referees

Hello,
I was talking to a South African friend who moved here 5 years ago with parents and is now eligible for citizenship.
He mentioned to me that you need to have referees when you apply, someone who isn't a relative or a professional acquaintance.  Also, he said they had to know you for 3 years.

Does anyone know if this 3 year minimum is required for those of us applying for citizenship through marriage and hence would only have been in this country for 3 years?

Thanks,
Matt

I think the "through marriage" requirement is they have to have known you for 2 years.

Really?  2 years would be a lot better.  I seem to be getting conflicting information, some say 2, some say it must be 3 years in all cases.
Guess I'll take a closer look at the home office website.

Thanks,
Matt

A professional aquaintance isn't forbidden. The distinction that they make is that the referee also has to have known you in a personal capacity as well. Don't ask me how they determine that, but both my referees were from people who I work with, but am also friends with. One has himself naturalized jsut 6 months before me. He too had work colleagues be his referees.

I just sent all my paperwork in and it said for at least 3 years,.I am also married to a Brit. Luckily, I had met people that I kept in contact with when I came over to get married seven years ago. If you can think of anyone at all that isn't related or related to each other that you have met in a store, like where you get your paper every week, etc....I am told that is allowed.  Did you have any type of interview before you came over or met anyone at all that can say they knew you at least 3 years? Even if you met them that first week, as long as they don't sign it and you send it before that given date, you will be fine....or at least that is what they told me....fingers crossed for mine coming back soon and good luck with yours. 

Also there's any employment agencies or placement services one may have been in touch with early on in their stay.  Travel agents, hair dressers, etc etc...

I know of one case where the referee was an internet acquaintance from a board such as this; but they also had met in person at one of the get-togethers.

There are a couple friends of my wife that have known me for more than the 3 years so I could call on them.  They live a ways from here and we don't see them very much at all because we live so far away but I'm sure they'd be happy to do it.
I've will have known a bunch of people around here for about 2 1/2 years and some work colleagues for 2 years and 10 months, is that close enough or does it have to be exactly 3 years or more?  Do they have to sign something stating the date we first met?

Thanks,
Matt

Download the forms and look at the language, but I recall that they have to say how long they've known you. I think a general 3 years would be fine. I know what it's like, we tend to worry over every single detail, but, really, they're not, imho, so concerned about this with the citizenship forms. The IND is more fussy about granting an ILR, since there's monetary implications (ie. the dole) while there aren't any with citizenship. The biggest hassle was trying to reconstruct my entry and exits over the last 5 years. In the end, I later realized that I left out a 3 month period when I was back in the states. It didn't matter.