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?

Really ? 2 years 8 months is pretty much 3 years

I was once asked by a friend if I would sign their friends (who I don't know from Adam) Fire Arms licence application

Make sure you know the exact date that you've known her and wait until it's been exactly 3 years.

@ListeningQuietly

What are you on about? The UK border force have been dealing with the Irish under present agreements for about 80 years. A force to be reckoned with? What? You think they're going to say - you can't come in you're Irish?

The reason why certain professionals or people of certain status are specified as people who can sign as referees on these forms is because they are meant to have a level of integrity. So don't lie when carrying out this function. Don't make the judgement on the chances of getting caught, make it on your integrity.

At present (or when I last looked), you don't even need a passport to travel between Ireland and England. Ryanair have their own airline rules, but it's not required and is not used on ferries or Aer Lingus (not sure about BA). @ListeningQuietly Do you really not like the Irish or think we'll be put into the bold corner for an hour before being allowed to enter?

The UK Border Force, despite being a 'force to be reckoned with', can't just contravene international laws because they have a thing against the Irish. The fact is, that the Irish are in a unique position, as nothing changes for us post-Brexit. Apart from you messing with our economy maybe.

The UK and Ireland was the original common travel area way before the EU even existed. Both governments have stated this will remain. It is one of the few things that were agreed without protracted discussions.

You can't report someone for asking you to lie on a form.
Why not?

Can't believe those posters who have suggesting reporting her! That would most likely lead to her application being refused.
So what? Maybe it should be. Maybe it's an indication of the honesty and integrity of the person. What else have they lied about?

"the more i think about it, the more i think you should consider reporting her, maybe anonymously.
she spends her time travelling the world.
has plenty of funds. wants uk citizenship for ease of entry.
is dishonest and tries to make you so.
who is she. what is she. you don't really know.
what if her name/alias and face appeared on a front page after some murderous outrage.
how would you feel then.
basic risk assessment: likelihood remote; but poss harm off the scale."
Exactly.

It's fine to lie about benefits, but god forbid someone tries about 4 measly months of knowing someone.
If it was a year, I would absolutely agree that it's not ok, but less than 4 months?

"I don't know her all that well, really. I met her on holiday in 2017 and we stayed in touch as we live in the same city. We've met up socially a few times but I haven't seen much of her for the past year."
Then you definitely shouldn't be a referee at all. You may have met her 2 years and 8 months ago but you obviously don't know her. You can't count the time in the last year when you haven't been in contact.

If you don't know her very well, how can you possibly provide a reference for her?

Some posters absolutely salivate over "reporting" someone for anything!!

If you don't know her very well, how can you possibly provide a reference for her?

How well does anyone actually know anyone anyway?..

Hi - OP here again. I rang her and said that if she could wait a few months, I'd be willing to give her a reference, but she said she couldn't wait four months and would find someone else.
So that's settled.

Thanks for all your comments and ideas, folks.

I also spoke to a RL pal about it - who have known 40 years, lol - and she reckons there is something fishy going on, as alluded to be one or two PPs.

One thing this lady did say to me about wanting a British passport (she is not from an EU country) was that travelling on her passport from her country of origin was a hassle because authorities in the countries she travelled to often thought "she was either a criminal or a prostitute". Her words, not mine.

*who I have known

I don't think there is anything fishy going on tbh. Bar the time lie. She just wants it to be done because it works for her now.

Schrodingers - Well, my RL pal is a bit of a conspiracy theorist.!

Well at least she's off to find someone else.

Well HooNoes, she may well be back, because the other person she has in mind is the brother in law of her only other referee (two are required), and I read on the government website that the referees cannot be related to each other.

I also spoke to a RL pal about it - who have known 40 years, lol - and she reckons there is something fishy going on ...

You don't say

As mentioned, I get that it's not easy to find referees with all the "requirements", but after 20 years of staying here? Come off it

Anyway at least she's gone for now; if she's back in a week you can just repeat what you said

Jeez get over yourself. If you don't want to give her a reference, then don't. But reporting the woman would be super bitchy. She might never get citizenship because of that. How can you call herself her friend??

*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*

Post Brexit, Irish people retain their rights to move freely between Ireland and the UK and work. They also are a member of the EU and nothing changes for them in that regard. Brexit really only screws us over and EU people needing a Visa to come to the UK

One thing this lady did say to me about wanting a British passport (she is not from an EU country) was that travelling on her passport from her country of origin was a hassle because authorities in the countries she travelled to often thought "she was either a criminal or a prostitute". Her words, not mine.
It might be true tbh. I do sometimes get the same attitude due to my Non EU passport.
Still not a good reason for you to lie on the form. For your own safety rather than anything else - I think 2y8m to 3y is basically rounding up and not a heinous moral crime. But if in doubt, rules are there to be followed.
Which reminds me that I need to start "making friends" with people-from-the-list for my own passport application.

Irish people will indeed be able to move without visas between Ireland and the UK
under the CTA
but as the UK will be outside the EU and Ireland will be within it,
full border checks will have to kick in every time any British or Irish person crosses the Irish sea

also the utter clusterfuck brewing in east Kent will affect everybody of any nationality
therefore you can have the grooviest passport in the world
crossing the Channel will still be a PITA

and those who think that the current hostile environment UKBA will be chilled towards the Irish really is deluded

Years ago I countersigned someone's Irish passport and they rang me to check up
Passport applications are different to naturalisation though - there you are not acting as a character witness, just certifying that the person on the photo is a true likeness of someone you know as Jane Smith.