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I can really understand how to feel as I am in a similar situation.need_a_tier1 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:26 pmYes, conflicting information. Spoke to various people at HCI London & VFS UK, and conflicting information each time.
Everyone I spoke to gave different information than the previous person.
This is what I have been told -
- No regular visa or e-visa can be issued to the active OCI card holder. So do not submit a regular visa or e-visa application, it will be rejected straightway .
- You can submit a regular visa application to VFS with an application explaining the situation that there is no time for OCI renewal. The HCI might consider this and grant a visa.
- In case the HCI issues a regular visa, that will no effect on the OCI or the OCI visa.
- In case the HCI issues a regular visa, they will 'temporarily' cancel the OCI. On your return, to the UK you can just use the £21 OCI Misc service to transfer the OCI to new passport. The temporary cancellation will have no effect on OCI re-issue Misc application on your return to UK.
- In case the HCI issues a regular visa, they will 'permanently' cancel the OCI. On your return, to the UK you will have to make a fresh OCI application.
My brain is completely fried now and I really don't know what to do.
Moreover, I tried starting the e-visa and regular paper visa applications online and both applications and more or less similar in the questions they ask. Both applications, ask the question "if you have visited India before" and if you answer yes then have to provide your expired/current Indian visa type, number and expiry date. Now you have to pick the visa type from a drop down menu and there is no option to choose OCI.
So, selecting "No" to "if you have visited India before" is like giving wrong information.
selecting any other visa type like 'tourist' or 'visit' is like giving wrong information.
But, shockingly both HCI & VFS have given wrong information and conflicting information:
- You can answer No to "if you have visited India before".
- You can answer Yes to "if you have visited India before" but in visa type select "tourist" and write your OCI number
- You can answer Yes to "if you have visited India before" but in visa type write N/A and write 000000 in visa number. (this was not possible as there is no option to write anything in visa type, but have to select from a drop-down menu)
So, basically no one at either the HCI or VFS knows what to do - everyone has their own understanding and just keeps giving wrong information.
I am really not sure what to do now.
- If I apply for OCI misc service, the application may not complete in time.
- If I apply for e-visa or regular paper visa, I may have to give incorrect answers to the questions I mentioned above.
Thanks for the update! Which website was this?westcoast984 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2019 1:02 amThen on one Indian conslate website it says if you must travel just carry acknowledgement of renewal, old passport, new passport, and OCI. I only have a week at this point so I plan to travel with those 4 documents and renew it when I get back.
https://cgihouston.gov.in/component/k2/ ... o-oci-cardneed_a_tier1 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2019 2:03 pmThanks for the update! Which website was this?westcoast984 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2019 1:02 amThen on one Indian conslate website it says if you must travel just carry acknowledgement of renewal, old passport, new passport, and OCI. I only have a week at this point so I plan to travel with those 4 documents and renew it when I get back.
If you have the link can you please share it. Thanks again.
USA2001 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 9:18 pmHello,
I am in the same situation. My daughter has got a passport renewed recently and has OCI linked to Old passport. I emailed to NY and Chicago embassy and they replied either apply for an emergency visa or a regular visa. I have applied E-visa mentioning that she visited India on visit visa and OCI visa number. not sure if I will get it or not.
Though I have got all conflicting information when one person at the embassy told me that there is no issue if you are carrying an old passport along with a new passport with OCI card. but other Visa officer told me, You must need the visa to travel to India.
I connected with the immigration office at Delhi airport through my friend. The immigration officer told there is no issue to enter India if you have an old passport along with you.
it seems like all these issues are created by Qatar airline when they didn't issue the boarding pass if you do not have a new OCI. whereas Air India refused boarding pass in the US because the passenger was not carrying the old passport.
I am at damn risk now as my travel is just in 40 hours. I am at the mercy of EVisa or airline staff.
I don't know why the Indian embassy says OCI is with lifelong validity if it requires renewal with the passport. if it requires renewal then it must have expiry dates.
Hi, Please provide update once you have completed your travels.jaisingkar wrote: ↑Sun Dec 01, 2019 2:26 amHi,
I am in the same boat.. travelling with Emirates and 10 working days to travel. I just came across this that I need to transfer OCI to new passports for my kids. Wondering what to do?
Hi, Please provide once your traveling is completedneed_a_tier1 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2019 10:20 amI am the OP for this thread. Very sorry for not getting back.
I can now share my experience - we flew with Air India to Ahmedabad in Dec 2018. For my child, I carried both new and old(cancelled) UK passports. The old passport had the OCI U visa sticker.
There were no questions asked at the Air India check-in desk at Heathrow.
Landing at Ahmedabad was late night / early morning, so few arrivals at that time. The immigration officers looked like the juniors doing the night duty, I handed over both old & new passports & oci for my son and again no questions were asked and new passport was stamped with the arrival stamp.
There were no problems either when we left India at the end of the trip.
However, I am going again in Dec now and I still haven't managed to get the "OCI re-issued" for my son. There are various screenshots of a memo issued by HCI London doing rounds on whatsapp groups.
I am worried now, but again I don't have time to apply for the new OCI. I am going my emirates this time, so all the more reason to worry as someone reported that emirates are denying check-in. The only thread I could find for emirates in this matter is from 2013:
Third party weblink removed by moderator
But, the family were denied boarding as they were not carrying old passports which had the visa sticker.
I am planning to apply for e-visa for my son now. Anyone else in the same boat, who is applying for the e-visa. May be we can share our experiences.
Yes, we travelled on Emirates from Seattle to Kochi on Sunday,Dec 1st. My son’s passport was renewed last month and we didn’t have the time to apply to renew the OCI, as it took 4 months last time when we applied for OCI in lieu of pio . 2 days before our travel date we called emirates customer service and asked about this and they said they will allow us to board but they don’t know about the immigration. We carried old passport and OCI booklet along with new passport. no questions asked while boarding or at Immigration at Kochi.Bhav111 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 6:45 pmSo has anyone been on Emirates from US to India lately? Any issues with expired OCI "U" stamped passport, OCI Booklet & New passport for a Minor? Just like others, I was under impression for the longest time that once OCI is done for my lil one, I'll no longer have to worry about any sort of renewal or visa. Time will tell...
Thank you so much for your update and info.Syams04 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:27 amYes, we travelled on Emirates from Seattle to Kochi on Sunday,Dec 1st. My son’s passport was renewed last month and we didn’t have the time to apply to renew the OCI, as it took 4 months last time when we applied for OCI in lieu of pio . 2 days before our travel date we called emirates customer service and asked about this and they said they will allow us to board but they don’t know about the immigration. We carried old passport and OCI booklet along with new passport. no questions asked while boarding or at Immigration at Kochi.