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Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

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varunadas
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Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:41 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by varunadas » Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:45 pm

marrik wrote:Hey Guys,

Our (family application 2 Adult + 1 Kid) OCI application has been processed and documents returned to London on 20th April (Applied on 13th March). However, as noted, NO SMS/EMAIL to tell us that it has been processed. When I called VFS office, they have asked me to come and submit all passports along with the receipts and 3 SDEs. VFS Customer service guy mentioned that these documents will then be posted to HCI who will put stickers and send the passport along with booklet.

1. Does anyone know the timeline from submitting the documents (after application is processed) to receiving the passport from HCI? Reason is, i am flying for a business trip to US in 2.5 weeks time and bit concerned if its leaving it too late.

2. Does this mean, we will have a sticker as well as booklet from now on? i thought since March 1st week the process has changed and there no longer would be any sticker in passport.

thanks a lot.
You must have noted that most applicants have received their passports back within a week. The official quote is 5-7 working days from VFS - this includes the additional day required for VFS to send the passport to HCI/CGI.

satmvv
Newbie
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 5:26 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by satmvv » Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:50 pm

My application has been showing the below status since 16th of April. I need to travel to India on business in two weeks time so with timescales getting increasingly tight and no update on date received at Birmingham, I tried calling up Birmingham consulate yesterday to check in case there's been any lapse in the online system. However, no one would pick up so ended up dropping an email. This morning I tried VFShelpline instead, who to my surprise advised that the documents have made it to Birmingham and I should therefore submit my passport at VFS. However, later today I received a response to my email from consulate suggesting that I should continue checking the online system.

I am confused now. Does anyone have experience submitting passport without the date of receipt at mission in the status report print out?

File Acknowledgment Number GBRBxxxxxx
Date Of Acknowledgment 24-MAR-2015
Registration Status at Mission BIRMINGHAM
OCI- Number Axxxxxxx
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On 13-APR-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On 16-APR-2015
Document received At BIRMINGHAM On

nani_varaprasad
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Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:25 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by nani_varaprasad » Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:53 pm

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Paddington
Application Posted On : 23-03-2015 (1 adult for Myself)
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Alert Message Dispatched Received: 23-03-2015
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :24-03-2015
Originals Received:30-03-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 17-04-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 20-04-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On : 21-04-2015
British Passport handed over to VFS for U sticker: 22-04-2015
OCI stamped passport received On :

For people, once you checked the online status saying documents received at London HCI (or whereever in UK) you need to go back to VFS office where you applied OCI. You dont need any appointment. You can walk in to VFS office and let them know that you came to handover your British passport and for collection of OCI. They will generate the OCI counter number and will ask to wait for your call.
[1] Take your OCI acknowledgement receipt (If you lost it just let them know. I dont think it will be a big issue. Anyways They have all your details in system).They will check and give it back to you.
[2] Online Status printout.
[3] British Passport Original
[4] Self addressed royal mail envelope.

2nd option is to post directly to HCI london. I will avoid this as i have confusions approaching directly to HCI. I went directly to HCI London and said they no more accepting the OCI in person. They said best approach is to go back to the VFS office where i applied and they will do it for you the final steps.

Also, i had no issues with VFS as many claimed they are not good. I surrended my passport in Goswell VFS and had no issues and everything done in quick time. For OCI, as i couldn't able to get an appointment at Goswell i went to Paddington. Even there i had no issues and everything done in quick times.

Unless you confuse yourself and Confuse VFS i dont see them being an issue. For me - VFS doing a good job for HCI and for me -completing the whole process in 4 weeks. If it is HCI alone i would have imagined atleast 8 weeks to get the OCI.

manimaran
Newbie
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:43 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by manimaran » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:23 am

vrsec666 wrote:Application made in Person at VFS Hounslow (2 Adults ) : 05 Mar 2015
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Date of Acknowledgement : 09 Mar 2015
Originals Received: 19 Mar 2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 11 APR 2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 15 APR 2015
OCI Document received At HCI On : 16 APR 2015
Passport given to VFS Hounslow in person on : 17 APR 2015
Passport with OCI sticker & Booklet received : 22 APR 2015
Hi ,

Did you provide 2 self addressed envelopes or 1 ?

Cheers,
Mani

vrsec666
Newly Registered
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:54 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by vrsec666 » Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:30 am

manimaran wrote:
vrsec666 wrote:Application made in Person at VFS Hounslow (2 Adults ) : 05 Mar 2015
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Date of Acknowledgement : 09 Mar 2015
Originals Received: 19 Mar 2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 11 APR 2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 15 APR 2015
OCI Document received At HCI On : 16 APR 2015
Passport given to VFS Hounslow in person on : 17 APR 2015
Passport with OCI sticker & Booklet received : 22 APR 2015
Hi ,

Did you provide 2 self addressed envelopes or 1 ?

Cheers,
Mani

2 separate envelopes and received OCI cards and passports in the same way as well !

varunadas
Newly Registered
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:41 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by varunadas » Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:53 pm

nani_varaprasad wrote:Application Method to HCI: VFS/Paddington
Application Posted On : 23-03-2015 (1 adult for Myself)
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Alert Message Dispatched Received: 23-03-2015
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :24-03-2015
Originals Received:30-03-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 17-04-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 20-04-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On : 21-04-2015
British Passport handed over to VFS for U sticker: 22-04-2015
OCI stamped passport received On :

For people, once you checked the online status saying documents received at London HCI (or whereever in UK) you need to go back to VFS office where you applied OCI. You dont need any appointment. You can walk in to VFS office and let them know that you came to handover your British passport and for collection of OCI. They will generate the OCI counter number and will ask to wait for your call.
[1] Take your OCI acknowledgement receipt (If you lost it just let them know. I dont think it will be a big issue. Anyways They have all your details in system).They will check and give it back to you.
[2] Online Status printout.
[3] British Passport Original
[4] Self addressed royal mail envelope.

2nd option is to post directly to HCI london. I will avoid this as i have confusions approaching directly to HCI. I went directly to HCI London and said they no more accepting the OCI in person. They said best approach is to go back to the VFS office where i applied and they will do it for you the final steps.

Also, i had no issues with VFS as many claimed they are not good. I surrended my passport in Goswell VFS and had no issues and everything done in quick time. For OCI, as i couldn't able to get an appointment at Goswell i went to Paddington. Even there i had no issues and everything done in quick times.

Unless you confuse yourself and Confuse VFS i dont see them being an issue. For me - VFS doing a good job for HCI and for me -completing the whole process in 4 weeks. If it is HCI alone i would have imagined atleast 8 weeks to get the OCI.
Just some clarification here -
1. You do not need the Acknowledgement receipt for submitting your passport for affixing U-sticker.
2. HCI will accept Passports for affixing U-sticker if you post them - I did not do that as both VFS office and HCI were equidistant - also with HCI I had to pay costs for Special Delivery Envelope. You cannot hand deliver at HCI as Security will not allow you to meet any officials
3. You submitted the application towards end of March when they improved their processes after multiple complaints to HCI. They are refunding applicants who were forced to buy multiple DX Secure Envelopes for family applications for returning original documents. However they did not compensate people who had used multiple SDE as the refund is being given from the commission they make selling each DX Secure envelope.
4. I think the applicants are more likely to get confused at VFS as most staff make up their own rules rather than working collaboratively with HCI for whom they are acting for.
5. I do not believe that outsourcing to VFS has shortened timelines, I would say it has added at least 2 extra working days to the process.
6. In addition for a typical family application (of 3 applicants), you are paying £50+ extra (VFS service charge, SDE for return of original and passports and getting nothing extra in benefit) compared to HCI where you only paid for one SDE for return of passports.
In fact HCI is being naughty in affixing U-stickers when it is not needed anymore for immigration so they could have simply handed over the OCI cards to VFS to be hand delivered or posted.

tier1check
Junior Member
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:40 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by tier1check » Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:55 am

Finally received OCI. Long process of visa, ILR, Passport & OCI. This forum was quite helpful in this process.

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Goswell Road
Application Posted On : 05-03-2015 (2 adults + 1 child)
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :09-03-2015
Originals Received: 21-03-2015
Documents Printing Status: Under Process
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 10-Apr-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 15-Apr-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On : 16-Apr-2015
Handed over Passports at VFS Office: 17-Apr-2015
Received OCI booklet & passport: 22-Apr-2015

piy_007
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:22 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by piy_007 » Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:28 pm

Received OCI. This forum helped a lot in whole process

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Goswell Road
Application Posted On : 11-03-2015
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :12-03-2015
Originals Received: 23-03-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 13-Apr-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 16-Apr-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On : 17-Apr-2015
Handed over Passports at VFS Office: 21-Apr-2015
Received OCI booklet & passport: 24-Apr-2015

saurabhgupta
Newly Registered
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:28 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by saurabhgupta » Thu Apr 30, 2015 9:46 pm

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Birmingham
Application Posted On : 09-04-2015
Registration Status at Mission: Birmingham
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :10-04-2015
Originals Received: 28-04-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 30-Apr-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On :
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On :
Handed over Passports at VFS Office:
Received OCI booklet & passport:

ItsEd
Newly Registered
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:27 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by ItsEd » Fri May 01, 2015 10:41 am

Dear all,
My document was processed on 22nd April. However, it is not dispatched from MOIA(Delhi). Is it common for them to held document for long period? If anyone has gone through similar experience in delay, please let me know

ahranju2k
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Posts: 5
Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 12:56 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by ahranju2k » Fri May 01, 2015 1:01 pm

Don't worry, it has happened before. MOHA does not ship OCI cards daily. Besides we have 2 applications which were printed on same date April 22nd and not posted yet.

bobby_das
Newly Registered
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 2:38 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by bobby_das » Sat May 02, 2015 11:07 am

Application made in Person to VFS Goswell road 1 Adult : 18/03/15
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) : 19/03/15
Originals Received: 25-03-2015
Documents Printing Status: Processed
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 16-APR-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 20-APR-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On : 22-APR-2015
Passport given to VFS in person on : 28-APR-2015
Passport Received on : 1-MAY-2015

RockON
Newbie
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:46 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by RockON » Tue May 05, 2015 10:18 am

Hi varunadas, thank you for all information. Would you be able to confirm, where you got the information that HCI will accept passports for affixing them. HCI website mentions the facility is available only for pre-VFS applications. I would like to avoid unnecessary travel to VFS office. HCI used to accept one return special delivery envelope for multiple applications, which will compensate cost of special delivery for sending passports to HCI. Many Thanks
varunadas wrote:
nani_varaprasad wrote:Application Method to HCI: VFS/Paddington
Application Posted On : 23-03-2015 (1 adult for Myself)
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Alert Message Dispatched Received: 23-03-2015
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :24-03-2015
Originals Received:30-03-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 17-04-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 20-04-2015
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On : 21-04-2015
British Passport handed over to VFS for U sticker: 22-04-2015
OCI stamped passport received On :

For people, once you checked the online status saying documents received at London HCI (or whereever in UK) you need to go back to VFS office where you applied OCI. You dont need any appointment. You can walk in to VFS office and let them know that you came to handover your British passport and for collection of OCI. They will generate the OCI counter number and will ask to wait for your call.
[1] Take your OCI acknowledgement receipt (If you lost it just let them know. I dont think it will be a big issue. Anyways They have all your details in system).They will check and give it back to you.
[2] Online Status printout.
[3] British Passport Original
[4] Self addressed royal mail envelope.

2nd option is to post directly to HCI london. I will avoid this as i have confusions approaching directly to HCI. I went directly to HCI London and said they no more accepting the OCI in person. They said best approach is to go back to the VFS office where i applied and they will do it for you the final steps.

Also, i had no issues with VFS as many claimed they are not good. I surrended my passport in Goswell VFS and had no issues and everything done in quick time. For OCI, as i couldn't able to get an appointment at Goswell i went to Paddington. Even there i had no issues and everything done in quick times.

Unless you confuse yourself and Confuse VFS i dont see them being an issue. For me - VFS doing a good job for HCI and for me -completing the whole process in 4 weeks. If it is HCI alone i would have imagined atleast 8 weeks to get the OCI.
Just some clarification here -
1. You do not need the Acknowledgement receipt for submitting your passport for affixing U-sticker.
2. HCI will accept Passports for affixing U-sticker if you post them - I did not do that as both VFS office and HCI were equidistant - also with HCI I had to pay costs for Special Delivery Envelope. You cannot hand deliver at HCI as Security will not allow you to meet any officials
3. You submitted the application towards end of March when they improved their processes after multiple complaints to HCI. They are refunding applicants who were forced to buy multiple DX Secure Envelopes for family applications for returning original documents. However they did not compensate people who had used multiple SDE as the refund is being given from the commission they make selling each DX Secure envelope.
4. I think the applicants are more likely to get confused at VFS as most staff make up their own rules rather than working collaboratively with HCI for whom they are acting for.
5. I do not believe that outsourcing to VFS has shortened timelines, I would say it has added at least 2 extra working days to the process.
6. In addition for a typical family application (of 3 applicants), you are paying £50+ extra (VFS service charge, SDE for return of original and passports and getting nothing extra in benefit) compared to HCI where you only paid for one SDE for return of passports.
In fact HCI is being naughty in affixing U-stickers when it is not needed anymore for immigration so they could have simply handed over the OCI cards to VFS to be hand delivered or posted.

lindaraset
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 10:33 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by lindaraset » Tue May 05, 2015 10:39 am

Dea saurabhgupta
I have Printing Status PROCESSED On 21-APR-2015
after that no update on the oci web. Is it same for you?

davster
Junior Member
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:31 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by davster » Tue May 05, 2015 3:36 pm

Hello Friends,

Quick question on surrender of passport. Do I have to surrender my "cancelled" Indian Passport along with the current valid passport? or is it just the current valid passport that has to be surrendered?

Thanks

Mahesh Gowda
Newly Registered
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 4:17 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by Mahesh Gowda » Tue May 05, 2015 10:09 pm

davster wrote:Hello Friends,

Quick question on surrender of passport. Do I have to surrender my "cancelled" Indian Passport along with the current valid passport? or is it just the current valid passport that has to be surrendered?

Thanks
Hello

Just current valid passport

lindaraset
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 10:33 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by lindaraset » Wed May 06, 2015 6:44 am

Just current valid passport

davster
Junior Member
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:31 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by davster » Wed May 06, 2015 7:54 am

Thank you Mahesh Gowda and lindaraset, much appreciated!

saurabhgupta
Newly Registered
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:28 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by saurabhgupta » Wed May 06, 2015 11:03 am

lindaraset wrote:Dea saurabhgupta
I have Printing Status PROCESSED On 21-APR-2015
after that no update on the oci web. Is it same for you?
Yes mins is pending from 30 Apr. But 1 observation as my application was for 2 adults + 2 child, the processing date on Child application is of 05/05/2015.

Hope they post the application soon now.

Cheers,
Saurabh

ahranju2k
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 12:56 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by ahranju2k » Wed May 06, 2015 12:43 pm

For my husband and myself the oci card was printed on April 22nd and dispatched on may 5, my daughter' is printed on may 6th so may be dispatched next week.

ItsEd
Newly Registered
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:27 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by ItsEd » Thu May 07, 2015 12:24 pm

Update:
Application Done: 31 March 2015
Mission Place: London
Status Updated: 2 Apr 2015
Status: Under Process
Documents Received: 09 Apr 2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 22-APR-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 05-MAY-2015
OCI Document received At HCI On : 06-MAY-2015

Got a question. I was advised by VFS that they will give me a call so that I can drop the passport in their VFS office. Did anyone get a call from them? Will it be alright if I walk in and drop the passport?

manimaran
Newbie
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:43 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by manimaran » Thu May 07, 2015 12:59 pm

ItsEd wrote:Update:
Application Done: 31 March 2015
Mission Place: London
Status Updated: 2 Apr 2015
Status: Under Process
Documents Received: 09 Apr 2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 22-APR-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 05-MAY-2015
OCI Document received At HCI On : 06-MAY-2015

Got a question. I was advised by VFS that they will give me a call so that I can drop the passport in their VFS office. Did anyone get a call from them? Will it be alright if I walk in and drop the passport?

Hi,

VFS never called/ emailed me. I walked in (no appointment needed) and handed over passports + copy of OCI received at London status + self addressed envelopes (1 per applicant) to them .

Cheers,
Mani

vimalPand123
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri May 08, 2015 9:40 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by vimalPand123 » Fri May 08, 2015 9:45 am

Hi,

How long does VFS takes after I re-submit my british passport to them for completeing the OCI process. In how many days normally would I get my passport & OCI?

manimaran
Newbie
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:43 am

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by manimaran » Fri May 08, 2015 1:37 pm

Final Update

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Hounslow
Application Posted On : 10-03-2015 (2 adults)
Registration Status at Mission: LONDON
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :11-03-2015
Originals Received: 19-03-2015 - rearranged for 20-03-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 11-APR-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 15-APR-2015
OCI Document received At HCI On : 16-APR-2015
Passport given to VFS Hounslow in person on : 05-May-2015
Passport with OCI sticker & Booklet received : 08-May-2015

Thank you moderators and others for your guidance through out various stages.

Mani

saurabhgupta
Newly Registered
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:28 pm

Re: Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

Post by saurabhgupta » Fri May 08, 2015 8:11 pm

saurabhgupta wrote:Application Method to HCI: VFS/Birmingham
Application Posted On : 09-04-2015
Registration Status at Mission: Birmingham
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :10-04-2015
Originals Received: 28-04-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 30-Apr-2015
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On :
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On :
Handed over Passports at VFS Office:
Received OCI booklet & passport:

Application Method to HCI: VFS/Birmingham
Application Posted On : 09-04-2015 (2 Adults + 2 Child)
Registration Status at Mission: Birmingham
Date Of Acknowledgement (on website) :10-04-2015
Originals Received: 28-04-2015
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On : 30-Apr-2015(For Adults) 05-May-2015 (For children)
Dispatched From MOIA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On : 07-May-2015(For Adults) 08-May-2015 (For children)
OCI Document received At HCI/VFS On :
Handed over Passports at VFS Office:
Received OCI booklet & passport:

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