British citizenship - professional referees clarification

[cipollon]

Hi people!

I am a EU citizen who is already in possession of all the documentation required to apply for naturalisation, including the permanent residence card.

The only clarification I need is about the AN form:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 02-18_.pdf

As per page 19 of the form, I need to provide 2 referees.

- 1 of them has to be a British citizen over 25yo who has known me for at least 3 years - I have that one

- The other has to be a person of professional status who's known me for at least 3 years as well. The nationality doesn't have to be British. The accepted professions are as per the list on pages 24/25:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 1.0EXT.pdf

I am struggling to find a person who would qualify living in the UK, but I have some people who would in my home country, some of them speak fluent English, although they have never lived in the UK.

Would I be allowed to add them as professional referees?

[gmccarthy]

The rules do not specifically state that a referee must be a UK resident. But as you are applying for UK naturalization I think they expect to see a UK referee

[englishrose198]

The other referee need not be resident of the UK

[cipollon]

Thanks for your advice so far. I don't think it has to be a resident of the UK but it's not really specified.
I was wondering if anyone in the forums had actually been in my situation.
I think I'll give it a go. If the referee isn't acceptable after all, does anyone know how Home Office would normally proceed? Would they ask for another referee or just reject the application altogether?

Thanks again!

[CR001]

They will write to you if they are not happy with a referee.

Referees are rarely contacted.

[tzima]

Hi,

I am also a EU citizen, not finding a willing professional referee in the UK. Did anybody end up using a non UK-resident referee? Was it accepted?

Reading the AN guide, it looks like they would only accept it if we (applicant) are not living in the UK. And it would require the involvement of the Consulate. But browsing Internet Forums, it looks like opinions are divided and some people didn't have any problem with a non-resident referee.

Does anybody know for sure?

Page 11 of the AN guide says:
"If you are living abroad and do not know a British citizen who is qualified to act as one of your referees, a Commonwealth citizen or citizen of the country in which you are residing may complete and sign the form, provided they have professional standing in that country, has known you for 3 years and the Consul considers their signature to be acceptable."
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _Final.pdf

[CR001]

Hi,

I am also a EU citizen, not finding a willing professional referee in the UK. Did anybody end up using a non UK-resident referee? Was it accepted?

Reading the AN guide, it looks like they would only accept it if we (applicant) are not living in the UK. And it would require the involvement of the Consulate. But browsing Internet Forums, it looks like opinions are divided and some people didn't have any problem with a non-resident referee.

Does anybody know for sure?

Page 11 of the AN guide says:
"If you are living abroad and do not know a British citizen who is qualified to act as one of your referees, a Commonwealth citizen or citizen of the country in which you are residing may complete and sign the form, provided they have professional standing in that country, has known you for 3 years and the Consul considers their signature to be acceptable."
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _Final.pdf

As the guidance on referees clearly states, your professional referee can be of any nationality.

[tzima]

Thanks for answering. But I wanted to know if they can reside outside the UK, even if I am living and applying from the UK. The guide says that if I am not living here, they accept somebody also living abroad. That seems to imply that if I live here, I should find somebody also living here. But it doesn't say it explicitly.

I spent hours browsing Internet and opinions are very much divided on that, so I was hoping somebody had tried it.

It sounds bad, but I know lots of professional people in my home country, and I cannot find a single one here that accepts to be a referee. Before Brexit I never thought about applying for nationality, so I didn't cultivate any such relations with suitable people.