On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:20:06 +0000, lid wrote:

Almost any professional can sign the forms now - so you are not stuck
with the old restricted list of GP, vicar, JP ....

There never was a restricted list; they just like people to think
there was. There was always a qualifier on the end of the list like
"someone of similar standing". (I don't remember the exact words.)

I've always had my passport application counter-signed by someone who
unashamedly describes himself as "dustman" and the Passport Agency
(and their predecessors) have never queried it. If they'd done so,
I'd have been prepared to argue that my dustman friend was as
respected in the community as anyone else (or more so) and therefore
of at least similar standing.

Mike.

Marcus Fox ] said:

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On 31 Oct, 13:45, "Marcus Fox" please-reply-via-newsgroup...@-i-
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On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:45:06 +0000,
wrote:

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know when this rule came into play-that
countersignatories
on passport applications must supply their own passport number?

Also does anyone have an 'older' passport form from 2005/2006 that
they could scan section 10 (countersignatory section) into and upload
it to see if it was a requirement then?

All the best,

-Ben

I am pretty sure it was before 2005.
Robert

Yes, I applied for one in 2005 and I needed my referee to countersign
it.

Marcus

Did they have to give their passport number aswell as their signature
Marcus?

Yes, I remember the form asking for it, so my boss had to bring his passport
in to work and copy the number off it.

I wonder how this works when the referee does not have a passport.

In message , Yellow
writes
Marcus Fox ] said:

wrote in message
oups.com...
On 31 Oct, 13:45, "Marcus Fox" please-reply-via-newsgroup...@-i-
posted-to.com wrote:
wrote in message

...



On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:45:06 +0000,
wrote:

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know when this rule came into play-that
countersignatories
on passport applications must supply their own passport number?

Also does anyone have an 'older' passport form from 2005/2006 that
they could scan section 10 (countersignatory section) into and upload
it to see if it was a requirement then?

All the best,

-Ben

I am pretty sure it was before 2005.
Robert

Yes, I applied for one in 2005 and I needed my referee to countersign
it.

Marcus

Did they have to give their passport number aswell as their signature
Marcus?

Yes, I remember the form asking for it, so my boss had to bring his passport
in to work and copy the number off it.

I wonder how this works when the referee does not have a passport.


Slightly swerving off the subject, about a week ago, wasn't there a
proposal to introduce passport requirements between the UK and the ROI?
To get around the necessity for passports between NI and the ROI, they
were going to lump NI and ROI together, so that Irish (NI + ROI)
citizens and GB citizens would require passports to visit each others'
countries. I believe that this is the first time that a passport would
be needed to travel from one part of the UK to another.
--
Ian