Reference photos and returning brp

[Mat28590]

First, thanks to the mods for helping my wife get her ILR.

For her reference who is a professional, she was going to put down a friend, who is a British citizen, lives in the UK and teaches English as a foreign language. He doesn't teach in a normal school (he doesn't have a PGCE), but works two part-time jobs at some private English language schools. He does have a CELTA.

Does this constitute a professional?

Thanks for the advice.

[Mat28590]

(This pertains to her citizenship application)

[Ticktack]

First, thanks to the mods for helping my wife get her ILR.

For her reference who is a professional, she was going to put down a friend, who is a British citizen, lives in the UK and teaches English as a foreign language. He doesn't teach in a normal school (he doesn't have a PGCE), but works two part-time jobs at some private English language schools. He does have a CELTA.

Does this constitute a professional?

Thanks for the advice.

As the professional body for the teaching profession in England, the GTC awards qualified teacher status (QTS) and registers teachers.

But;

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) is the latest iteration of what used to be called the General Teaching Council (England). The agency is responsible for regulating the teaching profession on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education.

[Mat28590]

Yikes, really struggling with this one.

We have a few teachers we know, all with degrees but 1 is celta, no qts, another teaches at college (they have a level 5 teaching qualification) and has no qts. And the one with qts just retired.

I work in IT and so do a lot of my friends. I've got friends who are software developers with phds, tonnes of experience and earning 6 figure salary. But it seems software developer isn't accepted unless they're part of a computer society (which I don't know anyone who is, and I know tonnes of people in the industry).

[contorted_svy]

Any chartered society should do, you could ask your friends in IT if they are members of the IET for example?

[Mat28590]

Does the reference need to have met the applicant in person?

My wife is friends with someone who lives in the UK and is a director of a limited company, but is not a British citizen. She uses the woman's business services and they also chat casually. My wife considers her a friend but I don't think they've met physically in person.

[contorted_svy]

Referees should know the applicant. Would this person be happy to declare they have known your wife for 3 years? In case of false declarations referees face a fine (and the applicant would not be on the HO's nice list).

[Mat28590]

She has said she is happy to do it. I take your statement to mean that as long as there is a sufficient social or business relationship, then not having met in person doesn't matter?

[Mat28590]

And yes, they have known each other for 3+ years.

[contorted_svy]

She has said she is happy to do it. I take your statement to mean that as long as there is a sufficient social or business relationship, then not having met in person doesn't matter?

There is no explicit requirement to have met in person but referee and applicant should know each other and the referee is signing that they do and that they are able to recognise them from a picture. HO won't conduct an interrogation or investigation to ascertain referee has met the applicant in person. It's a grey area.

[Mat28590]

Oh I see. Well I suppose they could meet up together in person for the signed declaration. Otherwise, we know another company director who meets the requirements, but now is not a good time to ask, so we'd just have to wait a while before submitting.

Thanks for the help!

[Mat28590]

Btw, the friend who is a teacher at college is registered with TRA. So maybe he is eligible as a reference after all.

[Mat28590]

Hello.

My wife recently got ilr (4th feb) and we are applying for citizenship.

I have 2 questions:

- we are late returning her flr(m) brp. I actually posted it punctually, but had no idea that stamps have all changed to QR code ones only. So the postage was invalid. It eventually made its way back to me on Saturday. I have a tracked delivery pickup for it tomorrow. Should we explain the tardiness in her citizenship cover letter, or best to not metlntion it?
- we superglued her photos on the reference forms, as that's the only kind of glue we had. I assume they won't want the physical document / to be able detach the photo?

Tia

[CR001]

No issue on both questions.

The photo on the referee form is not used for anything other than the referee form, for the referee to confirm the person they are signing for is the one in the photo.

[SupperDog]

Hello.

My wife recently got ilr (4th feb) and we are applying for citizenship.

I have 2 questions:

- we are late returning her flr(m) brp. I actually posted it punctually, but had no idea that stamps have all changed to QR code ones only. So the postage was invalid. It eventually made its way back to me on Saturday. I have a tracked delivery pickup for it tomorrow. Should we explain the tardiness in her citizenship cover letter, or best to not metlntion it?
- we superglued her photos on the reference forms, as that's the only kind of glue we had. I assume they won't want the physical document / to be able detach the photo?

Tia

Just wondering why you are returning your wife's BRP? Have you got her citizenship certificate?

[CR001]

Hello.

My wife recently got ilr (4th feb) and we are applying for citizenship.

I have 2 questions:

- we are late returning her flr(m) brp. I actually posted it punctually, but had no idea that stamps have all changed to QR code ones only. So the postage was invalid. It eventually made its way back to me on Saturday. I have a tracked delivery pickup for it tomorrow. Should we explain the tardiness in her citizenship cover letter, or best to not metlntion it?
- we superglued her photos on the reference forms, as that's the only kind of glue we had. I assume they won't want the physical document / to be able detach the photo?

Tia

Just wondering why you are returning your wife's BRP? Have you got her citizenship certificate?

@SupperDog have you actually read the post or just jumping to a conclusion??

OP clearly said FLR(M) BRP card!!

[SupperDog]

Hello.

My wife recently got ilr (4th feb) and we are applying for citizenship.

I have 2 questions:

- we are late returning her flr(m) brp. I actually posted it punctually, but had no idea that stamps have all changed to QR code ones only. So the postage was invalid. It eventually made its way back to me on Saturday. I have a tracked delivery pickup for it tomorrow. Should we explain the tardiness in her citizenship cover letter, or best to not metlntion it?
- we superglued her photos on the reference forms, as that's the only kind of glue we had. I assume they won't want the physical document / to be able detach the photo?

Tia

Just wondering why you are returning your wife's BRP? Have you got her citizenship certificate?

@SupperDog have you actually read the post or just jumping to a conclusion??

OP clearly said FLR(M) BRP card!!

Oh I misread it I read as ILR brp

[SupperDog]

Hello.

My wife recently got ilr (4th feb) and we are applying for citizenship.

I have 2 questions:

- we are late returning her flr(m) brp. I actually posted it punctually, but had no idea that stamps have all changed to QR code ones only. So the postage was invalid. It eventually made its way back to me on Saturday. I have a tracked delivery pickup for it tomorrow. Should we explain the tardiness in her citizenship cover letter, or best to not metlntion it?
- we superglued her photos on the reference forms, as that's the only kind of glue we had. I assume they won't want the physical document / to be able detach the photo?

Tia

Just wondering why you are returning your wife's BRP? Have you got her citizenship certificate?

@SupperDog have you actually read the post or just jumping to a conclusion??

OP clearly said FLR(M) BRP card!!

Also, everyone makes mistakes, at least I think you could point that out in a nicer way.

[Mat28590]

So we sent the BRP promptly a second time by Royal Mail Track 24 and RM system shows it still out for delivery after these many weeks. I spoke to their complaints department and they said it may well have been delivered but the driver forgot to update the system (it happens).

Im wondering whether to contact HO about it. I figure if they haven't received it that they will be in contact and I'll show them the royal mail correspondence. Reaching out to them about it might just cause needless confusion, especially since the citizenship application should hopefully be processed soon after which will be sending back another brp.

[contorted_svy]

It is some hassle, but I wouldn't expect this to create issues for citizenship. You didn't commit an immigration offence.