driving license pictures?

we are about to apply for a provisional license for my husband, hes american. on the application it says someone must sign the back of your pictures that has known you for at least 2 years in the UK.One of my cousins is a teacher so we were going to have her do it, since shes known him ever since i first met him 8 years ago but now i am wondering, does that mean someone thats known him for 2 years while hes been living in the uk or does it just mean someone thats known him for at least 2 years regardless or where hes been living?
 i am trying to avoid a trip to the dvla office which seems the other way to do it but i dont want the application to be rejected.

I don't believe it matters where she knows him from.  Whenever I needed anything like that signed I would have our British friends that we had met in Singapore sign for me.  Of course they had moved back and were living in the UK at the time of signing.

It was my understanding that you have to do it at the DVLA if you have lived in the UK for less than two years.  I've seen someone post here that they got away with someone else signing it, but I've seen many other posts that had people sign it that knew them before they moved to the UK and it was sent back because they were supposed to have gone to the DVLA.  I took mine there and it wasn't bad.  I was not there for very long and I didn't have to pay for postage to send it out since they send it in their own system.

I agree that its pretty easy to go to a DVLA and have them check it. They're used to looking at them and like Cadenza says, they'll send it internally through their system for you.   

But you may be able to use your cousin if she's known him longer than 2 years? I'd check with the DVLA just to be sure, you'd hate to part with your documents only to have to get them sent back and do it all again.

Also, the DVLA's free (compared to using the Post office) and they also check all the paperwork to make sure its all correct.  However if you use your cousin, the DVLA may call your cousin to verify that they've known your husband for x amount of time etc.