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Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 12:49 am
by Mabincredible
Hello,
I’m preparing for my neutralisation application, and one of my referees has been living abroad with no U.K. address for the last year. They do hold a British passport and meet all other requirements. Would this be an issue for the application?
Thanks!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:53 am
by contorted_svy
The guidance doesn't specify where the referees live, it is probably OK to use a referee who lives abroad.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 9:25 am
by Mabincredible
Thanks for the response!
I was also wondering whether it is possible to submit the application slightly before the qualifying date, and book the biometrics apt for a date after the 12 months mark?
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 9:34 am
by Mabincredible
Sorry another question, on the referee form it says “On the back of the applicant’s photograph, please write
their full name and date of birth. The photograph should then be glued into the space aside.” Due to both of my referees being a bit of distance from me, would it be okay for them to post the signed form to me without the photograph, and then for me to glue to the photograph with my full name and date of birth written by me at the back of the photograph?
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 11:33 am
by contorted_svy
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 9:25 am
Thanks for the response!
I was also wondering whether it is possible to submit the application slightly before the qualifying date, and book the biometrics apt for a date after the 12 months mark?
Not advised. Just submit your application when your qualifying period is complete. Why the rush when it could jeopardise the application?
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Sat Aug 23, 2025 9:34 am
Sorry another question, on the referee form it says “On the back of the applicant’s photograph, please write
their full name and date of birth. The photograph should then be glued into the space aside.” Due to both of my referees being a bit of distance from me, would it be okay for them to post the signed form to me without the photograph, and then for me to glue to the photograph with my full name and date of birth written by me at the back of the photograph?
A relic from pen and paper days. You can fill in the form digitally as long as the signature looks consistent with their passport signature (so not a typed signature). You can send them the form with your personal data and picture pasted via email, they can print the form, sign it, scan it, and send it back you you.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 11:39 am
by Mabincredible
A relic from pen and paper days. You can fill in the form digitally as long as the signature looks consistent with their passport signature (so not a typed signature). You can send them the form with your personal data and picture pasted via email, they can print the form, sign it, scan it, and send it back you you.
Thanks! Just a follow up on this. am I right to understand that even the photo can be a digital one attached to the form, so no writings are needed at the back of the photo?
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 1:22 pm
by lolo2
The photo can be digitally attached. No need to write anything at the back of the photo.
The whole form can be filled digitally.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:32 am
by Mabincredible
I have another question regarding the evidence of continuous residency in the U.K.
I managed to download the entire monthly statements from one of my debit account for the last five years. There are no transaction gaps from each month, but most of them are transactions made online, and they don’t really include small shoppings from a physical shop for example. But they do show payments received in the UK, mostly from my employment. Do you think this is sufficiently enough? Thanks!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:51 am
by contorted_svy
Bank statements are not accepted evidence. If your passport gets stamped submit all pages of that as evidence of your 5 year qualifying period.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2025 10:05 am
by Mabincredible
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:51 am
Bank statements are not accepted evidence. If your passport gets stamped submit all pages of that as evidence of your 5 year qualifying period.
Thanks!
Sadly not all my trips were stamped. I've provided my travel history in a cover letter for my ILR application. In the last 12 months I made two international travels, but only one of them was stamped.
what other documents may I submit? since I've received my ILR, will I still need to provide evidence to cover the last 5 years or just the last 12 months?
Thanks for the help!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2025 10:36 am
by Mabincredible
I've just managed to find all my p60s from the last five years, as well as all my payslips. if I don't have all the stamps on my passport, would these additional documents be sufficient? Thank you!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2025 10:35 pm
by contorted_svy
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Mon Aug 25, 2025 10:05 am
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:51 am
Bank statements are not accepted evidence. If your passport gets stamped submit all pages of that as evidence of your 5 year qualifying period.
Thanks!
Sadly not all my trips were stamped. I've provided my travel history in a cover letter for my ILR application. In the last 12 months I made two international travels, but only one of them was stamped.
what other documents may I submit? since I've received my ILR, will I still need to provide evidence to cover the last 5 years or just the last 12 months?
Thanks for the help!
Last 5 years, it shouldn't matter if not all your trips got stamped. ILR and citizenship are separate processes, so the fact you already provided evidence for one recently doesn't mean you are exempt for another.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2025 8:11 am
by Mabincredible
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 25, 2025 10:35 pm
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Mon Aug 25, 2025 10:05 am
contorted_svy wrote: ↑Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:51 am
Bank statements are not accepted evidence. If your passport gets stamped submit all pages of that as evidence of your 5 year qualifying period.
Thanks!
Sadly not all my trips were stamped. I've provided my travel history in a cover letter for my ILR application. In the last 12 months I made two international travels, but only one of them was stamped.
what other documents may I submit? since I've received my ILR, will I still need to provide evidence to cover the last 5 years or just the last 12 months?
Thanks for the help!
Last 5 years, it shouldn't matter if not all your trips got stamped. ILR and citizenship are separate processes, so the fact you already provided evidence for one recently doesn't mean you are exempt for another.
Thanks I appreciate the clarification. I've just managed to find all my p60s from the last five years amd 1 p45 from 2023 when I switched jobs, as well as all my payslips except Sep 2023. if I don't have all the stamps on my passport, would these additional documents be sufficient? Thank you!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2025 2:21 pm
by contorted_svy
P45 not accepted and as you have your P60s the payslips are also not needed.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 8:33 am
by Mabincredible
Hi,
Just doing some overthinking final checks. If I have the p60 to cover all five previous years and payslips for this year for my full time job, will I still need to submit self employment tax returns for some odd hours that I did over the last few years?
I changed jobs in 2021 and 2023. On my p60 from 2021-2022 it includes both the previous employment and the current one then. But the p60 from 2023-2024 only stated my current employment, no mention of the previous one that I left in Oct 2023. I do have the p45 from 2023 but I understand that it is not accepted. Is my p60 from 2023-2024 still sufficient, or should I attach the p45 with a cover letter?
Oh and I do have all the payslips but missing one from Sep 2023.
Thank you!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 9:39 am
by lolo2
You don't need any P60s, P45s etc to apply for citizenship!
If you're employed full time, the same form will ask for some details of your employer and that's all. These details are usually on the payslips and you input this information manually on the application, no need to submit anything else.
Missing stamps on the passport is not an issue either. For a reason UK border officers often don't stamp passports of people holding ILR. I did several trips when holding ILR and my passport was stamped only twice, I didn't have any issues with my citizenship application.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 11:19 am
by Mabincredible
Thanks In appreciate the advice
I transitioned to a new employment in 2021, and then again in 2023. On the form I was only asked to provide information for my current employer, so I’m looking to submit documents to prove my continuous employment since 2020.
All full time employments have been with the NHS, and this is shown in my pension statement as well. Not sure whether this holds any relevance.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 11:21 am
by alterhase58
Employment history is not required, only your current employer or self-employment. You are not required to prove continuous employment. P60s are used for proving residency.
EDIT: ILR holders prove their residency with their passport.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 11:37 am
by lolo2
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Tue Sep 02, 2025 11:19 am
On the form I was only asked to provide information for my current employer, so I’m looking to submit documents to prove my continuous employment since 2020.
No need to prove continuous employment!
Your employment history is irrelevant. Information of the current employment on the form is all what the application needs. Citizenship is not an immigration application, the rules are different.
Avoid loading the application with documents that are not required.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 12:25 pm
by Mabincredible
Please excuse my confusion, but I thought P60s are needed to prove the continuous residence in the UK?
Perhaps I was not clear. Even though the direct function of the p60 forms are to confirm the employment, but I’m hoping to use it to prove my continuous residency, as I was advised that documents such as bank statements or household bills cannot be used for such a purpose.
I appreciate your comments about the passport stamps. I do share your experience of having some missing stamps. Hence the reason why I’m looking at alternative documents to prove my continuous residency.
Sings everyone going through this process is required to provide their passport copies, am I right to understand, from your judgement, that no further documents are needed whatsoever to prove the continuous residency in the last five years?
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 1:33 pm
by contorted_svy
that is correct , if your passport gets stamped that is all you need to prove 5 years residency.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 1:35 pm
by Mabincredible
Thanks. What are the routine options when my passport hasn’t been stamped every time?
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 1:38 pm
by lolo2
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Tue Sep 02, 2025 12:25 pm
Sings everyone going through this process is required to provide their passport copies, am I right to understand, from your judgement, that no further documents are needed whatsoever to prove the continuous residency in the last five years?
That's correct, no further documents are required.
If your passport is stamped when you travel abroad, the stamped pages covering the eligibility period (5 years etc) is the only thing you need to submit to prove residency/absences. Also you manually input your absences on the form.
It doesn't matter if your passport has not been stamped all the time or during the period when you have ILR, it's still your evidence. Further documents are usually required for example for those who use the eGates, whose passports are not stamped at all, which is not your case.
This is not based on my judgement, the citizenship rules are different than immigration when we usually need to submit a longer list of documents. The paperwork required is minimal.
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:31 am
by Mabincredible
Thanks for all the help so far.
I have a few more questions and would appreciate some advice.
1. I forgot to mention one trip outside the U.K. after submitting the application, and have disclosed it in a cover letter. Would this be enough? This trip was disclosed in my previous ILR application.
2. Do I need to upload copies of my old passport that expired on 2017?
Thank you!
Re: Does the referee need to be living in the U.K.
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 10:25 am
by contorted_svy
Mabincredible wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:31 am
Thanks for all the help so far.
I have a few more questions and would appreciate some advice.
1. I forgot to mention one trip outside the U.K. after submitting the application, and have disclosed it in a cover letter. Would this be enough? This trip was disclosed in my previous ILR application.
Yes
2. Do I need to upload copies of my old passport that expired on 2017?
No as that doesn't cover your qualifying period
Thank you!