Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

raikal · Post by **raikal** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:15 pm

Hi there,

Just going thru the application process and understood that need to affix 2 photographs ( 1 original and 1 for duplicate )

Do we need more than 2 ?

basis · Post by **basis** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 4:33 am

If you are applying in HCI London then you would need six additional photos to be submitted alongwith the two to be pasted on application.

basis · Post by **basis** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 1:04 pm

Images of PIO Card, Indian Passport....

PIO Card Front Cover -

Indian Passport front cover - http://www.indiawijzer.nl/indian_diaspora/pio_cards.htm

basis · Post by **basis** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 1:10 pm

Some images of 'first' OCI cards -

http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/08/sto...10804001000.htm

http://images.theglobalindian.com/i...21e0d3a0cbbf0c7

OCI · Post by **OCI** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:49 pm

Hi Dabar, any further news on your OCI. Have you received your summons yet?

TintinHerge · Post by **TintinHerge** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:56 pm

Sorry if this question is often asked here but I did read the last few posts but could not get an answer and so it is here :

What are the realistic timelines like to get the OCI , from the day of application to getting it stamped on your passport ?

Thanks in Advance

dabar · Post by **dabar** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 5:43 pm

Hi Guys,
I am yet to hear anything from HCI.

I will let you all know when that happens.

basis · Post by **basis** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:18 am

I think it is time to move the discussion started by tintin in the Naturalisation Timeframe sticky to the OCI sticky as the topic more suits here.

Along the same lines that tintin has raised there is a discussion here - http://groups.msn.com/R2IClub/general.m ... 1912154389

NRI · Post by **NRI** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:49 am

My OCI status shows 'Granted' as of 7th March (application submitted 21st Feb). Today I received a letter from HCI which says that we need to submit 4 copies of photographs again as they could not be scanned correctly in India.

Has this happened to anybody else? Can I send the photos by post and does it have to be on a white background? I have sent emails but it is like a black hole and I have no hopes of getting any replies soon ! Appreciate if anybody can help me.

Thanks.

NRI · Post by **NRI** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:31 pm

Well a pleasant surprise. Got a reply within an hour from HCI that photos have to be on white background and can be sent by post.

Looks like emails do not go into a black hole after all !!

rogerroger · Post by **rogerroger** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:53 pm

Hello

I was wondering if a PIO or an OCI can apply to themanagement schools in india(IIM's, XLRI ...)?

jaihind · Post by **jaihind** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:06 am

rogerroger wrote:Hello

I was wondering if a PIO or an OCI can apply to themanagement schools in india(IIM's, XLRI ...)?

PIOs ... YES
The various benefits available to a PIO cardholders are:
No visa required for visiting India during the period of validity of PIO Card.
Exemption from the requirement of registration if stay in India does not exceed 6 months. Should the continuous stay exceed six months, registration will be required within 30 days of the expiry of six months with the concerned Foreigners Registration Officer.
Parity with non-resident Indians in respect of facilities available to the latter in economic, financial and educational fields.
All facilities in the matter of acquisition, holding, transfer and disposal of immovable properties in India except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural/plantation properties.
Facilities available to children of NRIs for getting admission to educational institutions in India including medical colleges, engineering colleges, Institutes of Technology, Institutes of Management etc. under the general categories.
Facilities available under the various housing schemes of LIC, State Governments and other Government agencies.

OCIs ..... YES
REGISTERED O.C.Is ARE ENTITLED TO THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:
1 Grant of multiple entry, multi-purpose live long visa to visit India;
2 Exemption from registration with FRRO/FRO for any length of stay in India; and
3 Parity with NRIs in economic, financial and educational fields except in matters relating to acquisition of agricultural/plantation properties.

TintinHerge · Post by **TintinHerge** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:30 am

I am an Indian citizen , on the verge of becoming a British Citizen.

Can anyone explain or point me to a link about what are the things I need to do as soon as I receive British Citizenship, in terms of giving up my Indian passport , etc?

Thanks in Advance

raikal · Post by **raikal** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:17 pm

Whoever is going to apply for OCI. There is a suggestion.

The photos need to have white background and ears and shoulders should be visible ( not required for British passport ). They are rejecting the applications if the above is not followed. So be careful !!

You do need 8 photographs in total.

TintinHerge · Post by **TintinHerge** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:22 pm

What about people like me whose ears are too small and are usually not captured in the pic ? Do they expect me to hold my ears out with my hands ?? And 8 photographs ???? Are they opening a Photo Gallery ?

Thanks for that info,though.

OCI · Post by **OCI** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:07 am

Hi,
Got my OCI. Rec'd letter from HCI that OCI had arrived. I sent my passport by post and received it and my OCI card a week later. Pretty simple. As a word of advice, if you receive your summons by post and send your passport by post send your original summons letter back to them. I didn't and while they did send me the passportand OCi card they also sent me a covering letter asking if i could return the original summons letter. Can't figure out why they wanted it but send it back i did. So all in all a pretty painless procedure.

Dabar, you got your OCI yet?

dabar · Post by **dabar** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:16 am

Congratulations, OCI!

Our lot of OCI applications seem to be delayed for some reason.
My friend and myself applied on the same day at HCI London. We both are granted on the same day, but haven't heard from HCI about our OCI cards.
One of our other friends, who had applied three weeks after us, have received a letter last week from HCI that his OCI is ready for collection.

May be these later applications are going to a different team who are quite fast in processing them.

Anyway, I have written an email to HCI to see if my OCI has arrived there. Let's see if I receive a reply!

rogerroger · Post by **rogerroger** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:08 pm

i have decided to go for a PIO card

are the number of photos requirements different than that for OCI

4 for PIO against 8 for OCI?
are tokens issued for PIO applicants as well.

basis stated that one should go to the HCI, in london around 10 for a PIO but some one else stated that one should go to the HCI london at 7:45 for an OCI appliation since they issue only a few tokens for OCI applicants

anonymous10 · Post by **anonymous10** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 11:36 am

For PIO card there is no limit on the tokens. Go to the window issuing tokens to visa applicants. They ask you to go and stand in front of the door next to counter 6. No matter what time you get in, you will be seen only after 10.00. So better to get there between 9.30 and 9.45. That way you don't have to wait for a long time. Make sure that you choose the right queue - the one for visa tokens. They will ask to see your cancelled passport. So remember to take it.

rogerroger · Post by **rogerroger** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:53 pm

thanks for the reply

my passport is still uncancelled

i was going to cancel it tomorrow, is that a problem haing an uncancelled passport(have not used it, got my british passport last month)

to cancel the passport, do i need to go in earlier?

nileshkale · Post by **nileshkale** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:19 am

rogerroger wrote:i have decided to go for a PIO card

are the number of photos requirements different than that for OCI

4 for PIO against 8 for OCI?
are tokens issued for PIO applicants as well.

basis stated that one should go to the HCI, in london around 10 for a PIO but some one else stated that one should go to the HCI london at 7:45 for an OCI appliation since they issue only a few tokens for OCI applicants

I went for the OCI today and reached at around 8.30. After waiting for about 1:15 hour I was told the tokens for OCI were already finished.

They only issue 15 tokens per day for OCI and this is not mentioned on the website - but on a handwritten notice at the token window. Although HCI claim on the notices to look at their website for information, this key info about only 15 tokens is not on the website. Having started late, I would not have bothered to go to HCI had I known before hand that they only issue 15 tokens.

I think that it is shocking and surprising that the HCI office in one of the major cities of the world can only handle 15 OCI applications per day! Especially in UK which has a large (ex-)Indian population

Why not just give appointments over phone/fax/web rather than making people wait without any gurantee that they will be seen?

nileshkale · Post by **nileshkale** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:24 am

raikal wrote:Whoever is going to apply for OCI. There is a suggestion.

The photos need to have white background and ears and shoulders should be visible ( not required for British passport ). They are rejecting the applications if the above is not followed. So be careful !!

You do need 8 photographs in total.

I went to take my photo for OCI and told the chap there about 35x35mm size and it is not a standard size. He was confused when I told him that I needed my sholders and my ears visible and on white background! I finally had the photo taken, but due to the fact that I have broad sholders my face/image appears small as the photo has to taken in "zoomed out" mode.

When you say they are rejecting the applications for photos - do you mean that they check the photos here in London and reject it outright (refuse to accept application) or keep the application with them but ask you to send in photos?

mhunjn · Post by **mhunjn** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:26 am

That would make them look far too efficient and good at their jobs!...surely they can't afford to get that reputation...

nileshkale wrote:Why not just give appointments over phone/fax/web rather than making people wait without any gurantee that they will be seen?

rogerroger · Post by **rogerroger** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:03 pm

just double checking
there is no token system for PIO applications, correct?

and i can get there at 9:30 a.m. for the PIO application?

raikal · Post by **raikal** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:32 am

There is a token system for PIO but there is no number on it. They just write PIO.

If you plan to be there by 9:30 that should be fine.

Join the VISA queue not consular secion queue.

On the ground floor around 10AM some one comes out and shouts as PIO.
Whoever is there next to that door they will get first chance.

There is not even a window for PIO ( Ridiculous ) the lady takes all the documents inside and comes out with a receipt.

Good luck

Regarding Photos for OCI.
They are not accepting the applications at all if the photo guidelines ( already mentioned ) are not followed.

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Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

number of phots for OCI

Process to be followed ?

photos for OCI

Re: photos for OCI