Stamp Received on Indian Passport in USA after Surrender on Acquiring Canadian Citizenship

[Wacky1.nash]

This is a question to former Indian citizens who surrendered their Indian passports in US after acquiring Canadian citizenship - Could you please advise what the stamp that CGI put in your passport says?

I surrendered mine to CGI NY through VFS and they put a stamp that states “as holder acquired USA citizenship.” I of course never claimed this, but this appears to have been done in error by CGI. The word USA is part of the stamp and so it maybe that it is not an error, and they have no other stamp so they put that for everyone.

Anyway only realised this error 9 months after I got that stamp. I contacted VFS and they asked to contact CGI NY which I have also done, but a week has passed with no response.

Could you please advise what your stamp says?

It’s kind of scary because it looks like I claim to be a US citizen. I am also worried about how this will affect my OCI application.

 

[forw.jane]

This is a question to former Indian citizens who surrendered their Indian passports in US after acquiring Canadian citizenship - Could you please advise what the stamp that CGI put in your passport says?

I surrendered mine to CGI NY through VFS and they put a stamp that states “as holder acquired USA citizenship.” I of course never claimed this, but this appears to have been done in error by CGI. The word USA is part of the stamp and so it maybe that it is not an error, and they have no other stamp so they put that for everyone.

Anyway only realised this error 9 months after I got that stamp. I contacted VFS and they asked to contact CGI NY which I have also done, but a week has passed with no response.

Could you please advise what your stamp says?

It’s kind of scary because it looks like I claim to be a US citizen. I am also worried about how this will affect my OCI application.

What does your surrender certificate say?

 

[Wacky1.nash]

What does your surrender certificate say?

"...acquisition of citizenship of another country."

Doesn't change the fact that the stamp on the passport is incorrect.

For those who might not be aware, claiming to be a US Citizen when one is not is very serious offence in the US, even if done by mistake. It renders one forever ineligible for US citizenship. As a current greencard holder due for citizenship application later this year, this error made by CGI is worrying me. I am sure that I never claimed to be a US citizen in my application for surrender, but I can't definitively really prove it.

 

[forw.jane]

"...acquisition of citizenship of another country."

Doesn't change the fact that the stamp on the passport is incorrect.

For those who might not be aware, claiming to be a US Citizen when one is not is very serious offence in the US, even if done by mistake. It renders one forever ineligible for US citizenship. As a current greencard holder due for citizenship application later this year, this error made by CGI is worrying me. I am sure that I never claimed to be a US citizen in my application for surrender, but I can't definitively really prove it.

My passport has "..acquiring Canadian Citizenship". If a USA Citizen would surrender in Canada I feel they will get the same stamp as they are not the norm but exceptional case for which they will not have a separate stamp.

OCI SC is done by same org, so won't be an issue.

Also once passport is cancelled and you get OCI I don't think any other country is interested in the cancelled passport.

You can keep trying to get more info but I dont think they will change the stamp.

 

[Wacky1.nash]

they will get the same stamp as they are not the norm but exceptional case for which they will not have a separate stamp.

Yes, as agreed in my original post too "The word USA is part of the stamp and so it maybe that it is not an error, and they have no other stamp so they put that for everyone. "

What I am looking for from my posting is confirmation from others in my exact position (Canadian citizen renouncing Indian passport in USA, and I know there are at least a few such people on this forum) that they also received this same stamp. This would give me the assurance that it was not an error and just sloppy paperwork on the part of CGI.

I am also hoping to get in writing from CGI (in response to my email to them) that they will not change my stamp and will accept it for the OCI application. Of course that is separate from this posting.

 

[Wacky1.nash]

You can keep trying to get more info but I dont think they will change the stamp.

Kind of a surprising development...

After waiting a week and not receiving a response to my Pramit submission on CGI website, I called the consulate today. They admonished me for not getting this corrected. (Like, that's what I am trying to do but anyway...). They then told me I can walk in to the consulate to get it corrected. When I said, I do not live anywhere close to Manhattan, they advised me to send an email yo get further instructions. They ended the call by warning me that I need to get it corrected or "it will not work" not clarifying what wouldn't work and it what way....

Anyway I emailed them and got a response that I could either walk in to the consulate or send my passport to them with a pre-paid USPS envelope... I am grumbling now about needing to bear the cost of correcting this...

But yeah, surprisingly looks like they will correct the stamp!

I am now wondering if I hadn't brought this up, would they have just ignored it and processed OCI with the error? And whether that's what they have historically done to others in my situation..

Would be great if we heard other people's experiences. Meanwhile, here's to yet another shoddy job by CGI and their associates...

 

[forw.jane]

Kind of a surprising development...

After waiting a week and not receiving a response to my Pramit submission on CGI website, I called the consulate today. They admonished me for not getting this corrected. (Like, that's what I am trying to do but anyway...). They then told me I can walk in to the consulate to get it corrected. When I said, I do not live anywhere close to Manhattan, they advised me to send an email yo get further instructions. They ended the call by warning me that I need to get it corrected or "it will not work" not clarifying what wouldn't work and it what way....

Anyway I emailed them and got a response that I could either walk in to the consulate or send my passport to them with a pre-paid USPS envelope... I am grumbling now about needing to bear the cost of correcting this...

But yeah, surprisingly looks like they will correct the stamp!

I am now wondering if I hadn't brought this up, would they have just ignored it and processed OCI with the error? And whether that's what they have historically done to others in my situation..

Would be great if we heard other people's experiences. Meanwhile, here's to yet another shoddy job by CGI and their associates...

Atleast you got an answer and will help others who would have this stamp. Mostly I feel people ignore it and move fwd with OCI and BLS also is not serious about checking stamps.