PIO card application in person: Updated as per visit to HCI

Hi

Has anyone been to HCI London for PIO card application submission in person please?

I will be going there sometime this week (to submit the PIO application on my wife's behalf), will ensure to be there at around 5.30 am at least, so hopefully i can be the first few in the queue.

Aside getting there that early, are there anything else i need to k now? Of course i will have all the required documentation etc.

Specifically, these:

1. Is there any specific queue that i should be waiting on. From reading various other posts, i think there are 2 queues there? Which one is for PIO application submission? Would i be able to find this clearly there if i end up going there at 5.30 AM?

2. Should I go there that early (5.30-6 AM ) for PIO too? Or that kind of timing is advisable only for OCI applications?

3. One of the post said people were jumping queues at last minute when they opened to give tokens
Is that true? (Since i won't jump queues, and will lose out to those that do, then I am then thinking what is the point of going there in person to submit the application at all then?)

4. Would they give the original passport and naturalisation certificate ( and the Indian passport surrender certificate) back to me the same time after accepting the application form and photocopy documents at the counter?
I hope they won’t ask me to come back in the afternoon to collect the originals. If that is the case, then i may put the application in post.

5. This is for people who submitted by post: Did you get back the naturalisation certificate and Surrender certificate back in post without these getting damaged, torn etc. when they sent the approved PIO card to you?

But i would want to go in person and submit it anyway, since we can keep the original documents with us soon after applying for the card.

Thanks.

Yes there is a specific query for PIO card combined with other consular services, make sure you in the queue which is second .. second queue from building wall.

Depends on the day but on 30th Sep I have seen that people turning at 8:00 were pretty much at front but dont take risk reach about 6:30

no one jumps queue...

I have done for OCI and I dont have to give original ... I think best to carry original

quantumscience wrote:Hi

Has anyone been to HCI London for PIO card application submission in person please?

I will be going there sometime this week (to submit the PIO application on my wife's behalf), will ensure to be there at around 5.30 am at least, so hopefully i can be the first few in the queue.

Aside getting there that early, are there anything else i need to k now? Of course i will have all the required documentation etc.

Specifically, these:

1. Is there any specific queue that i should be waiting on. From reading various other posts, i think there are 2 queues there? Which one is for PIO application submission? Would i be able to find this clearly there if i end up going there at 5.30 AM?

2. Should I go there that early (5.30-6 AM ) for PIO too? Or that kind of timing is advisable only for OCI applications?

3. One of the post said people were jumping queues at last minute when they opened to give tokens
Is that true? (Since i won't jump queues, and will lose out to those that do, then I am then thinking what is the point of going there in person to submit the application at all then?)

4. Would they give the original passport and naturalisation certificate ( and the Indian passport surrender certificate) back to me the same time after accepting the application form and photocopy documents at the counter?
I hope they won’t ask me to come back in the afternoon to collect the originals. If that is the case, then i may put the application in post.

5. This is for people who submitted by post: Did you get back the naturalisation certificate and Surrender certificate back in post without these getting damaged, torn etc. when they sent the approved PIO card to you?

But i would want to go in person and submit it anyway, since we can keep the original documents with us soon after applying for the card.

Thanks.

Thanks dilkpdp.

Couple of more questions...

I am going there tomorrow morning, and i have got the documents ready.

Just a couple of things...

1. The application asks for it to be submitted in DUPLICATE. I am planning to just photo-copy the one applicaiton form set that my wife has completed and signed, I suppose that photo-copy is going to be enough as duplicate, rather than re-writing the whole form once again?

2. One f the questions asks if she has held any other nationality other than the present one. Obviously she has had her Indian nationality until last month, so she has just filled that information saying yes to that question and filled her passport details there. Hope that is what they expected.

3. I am taking 4 photos (passport sized)... and the form asks for one of it to be "Affixed" on the application form. So we have "pasted (glue)" one of the 4 photos on the form (and will hand over the remaining 3 to them separately as part of the documents). Is that OK, or they just want all the 4 photos loose to hand?

I will be there at about 6.30 AM, so hoping i will be the first in the queue

Thanks.

OK Gents & Ladies... Here are my updates on my PIO card application visit to HCI London.

Background: PIO Application in person by me, on behalf of my wife (so this proves you can submit on behalf of your spouse)

• Arrived at HCI at 6.15 AM
• Found 2 queues, and I queued up in the second one (marked as Passport, consular services) – this is the second one from the HCI wall, or the Left one, if you will
There were already about 20 people on the left queue (covering all passport, consular and PIO services, hence I think that many), and about 30 people in the OCI marked queue
(If you are going there for OCI, I may have to recommend (not sure though) that you get there by 5 AM or something (my good guess), since at 6.15 AM there were already 30 people for OCI )
• At 7.30 AM a gentleman came around and checked the queue people were all in the correct respective queues (he actually asks each and every person what they were there for!), and in this process I found that most of the people in my queue were for passport consular services.
• At 8.30 AM (sharp!) they opened the door and after security check they let us in.
Keep your application out to show them, and keep your bags open too for security verification. This is important you prepare this ahead of time, since one guy was struggling to open the zip of the bag (probably it got stuck or something, poor fellow!)and he was blocking all of us for some time!!
• Went in to the office after security check, and you see several counters, and they are clearly marked for respective services. Counter 6 was for PIO (only one counter).
• At 9.15 AM, they start announcing to all what all documents and cash/postal order / photo requirements, etc. are expected, to entertain the applications.
• At 9.30 (sharp!) they opened the counters.
• I was 3rd in the queue for PIO
• I was called in at about 9.45 AM, and the lady in the counter took the application form, and asked for all necessary documents one by one.
• She gave all the originals back and accepted the application, and gave me a date next month when we will receive the PIO card in the SD envelop that i have given as part of the application.
• I was out of the office by about 10 AM

The lady at the counter 6, Ms. Jyothi, she is an absolute gem of a professional. She is very soft spoken and cheerful, and asks for documents one by one clearly, checks them before moving on to ask for more, and before you know, the job is done

quantumscience wrote: The lady at the counter 6, Ms. Jyothi, she is an absolute gem of a professional. She is very soft spoken and cheerful, and asks for documents one by one clearly, checks them before moving on to ask for more, and before you know, the job is done

You are absolutely right, this person is very smart, and provides wonderful service.
While i was applying PIO for my children she delivered fantastic service.

Update: My wife received her PIO card on Saturday by post (in our SD envelop). It took only 3.5 weeks in all (i submitted the application in person though).