PIO to OCI conversion process

Hi Good people,


I am a UK citizen and currently hold a PIO.
I am aware that I need to convert it to OCI card now.
Need to do this for myself, my daughter (minor) and my wife (all British holding PIO cards).

I have read through the VFS guidelines and the online submission of Part A & B and document submission information.
Seems quite chaotic amount of information seems to be needed - school leaving certificate, marriage certs, affidavits, letter from employer ( I am an IT contractor with my own company), passport surrender cert., and it goes on and on.... the documents required page of VFSGlobal is really hilarious and frustrating read.

All that for just converting a PIO to OCI???- all of our information is already there with Indian govt. one would have thought!! (with my earlier Indian passport surrender and PIO card process several years back).

Also there is no specific format of what information are seeking on the "if businessman, we need a letter head with some data".

So, ranting aside, my question is, has anybody gone through this PIO to OCI conversion process recently in 2018 (since things seem to change month by month when it comes to Indian govt. things/procedures), and what all they submitted and were there any hiccups in the process or caveats and other things we need to know?

Would be very grateful if some one can detail on that please.

Need to make sure we have all the things to hand correctly. so that we don't end up standing in the queue outside VFS for several hours only to realise they want that one other piece of document, and hence have to go though right from the appointment process once again.

Thanks in advance for any details.

In an email reply to my questions, they have said I need to bring a consent letter if we are not taking our minor dautghter to the appointment.. (well we cannot take her there because she has school to attend).

Does anyone know what they mean by this consent letter?
I asked them if there was any specific wordings they need in that letter and whah that letter means anyway, and they said they don’t know. They just know They need a consent leeter.

I don’t understand - consent to what??????

If they themselves don’t know what they are asking for, how are we supposed to know?
Indian babus.... my god! Even god cannot help that country from this document/red tape madness.

Someone with experience on this - please help.

You do realise that a school will give permission for an absence to attend official things such as this. Many have done it as have I.

Thanks for your reply. But that is not the point.

This is exactly the reason why govt. such as Indian ones keep doing what they do - i.e. vague requirments, random documentations requests, etc. since every one simply adjusts to their needs just like you have mentioned there.

If there is a form to use, the govt or the VFS should know what that is (since they are the ones asking for it), and regardless of the reason why one may not take the child there, they should be able to tell us what that form is or at least the wordings they expect, so I can write one.

Anyway, rather than adjusting to their needs, my question was if anyone who has actual filled that "form", can they help with that information.

Thanks.

I will leave others to comment further if they wish to!!