Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

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.

It might be better to ring the Birmingham CGI office I think

Application Method to HCI: VFS Liverpool
Application made in person on: 19-06-2015
Registration Status at Mission: Birmingham
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :23-06-2015
Originals Received by Royal Mail SP: 04-08-2015
Documents Printing Status : UNDER PROCESS

Seems like its delayed as the 42 days have gone!!
Application was for my baby. We both parents are Indian passport holders. So I thought it was relatively straight forward!!

Mahesh Gowda wrote: You have to definitely send query to Vfs, oci team india


Twitter to MEA is quite helpful. One of my friend has his case resolved very quickly.

All the best

can you please share this contact detail?

abhijack wrote:

Mahesh Gowda wrote: You have to definitely send query to Vfs, oci team india


Twitter to MEA is quite helpful. One of my friend has his case resolved very quickly.

All the best

can you please share this contact detail?

TRY @CPVIndia and also Susma on @SushmaSwaraj

Hi All,

I have been reading the messages people post in this section and I have a question....

[The back story] I have applied for OCI for my little daughter, shes only 6 weeks old.

I applied online... through "passport.gov.in/oci/welcome".. After that I got an appointment at VFS Birmingham to hand in the original documents + paper OCI application + photos (13 Aug 2015). I got a text message on 14 Aug 2015 saying "Your application ref no. ACBR/****2015/****/01 has been dispatched to Consulate General of India on 13/08/2015 for further processing. Thank you".

I know its only been 8 working days since I applied... but I checked the status on passport.gov.in/oci/welcome, it says..
Applicant Name: XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
File Acknowledgment Number: GBR*********
Date Of Acknowledgment: 14-AUG-2015
Registration Status at Mission: BIRMINGHAM
Documents Printing Status UNDER-PROCESS

Whats the next step in the process..?? Do I get another message on my phone..??

Hi,

I've got the same SMS but on 11/08/2015,
Have not received my originals back yet either.
status shows still UNDER-PROCESS

The originals usually take 2 weeks to be returned. If your local Mission is Birmingham then they've been having some huge delays so it might take 6 weeks.

Hi - I had applied for my wife's OCI at Goswell Road VFS Branch, London. I am replying with dates for the benefit of everyone

Date of Application: 6th Aug 2015
Date of Acknowledgement: 7th Aug 2015
Original Returned by Post: 13th Aug 2015
OCI Processed and Printed: 28th Aug 2015
Dispatched from Delhi: Awaited
Received in London: Awaited

runpast123 wrote:Hi - I had applied for my wife's OCI at Goswell Road VFS Branch, London. I am replying with dates for the benefit of everyone

Date of Application: 6th Aug 2015
Date of Acknowledgement: 7th Aug 2015
Original Returned by Post: 13th Aug 2015
OCI Processed and Printed: 28th Aug 2015
Dispatched from Delhi: Awaited
Received in London: Awaited

Hi
I am planning to apply for the OCI card for myself and my 2 year old son> we both got British passports.
Could you please kindly confirm if you have to submit your Original British Passports at the time of OCI application at the VFS office?
Your response much appreciated.
Thank you

Hi,

No you just show them your British Passport at the time of application but they won't take it away from you. They only take it after your OCI has been accepted,so you have to go back to VFS to give it. They keep your passport for around a week after that.