Good work HCI

I feel obliged to say that all the scaremongering about the efficiency of the staff at HCI London does not carry any weight. Yes, you have to spend couple of hours queueing. I joined the queue at 8:30 and out by 10 am.

The embassy have streamlined the process and it is just a matter of waiting for your number to be called. Once at the counter as long as you have followed the instructions given in the website, it doesnt take more than 5 mins.

All delays and problems arise due to the fact that the applicants provide insufficient documents. And when this is pointed out, they switch to "argue mode".

Some come to apply for OCI without bringing their nationality and British passport copy. When the application is turned down, they start to argue. Most rejections were due to the fact that they did not go through the requirement or is just ignorant.

Some people come with originals without any photocopy and get angry when asked.

Some come to apply for OCI when both parents are indians. The staff ask them to apply for pio instead. They even provide them with application so that they can apply immidiately and need not come again. The lady at pio counter is very patient, pleasing and deals with everyone effor tlessly without a hint of rudeness whatsoever. the staff at the OCI counter were efficient and helpful.

And don't over complicate things. Just give them what they ask for.

They deserve our appreciation.

Some people come with originals without any photocopy and get angry when asked.

Why can't HCI place photo-copy machines like VFS ? That would take care of this problem. There are quite limited (almost none) options to get your originals photo-copied at the HCI. The staff thinks that we are in India and there is a photo-copy shop just around the corner.

There is actually a shop around the corner from HCI where you can take copy. Moreover, it is not the responsibility of Hci. Applicants are to be blamed if they are not pprepared. Whatelse do you need?. A personalized application preparation service?

pinkotai wrote:There is actually a shop around the corner from HCI where you can take copy. Moreover, it is not the responsibility of Hci. Applicants are to be blamed if they are not pprepared. Whatelse do you need?. A personalized application preparation service?

I agree with pinkotai, many of the outsourced visa centers for european countries eg France, Belgium etc dont have photo machine, copier machine etc, when people go there for visa they take all the documents as required but for Indian offices we dont take that much care and create all the problems.

I know many times the workers in Indian emabassy are inefficent but if we take care of some of the things we can avoid the problems.

Last year when i went for for Indian passport renewal it was very quick and passport was ready to collection the next day without any issues.

pinkotai, glad to read your post. It's important that we do give credit where it is due. In fact, just recently I was at VFS Hayes for surrender certificate and the lady there was quite courteous and efficient. And I complimented her on the quality of service provided.

I hope my experience at HCI London (I will be applying for OCI soon) will be equally satisfactory.

pinkotai wrote:There is actually a shop around the corner from HCI where you can take copy. Moreover, it is not the responsibility of Hci. Applicants are to be blamed if they are not pprepared. Whatelse do you need?. A personalized application preparation service?

For the benefit of everyone, please provide details of the shop which provides the photcopying facility. I went to HCI loaded with originals and photocopies coz I was advised to do so by a friend of mine and hence did not run into this proble,. When I was there, a guy was told to get a photocopy of a document and since the guy was new to that area, he did not know where the nearest photocopy service was. HCI officials, being courteous could have told him where the nearest one was and he could have gone there. Rather than that, he took the tube, went to his friends office (in Central London) and came back with a photocopy of the document. I took him more than 1 hr to do so. So yes, its not the responsiblity of the HCI and people should read and be prepared, but sometimes things are not mentioned clearly on the website and hence you see so many people asking questions here and on other forums. I agree for major lapses, there is nothing they can do, but for small things like photocopies, they can easily do it there (there is a photocopy machine at HCI in the back), keep one machine and charge people for using it or direct people to the nearest photocopy machine shop.

This shows that people don't look carefully enough. There us actually a sticker in the hci main entrance door which points photoopies. and that sticker looks quite old. so it must have been there for long. as you come out of the door turn left and get across the road to aldwych bus stop. just adjacent to the university.

pinkotai wrote:This shows that people don't look carefully enough. There us actually a sticker in the hci main entrance door which points photoopies. and that sticker looks quite old. so it must have been there for long. as you come out of the door turn left and get across the road to aldwych bus stop. just adjacent to the university.

Yes thats true but I think some times those employees dont want to give any particular name as I think officically they cant give anyboody's name as they are given directions for these because they may be held respobsible for any consequences.

rnr79 wrote:

pinkotai wrote:This shows that people don't look carefully enough. There us actually a sticker in the hci main entrance door which points photoopies. and that sticker looks quite old. so it must have been there for long. as you come out of the door turn left and get across the road to aldwych bus stop. just adjacent to the university.

Yes thats true but I think some times those employees dont want to give any particular name as I think officically they cant give anyboody's name as they are given directions for these because they may be held respobsible for any consequences.

I think they don't know it or just feign ignorance so that people can suffer. Thanks for the directions pinkotai, I shall have a look at that the next time I visit the HCI.