Refusing to sign passport

[Scoobie2911]

AIBU?
Bit of background: I met my best friend 8 years ago when we both started a new job together. My friend is from South Africa, her hubbie was born in UK but his family moved out to SA when he was a child. My friend and hubbie moved to UK about 10 years ago. We no longer work together and live in different towns but speak every day via Whatsapp. We are so alike and get on so well, we think the same way, have similar life experiences and we tell each other just about everything, she is the sister I never had.
She recently gained her UK citizenship, I supported her in this, gave her a character reference as I have for jobs etc. Now she is applying for a UK passport and sent her application to me to be a counter signatory BUT I had to refuse as I am not on the approved occupation list. 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 and I simply cannot do this. She has asked me to please post everything back to her and hasn't spoken to me since. Am I being unreasonable in refusing to commit fraud and signing her passport application?

You can sign it.

You work in public service. You can sign. Just say the truth. If you are not suitable they will simply let you and your friend know and ask her to provide another referee

Its a good job for you the Passport Office didn't phone her at work then.

Just fill it in, if it gets sent back that’s her problem not yours! You’ve told her and she’s not listening.

I’ve signed in the past and had a follow up and mine authorisers have also been followed up in the past.

I have been called before by the passport office - asking questions etc, after I signed my friends sons passport - they do check! YANBU

You are not on the list of approved occupations. There is no definition of “being a person of good standing in the community”
As other posters have said the Passport Office do sometimes check. That is on their website.
The website also says “It’s a criminal offence to make a false declaration on a passport application”
If you are not comfortable with signing the passport application, you are 100% right not to do so.

The passport office definitely do sometimes check, as I know of people who have been contacted.
I assume they do not check all of them.

They do check, I’ve been contacted before about a passport application I was signatory for.

I recently signed for my neighbour and do not have a job on the list. I told my neighbour I didn't think I could as I don't work in one of the listed professions, she asked if I could try as she was desperate so I agreed.
It was done online via an email sent to me, I filled in my passport number and truthfully put my occupation down. It was approved the next day so I'm not sure if they just check random ones or the list doesn't matter.

If my signing wasn't accepted my neighbour would have received an email asking to find another countersignatory so it's worth trying for your friend so long as you're honest in what you put for occupation.

💯 you can OP
They can reject you if they want
I'm an admin assistant and have signed for many of my friends
I literally put admin assistant on there
I've never got it rejected except when I signed for multiple people in the same application form, so they would accept for 1 but not the others

That's inserting. I became a UK citizen about 10 years ago. Although the list back then didn't claim to be exhaustive, there wasn't an option b. Glad something in that process has been made less horrible. Bet the price has tripped since then though 🤣🤣🤣

Your job in the NHS would make you a professional in passport terms. You'd be fine to sign it. What's worrying is your friend wanting to lie (unnecessarily!) as they might put you're a Doctor of something and then you would b committing fraud. I'd not sign it on that basis.

I signed a few as a borough councillor - but if I'd not known someone for over two years I would decline to sign.
OP go with your gut but consider that a manager of any kind might be seen to be of good standing enough to sign a passport form.

The PPs here saying that you only have to be ‘be a person of good standing in their community’ are incorrect - this only applies to countersigning the application if your friend already had a passport and is renewing. When she applies for a British passport for the first time (as the OP describes) the OP is being asked to verify her friend’s identity. The person who does this has to comply with the list of occupations given on on Gov.uk site. I wouldn’t lie on the application if I didn’t meet the criteria. They definitely check. https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-online-for-passport-application

I hadn't realised this - that's very interesting. In that case I agree the OP shouldn't sign it. That seems quite restrictive.

Right at the top of recognised professions it says "for example". It doesn't claim to be exhaustive. Working in NHS administration would be fine.

Good god, what’s with all the angst. Just sign it and put your genuine occupation, and tell the truth if they ring. If they accept that, great, if they don’t then it’s the friends problem not OPs

My kids first passports had a friend who was a solicitor and both were checked ie they contacted him to check workplace and position and that he knew us.
Tell your friend that you have had lots of feedback that they do check. It's not worth the risk for them !

Exactly, signing and writing what you actually do is not fraud

If it is not acceptable to them they will reject it again it is not fraud to be honest

No it wouldn’t. It says must be a “recognised profession”. Ie a professional normally but not always on a professional register. An articled clerk or a qualified paralegal would be ok but not a general admin person.

Except I'm a general admin person and have successfully signed 4 times.

Not necessarily. They look at applications individually, and as many people here have said, sometimes an administrator is acceptable. I'm an ombudsman and can sign, and I've been called once - my job isn't on the list and there's no specific certification or register for us. But we're trusted and we have a lot to lose by being dishonest, so we can sign.

I worked in HR and often had letters from the Passport Office to confirm Ms XYZ was in the position she signed as usually head teacher. So they do do random checks