Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Many thanks Mahesh for the Twitter idea! - indeed worth trying.

I have sent query e-mail and now will tweet to MEA / Shushmaji as well. I happen to hold respect for MEA after recent Yemen evacuation etc.

Hello all,

I'm back after a while on the forum again with a fresh set of questions. So my baby and I are British citizens and my wife is dual British and Romanian. I have surrendered my Indian passport and obtained the surrender certificate and now intend to apply for OCI for all of us. Now as i understand it, I am eligible for OCI straight up without any issues, and so is my baby. When it comes to my wife, I am a little confused. It appears that the eligibility criteria is "Spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder where the marriage has subsisted for two years". So by the sound of it, it appears that only once I get my OCI card will I be able to apply for an OCI for my wife. I cannot apply for an OCI for her at the same time as I apply for myself and my baby. On the other hand, for a minor child, they are eligible if "one of their parents holds an OCI card, or is eligible to get an OCI card".

This could be badly worded eligibility criteria, or it could be a genuine criteria, I don't know. Has anyone been in a similar situation before and knows whether it is possible to apply for my wife's OCI at the same time I apply for myself and my baby?

Thanks

Hello to all

All senior members, I applied for OCI and it has been received to london office on 26/june. Now my question is I applied through Goswel road office which is closed for one more week. What i have to do shall i have wait for one more week or else I can submitted my passport at paddington office. Please ur advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
SQ

sq wrote:Hello to all

All senior members, I applied for OCI and it has been received to london office on 26/june. Now my question is I applied through Goswel road office which is closed for one more week. What i have to do shall i have wait for one more week or else I can submitted my passport at paddington office. Please ur advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
SQ

As far as I am aware the submission of passport for the OCI sticker can only be done where the original application was submitted. I have an email from VFS stating this. Therefore, you will have to go to the Goswell Rd office.

The VFS website states that the opening hours of the Paddington office are as follows:
Working Hours: 08:30 - 15:30 with appointments only.
Collection of Visas/Surrender Certificate only between 16:00 - 17:30.

For submitting my passport to hand over the Royal Mail special delivery envelope and obtain the OCI sticker can I go until 17:30 or 15:30?

Thanks.

NOG wrote:

sq wrote:Hello to all

All senior members, I applied for OCI and it has been received to london office on 26/june. Now my question is I applied through Goswel road office which is closed for one more week. What i have to do shall i have wait for one more week or else I can submitted my passport at paddington office. Please ur advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
SQ

As far as I am aware the submission of passport for the OCI sticker can only be done where the original application was submitted. I have an email from VFS stating this. Therefore, you will have to go to the Goswell Rd office.

Tnx NOG

So that i will wait one more week.

sq wrote:Hello to all

All senior members, I applied for OCI and it has been received to london office on 26/june. Now my question is I applied through Goswel road office which is closed for one more week. What i have to do shall i have wait for one more week or else I can submitted my passport at paddington office. Please ur advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
SQ

You can apply at Paddington VFS, I was at the same situation for my son's application and sent an email to VFS helpline and here is the email I sent and the reply I got.

Hi,

I applied for my son's OCI application at VFS Goswell road. I am expecting to receive the OCI card at London next week, but just found that the Goswell road office is closed from 22nd June to 3rd July. Would it be possible to submit the passport at a different VFS office?


Reply from VFS
"You can submit the passport at the India Visa and Consular Service Application Centre in Paddington between 08:30 and 11:00. Please click here for the address details and directions."

I submitted tha passport on Wednessday (24th) and got it back on Saturday(27th)

Tnx jobinscaria

Today I applied in Paddington. They accept my application.

SQ

Hi,
My dad became a British citizen in 1968 so his Indian passport wasn't returned to him from the UK home office. The Home Office used to keep the Indian passports that time. He would like to apply for an OCI and he has his Naturalisation certificate, a notory school education certificate, and a Notory affidavit to confirm that his Indian passport was not returned to him by the UK home office. Will this be enough for his OCI?

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Paddington
Application made in person on: 14-05-2015
Registration Status at Mission: London
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :15-05-2015
Originals Received by Royal Mail SP: 27-05-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 05-06-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 11-06-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS London On : 15-06-2015
Handed over Passports at VFS Office: 30-06-2015
Received OCI booklet & passport: 03-07-2015 (Missed delivery)
Received OCI booklet & passport: 06-07-2015 (Rearranged delivery)

Amazing and helpful forum.
FYI I am a dual UK/US citizen (not of Indian origin) and a spouse of an OCI.

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Islington
Application made in person on: 28-05-2015
Registration Status at Mission: London
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :29-05-2015
Originals Received by Royal Mail SP: 09-06-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 01-07-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 02-07-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS London On : 06-07-2015
Handed over Passports at VFS Office: Pending
Received OCI booklet & passport: Pending

All,

We are travelling to India in two weeks time. I have two young boys and their OCI U-visas are still in their old passports (not been transferred across to the new passports).

We aim to travel with their NEW Passports + OCI Cards + OLD passports in which the OCI U Visas are stamped.

Do you think that would NOT be acceptable at check-in & Immigration counters? (As they are under twenty and OCI website requires visas in their new passports).


Kids are going after three years and lot of excitement in air. Cant take a risk, do you think it is worth taking a Tourist visa (as there is not enough time for OCI visa transfer to new passport).

Please advise the best option.

Kindest Regards,
B Nair

THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE

Enhance your OCI application process by availing the additional services provided at Indian Visa & Consular Application centres!!!

***Offered in limited locations only***

SMS, Courier, Photo booth Service, Photocopy Service.

· Express Updates via Text /SMS Messages: Stay updated on your application status with pre-set confirmation messages at each stage of your application cycle.

· Submitted your application already but no time to collect it in person??? You can still opt for secure courier delivery to your address at the time you submit your application.

· Save time and hassle by making use of our photocopying service at our application centres.

· Obtain quick photographs precise and parallel to the embassy’s dimension requirements at our application centres.

Went to VFS Newcastle for OCI submission after booking the last appointment of the day due to work commitments.
All VFS email replies has the above signature statement asking applicants to avail thier 'added value' services & 'enhance their OCI process'.
I thought I will get my passport sized pictures and photocopying done at their centre so arrived a bit earlier then my scheduled appointment.
When I checked in at their counter, they gave me a weird look and asked how did you managed to get an appointment at this time? I showed them the print out of my appointment confirmation and they just mumbled between themselves and hesitantly agreed to take my application.
I then asked them where can i take a photograph & get my photocopying done at their centre to which I got an even weirder look. They posed me a question instead whether I can spot any photocopying machine or photo booth at their premises. I said to them about the above quoted statement from VFS email to avail these so called added value benefits. They then said you now have to re-schedule your appointment and come back another time and brushed me off. For a second I couldn't believe I was not in India dealing with govt babus!

On a separate note, do I need to schedule an appointment with VFS once my OCI is processed? or can i just go an deposit my British passport with relevant documents?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks

Hi All,

Please excuse me for posting here I don't know where else to post it. Request all respected gurus kindly answer my query

My baby was born in London in June

I'm a OCI holder her mother holds Indian passport

1. Can she qualify to get OCI?

2. We are applying for her British passport this week but we are vacating this house in September. Some people said if Address on British passport is different to Address while applying for OCI there could be problems. Is this true? Can we not apply for british passport now and then apply for OCI from a different address?

Thanks in advance

forbc123,

1. I think that your baby fulfils the eligibility criteria for an OCI.

2. British passports don't show the address of a person, only their place of birth, which is typically a village, town or city. Note: you can use your baby's birth certificate to apply for the OCI if you prefer, although I think UK birth certificates do show the home address of the mother. More generally I can't see why addresses have to match since most of us move house several times in our lives. Perhaps the concern was more to do with delays in posting paperwork/passports/OCI cards back to you, in which you could ask Royal Mail to redirect any deliveries to an old address to your new address when you move house.

Good luck.

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Islington
Application made in person on: 28-05-2015
Registration Status at Mission: London
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :29-05-2015
Originals Received by Royal Mail SP: 09-06-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 01-07-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 02-07-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS London On : 06-07-2015
Handed over Passports at VFS Office: 07-07-2015
Received OCI booklet & passport: 11-07-2015

Application Method to HCI: VFS/cardiff
Application made in person on: 18-06-2015
Registration Status at Mission: London
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :22-06-2015
Originals Received by Royal Mail SP: 02-07-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 23-07-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 24-07-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS London On :
Handed over Passports at VFS Office:
Received OCI booklet & passport:
Please note that even if a child below 18 has his own surrender certificate still they need the copies of parent's passports( Indian). The staff at cardiff vfs have not taken our passport's copies when we applied for our daughter's oci saying that she got her own surrender certificate but then received email from hci to give them the same and we have to travel again to cardiff ( 4 hours drive) to hand them our passport copies

Has anyone registered for OCI for a family recently?

I am unable to register for a family. Can someone please guide me as to how I can register for a family of 3.

I registered for Part-A for myself. When I click submit, it only shows the option to proceed to part b or exit. There is no option to add my spouse and child for Part-A registration.

I have tried on all the latest versions of Mozilla, Chrome & IE10.

Suspecting it to be due to cookies, I completed all three part A applications in sitting without closing the browsers. Still it didnt help.

I have also reduced the zoom to see if that option is showing up. Still I dont see the option to add family members.

My friend did the registration last Monday and he was able to do the family registration.

Thanks for your help

Application Method to HCI: VFS/cardiff
Application made in person on: 18-06-2015
Registration Status at Mission: London
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :22-06-2015
Originals Received by Royal Mail SP: 02-07-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 23-07-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 24-07-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS London On : 27-07-2015
Handed over Passports at VFS Office: 28-07-2015
Received OCI booklet & passport:
Please note that even if a child below 18 has his own surrender certificate still they need the copies of parent's passports( Indian). The staff at cardiff vfs have not taken our passport's copies when we applied for our daughter's oci saying that she got her own surrender certificate but then received email from hci to give them the same and we have to travel again to cardiff ( 4 hours drive) to hand them our passport copies

snv_2059 wrote:Has anyone registered for OCI for a family recently?

I am unable to register for a family. Can someone please guide me as to how I can register for a family of 3.

I registered for Part-A for myself. When I click submit, it only shows the option to proceed to part b or exit. There is no option to add my spouse and child for Part-A registration.

I have tried on all the latest versions of Mozilla, Chrome & IE10.

Suspecting it to be due to cookies, I completed all three part A applications in sitting without closing the browsers. Still it didnt help.

I have also reduced the zoom to see if that option is showing up. Still I dont see the option to add family members.

My friend did the registration last Monday and he was able to do the family registration.

Thanks for your help

It's been a problem over the past few days I think, it might be easier to apply through single applications for each member of your family.

Hi

Can anyone help me

I applied for OCI in May and still nothing (over 10 weeks).

British citizen and applying as spouse.

Phoned VFS many times and they just say there are no delays and to keep checking for status. Details are:


Date Of Acknowledgment 20-MAY-2015
Registration Status at Mission BIRMINGHAM
Documents Printing Status UNDER-PROCESS
Objection(s) found with this application: ANY OTHER

Objection Remark: AWAITING CLEARANCE FROM GOVT. OF INDIA.(72)15 VFS

I am going to India in October and will probably have to also apply for tourist visa at this rate.

Which documents did you submit with your application? And have they been returned yet?

satellite wrote:Which documents did you submit with your application? And have they been returned yet?

All required documents were submitted at VFS Manchester office and have been returned weeks ago

What were the documents though? Was it just a Surrender certificate + Naturalisation certificate or did you have to submit a birth certificate too? As they might be having difficulty verifying that.

Birth and marriage cert only.

I have no Indian heritage - I am British (english mother and irish father)
I applied for OCI as spouse of an Indian citizen - birth and marriage cert are all that are required and the have been returned.

I have phoned vfs premier line twice and each time they say it is under process await an update.