accountant
airline pilot
articled clerk of a limited company
assurance agent of a recognised company
bank or building society official
barrister
chairman or director of a limited company
chiropodist
commissioner for oaths
councillor - local or county
civil servant - permanent
dentist
director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
engineer with professional qualifications
financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker
fire service official
funeral director
insurance agent of a recognised company - full time
journalist
Justice of the Peace
legal secretary - fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs
licensee of a public house
local government officer
manager or personnel officer of a limited company
member, associate or fellow of a professional body
Member of Parliament
Merchant Navy Officer
minister of a recognised religion including Christian Science
nurse - registered
officer of the armed services
optician
paralegal - certified, qualified or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals
person with honours - OBE or MBE
pharmacist
photographer - professional
police officer
Post Office official
president or secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army Officer
social worker
solicitor
surveyor
teacher or lecturer
trade union officer
travel agent - qualified
valuer or auctioneer - fellow or associate member of the incorporated society
Warrant Officer or Chief Petty Officer
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It’s almost like national boundaries were designed to control the movements of the poor, but not the rich.
Must just be my imagination, though.
Me getting my identity verified by Nigel the porno photographer because he’s an upstanding gentleman
“Yeah, I’d know that asshole anywhere”
“What? I’m a professional! How else do you think I recognize people from their anus?”
sounds like poor people can’t leave the country? Wtf that’s a human rights violation wrapped in a lot of special red tape
The vast majority of people have been employed for 2 years by a vat registered company, and can ask one of the directors or managers. This is basically what everyone does.
You just proved my point. Fuck people who aren’t employed, right?
You do understand that even if there wasn’t this red tape and an unemployed person managed to get the proper papers, they still need money to go anywhere? By your logic every single country on the planet has a pretty glaring human rights violation.
Well thats maybe true because you’re on an island. But refugees trying to escape persecution should be able to get out and hopefully find a way without paying
As a paramedic I feel deeply offended that we are not on that list but nurses are. Travel agents,okay. But nurses? The insult!
Everybody knows that you have to be unhinged to be a paramedic 😂
I guess it’s more likely the list was drawn up before paramedic was a thing, and then no one thought to change it. The low effort option.
Similar in Ireland. Had my kids’ passport applications co-signed by their school receptionist.
There’s not one artistic profession on that list aside from photography.
I mean the list is 50% weird and 50% sensible. I think the idea is that there’s someone most people will know that are in “trustworthy” professions/positions. Although, professional photographer. Not really sure they would be in a more trustworthy position than any other job.
Going to say, I think most of us here either used to pay their GP whatever fixed fee they had. But they’ve taken that option away. Apparently the profession complained. I don’t get that. I mean they by definition know you the requisite amount of time. They literally need to sign that is the case and take your money. But, there we go.
I do luckily have a few friends that are solicitors/barristers. So I generally just ask one of them, and it’s only once every 10 years so…
GPs were probably getting inundated with requests and asked to get removed from the list.
Yeah, I just thought it’s just a quick task and they usually charged for it as a private function. Surprised they had a problem with it. From the list, I think it’s the one almost everyone could use.
Have the same thing in Australia. Not passport but I returned after years overseas and I think I was applying for a tax file number (or bank account, or both!)
I was just really lucky my father had an old family friend who wss a teacher to sign the paperwork
I got my old high school drama teacher to do it. She’s a cool person and was happy to. But it was weird to have to ask her to do it. I started out with, “this is a really stupid request, but…”
Fire services and police both present. Paramedics absent. Suspicious.
It just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s so random.
I’m disappointed that Librarian isn’t on the list. We’re super trustworthy! Edit: some librarians might count as civil servants. I’m tbh not sure where that line is.
Thank you for your service 🫡
Thanks. I try my best to help.
My biggest bit of advice to people buying their elderly parents tech: pick an OS and stick to it. I’m tired of nice old ladies coming in with an iPhone and an Android tablet, looking for help. They’re fine with one or the other OS. Swapping confuses them.
Agreed. I’m married to one!
president or secretary of a recognised organisation
What constitutes a “recognized organization”? That sounds rather open to interpretation…
Probably just that they have a business license. It’s somebody the gov’t can find to verify if needed since the company has to keep employee records.
Recognization obviously.
I wish the USA had an equivalent to OBE.
Canada is the same thing, online or in person. Though they’ve removed the profession requirement in the last couple decades (but it was more restrictive back then, it was basically: lawyer, someone with a PhD, or an engineer).
Yeah, but like… Salvation Army officer?
But they’re an officer. Not one of those lowlife enlisted.
What do these professions have in common? Requirement for a government-issued license?
Certification, regulation, proof of identity, of public note or public record…
Basically - you are known and can be found.
They are all professions that require a good reputation and are non-trivial to up and abandon. Some require government licenses, others imply a strong societal standing. All have something to lose, if they commit fraud.
Director of a limited company is easy enough to up and abandon as there’s no limit on the type of company.
Just ask all the people who have been on the bad end of a transaction with a shitty two or three director company that went bankrupt and closed down when people started chasing for money. The next day those same people are directors of a new company doing the same thing.
You still need to sort out and sign a bunch of identity confirmation/anti money laundering stuff. The government has a good track on you, at that point. It’s far from perfect, but stops people getting it signed off by a random friend, that the government has no clue about, and might not even exist.
I don’t think you need a government license to be a journalist or a minister. I’m sure you don’t to be a Salvation Army officer.
becoming an officer in the salvation army requires signing documentation. Likewise ministers need to be ordained.
So maybe expand the definition of regulation to include public institutions which have defined rules or codes of conducts. Leaving out the clanging irony of the multitude of crimes committed through organised religion.
Journalists is a weird one. I think back in the day it would have been that they trade on their public reputation. Less so now when I can start up a blog on college sports and call myself an investigative journalist.
And paid photographer?
I honestly don’t know. Maybe a carry over from print journalism?
Are we talking about their admirals? Or their ensigns?
Neither - it’s a weird/annoying religious ‘army’ that knocks on your door waaaay too early on Sunday morning to harras you. The UKs Mormons in other words.
I know, I was making a joke because Squid and the list said “officer”.
We have the Salvation Army in the US but afaik they don’t do door knocking. They are mostly a thrift store and they ring a bell for money outside Walmart every Christmas. They collect it for charity but will gladly deny charity to any marginalized group like LGBT.
I guess they all require you to earn the trust of either clients (solicitor etc.) or a community (teacher, councillor, MP (lol), church minister)
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe they all have regulators that can revoke a license. So you’d be putting your job on the line.
Nah. For about £20 anyone can be a director of a limited company.
I was thinking of a law wording it as someone professional and/or respectable and they had to figure out a list so it wouldn’t be as arbitrary and up to whoever was judging the application
What’s the definition of “Knows you”?
Like, met several times a year, or the biblical “knows you”?
Known for at least 3 years, and not a relative. It’s not very strict. I was a referee for someone who I see a few times a year at most.
Were they a good fuck?
No but his sister was
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photographer - professional
I have taken photos! If you pay me for one does that make me professional?
I published a zine in high school. Does that make me a journalist?
Also, I’m not sure that they realize how easily it is to form an LLC in the U.S. and name yourself chairman. And yes, this includes people with a U.S. passport.
It’s trivial to start a limited company in the UK too.
Need to be VAT registered, too. I have no idea how much extra effort that involves.
I would guess it is trivial enough for whoever that might wish to commit identity fraud on your behalf can get away with it pretty easily.
Not a requirement for a company.
But it is required for the thing above.
There are two lines mentioning being a director of a company:
- chairman or director of a limited company
- director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
So if it is a limited company you need to be a board member but if it is a non limited company you can be a director, manager or personnel manager.
The second one is a bit harder to achieve for fraudulent purposes.
