fool them

The UK Border agency are NOT to be messed with

Could you write that you have known her since 2017? By the time it gets processed you will have known her for over 3 years.

If I'd known someone for 2.7 years I'd say I'd known them for 3. By the time anyone looks at the form its likely to be very close to the 3 years anyway.

Who is going to know different, unless you met each other in a very documented way?

Can't believe people said report her. For goodness sake.

Yes they sometimes check up. Years ago I countersigned someone's Irish passport and they rang me to check up. But it was just confirmation, not asking for evidence of when we met.

I am shocked that their are professionals on here who would support lying on the form. That undermines our credibility and is really disappointing to see.

She will have to find someone else or wait 4 months. It's not worth risking your integrity (and possibly your career) over

I'm ignorant of these things, but is it not your country of residence that counts in international travel or is it the country who issued your passport?

It's your passport country. I have a US passport so travel is generally easy for me (in non pandemic times) but when I was a student I remember having lots of Chinese friends who had to get visas to travel to various European countries on our breaks from uni, even though they lived in the UK.