Referees for naturalization application of a new born baby?

[farazk86]

Hi,

My baby was born in UK in July, this was before I got my ILR. I got my ILR in August and can now apply for her naturalization.

While filling the application, I have reached the referees section. According to the guidance:

Referees must:

• not be a relative, solicitor or agent of the applicant
• not be related to the other referee
• not be employed by the Home Office
• know or have known the applicant personally for more than 3 years
• they are willing to give full details of their knowledge of the applicant
• advise the Home Office of any reason why the applicant should not be registered

How can this be valid when the child is not even a year old? Can you please advise how do I comply with the above requirements when submitting my application?

Thank you

[alterhase58]

Caseworkers will know the age of the child.

[farazk86]

Caseworkers will know the age of the child.

Thanks, so who can I use as referees? Can I ask my friends who have known me personally? But that doesnt seem right... as the declaration from the referees is knowing the applicant for last 3 years (which is my baby and which is not true)

Thanks

[alterhase58]

You are normally expected to provide one referee who is involved professionally with the child, maybe midwife or health visitor. I believe the other could be a friend if they qualify to be a referee. Clearly referees would know the child for only a year. The forms and instructions are standard but you will enter the date of birth on the application. Not an issue. Similarly the application asks for a five years address history.

[farazk86]

You are normally expected to provide one referee who is involved professionally with the child, maybe midwife or health visitor. I believe the other could be a friend if they qualify to be a referee. Clearly referees would know the child for only a year. The forms and instructions are standard but you will enter the date of birth on the application. Not an issue. Similarly the application asks for a five years address history.

Thank you. That clarifies it a bit.

I will try contacting the health visitor tomorrow. I hope they are familiar with my request as the application is asking for such in depth detail: address, date of birth, passport number. Not many people will be comfortable giving these details.

As for the 5 year address history, yes that was strange as well. I just wrote the current address and then for the remaining years wrote my previous addresses.

[farazk86]

You are normally expected to provide one referee who is involved professionally with the child, maybe midwife or health visitor. I believe the other could be a friend if they qualify to be a referee. Clearly referees would know the child for only a year. The forms and instructions are standard but you will enter the date of birth on the application. Not an issue. Similarly the application asks for a five years address history.

So I went to visit the midwife who was involved during the care after birth of my baby.

She was happy to be a professional reference and was happy to sign any paper or letter for that purpose. But when I informed her that I would need her details before the form can be printed and I would need quite a lot of personal details such as sate of birth, address, passport number etc. Then she became reluctant and said I dont know if I am comfortable providing all of this.

What do I do here? Her stance is very understandable and why would she share all this detail with a stranger.

Can there not be a cover letter that can be written and attached to the form? Where she writes the relevant text that she has been involved during the birth of my baby and the picture if a true likeness etc??

What do I do here?

Thanks

[alterhase58]

That's an issue faced by many applicants - UKVI are aware of this. You can use another professional (friend?) who is willing to assist and write a cover letter explaining the situation. Load with your other documents.

[manci]

Children are registered, not naturalised. It seems that you are filling in the wrong form. The correct form is MN1:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 2-2020.pdf

You'll find that there is no requirement for the referee to have known the child applicant for 3 years. The requirement is merely to "have known the applicant personally"

[farazk86]

Children are registered, not naturalised. It seems that you are filling in the wrong form. The correct form is MN1:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 2-2020.pdf

You'll find that there is no requirement for the referee to have known the child applicant for 3 years. The requirement is merely to "have known the applicant personally"

I believe I am filling out the online version of that form. Which as mentioned by @alterhase58 is a more generic version of the form.

The form I am filling is from here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-born-uk/under-18

Click on the "Fill the form online"

Is that not the correct one?

[manci]

Referees must:
.......
know or have known the applicant personally for more than 3 years

Is that not the correct one?

It is the correct form but is what you quoted in your first post (above) on it?

[farazk86]

Referees must:
.......
know or have known the applicant personally for more than 3 years

Is that not the correct one?

It is the correct form but is what you quoted in your first post (above) on it?

Yes, that is from the link I provided. And what I quoted above is copied from the referee section of that form

When filling out the application, this is written at the top: Apply for registration of a child under 18 as a British citizen

[manci]

Yes, that is from the link I provided. And what I quoted above is copied from the referee section of that form

This is odd because on the paper form MN1, of which you are filling in the online version, the wording is just "have known the applicant personally" without stating "for more than 3 years". See:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 2-2020.pdf

Suggest for the referees to put a note on the Declaration to the effect that they have known the applicant child since birth (if that is the case).

[farazk86]

Right, so the midwife I requested to be a referee replied to my email and said that she is willing to be a referee but with the following conditions:

• will give her work/clinic address instead of her home address
• she is not willing to share any personal details, including her passport number.

I tried in the online form and I cannot leave the passport field blank.

What do I do in this case? I dont want to Put 000000 in the passport field and then write a cover letter explaining this....

What do you guys think? Will the above give any complications?

[farazk86]

Right just another update.

I've decided to go this route, its rare for a health visitor to agree to something like this. So I'm just taking this

I'll put 000000 as her date of birth and passport number and attach the email correspondence to the application.