OCI process

[rajkamalmohanram]

People keep thinking "Oh I can use Indian passport for 3 more months after getting citizenship" but totally forget the issue of how they will return back to Canada with no documents as your PR card will be gone. Two scenarios

1. If you do NOT get a Canadian passport, you may potentially travel to India with your Indian passport and citizenship certificate and apply for your first passport there, although not sure timelines to get a passport in India - especially the first one. Also the issue of entering on 1 passport and exiting with another is a no-no

2. If you do get a Canadian passport, then you need to surrender Indian passport COMPULSORILY and get an Indian entry visa before you fly. You cannot enter India with one passport and exit with another.

You can, technically, enter India with one passport and exit with another PROVIDED you have a long trip. To do this, you have to apply for something called an exit visa. In order to apply for an exit visa, you have to surrender your Indian passport.

So, if you are planning to go to India for 2 - 4 months or more, then this option might be possible.

Travel to India on Indian passport > Apply for Canadian passport > Apply for exit visa and surrender of Indian passport > Fly back to Canada on Canadian passport (and show exit visa when leaving the country).

First of all, it takes time to obtain a Canadian passport in India AFAIK. After that, you'll have to surrender your passport and get your exit visa and that takes time as well. I don't know how long these things take so it is safe to assume it'll take a couple of months (bare minimum). It is very difficult to plan your trip around these procedures. That's why, it is safe to NOT travel to India on an Indian passport once you receive Canadian citizenship.

 

[krunal2904]

My OCI Application status got updated with "Passport ready For Dispatch after OCI stamping" on BLS tracking. Date of Acknowledgement is Oct 29 and Status processed on Nov 29.

 

[krunal2904]

Same as yesterday . Counter delivery

Mine got updated with Passport ready For Dispatch after OCI stamping.

 

[catchit]

Hello everyone, Any idea when does BLS dispatch the documents after changing the status to 'Ready for Dispatch', the status has been the same since yesterday morning and hasn't changed yet?

 

[lifein360]

You can, technically, enter India with one passport and exit with another PROVIDED you have a long trip. To do this, you have to apply for something called an exit visa. In order to apply for an exit visa, you have to surrender your Indian passport.

So, if you are planning to go to India for 2 - 4 months or more, then this option might be possible.

Travel to India on Indian passport > Apply for Canadian passport > Apply for exit visa and surrender of Indian passport > Fly back to Canada on Canadian passport (and show exit visa when leaving the country).

First of all, it takes time to obtain a Canadian passport in India AFAIK. After that, you'll have to surrender your passport and get your exit visa and that takes time as well. I don't know how long these things take so it is safe to assume it'll take a couple of months (bare minimum). It is very difficult to plan your trip around these procedures. That's why, it is safe to NOT travel to India on an Indian passport once you receive Canadian citizenship.

Yeah - and it is obvious most of these questions are coming from people who have oath scheduled in December but also got plans to travel home for holidays. They do not have 2-3 months to spare at home, and atmost may have 3 weeks to a month or so. So that option isn't viable for almost everyone who is asking for it.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Yeah - and it is obvious most of these questions are coming from people who have oath scheduled in December but also got plans to travel home for holidays. They do not have 2-3 months to spare at home, and atmost may have 3 weeks to a month or so. So that option isn't viable for almost everyone who is asking for it.

Yes, precisely. But just putting this option out there, just in case someone plans to visit India for a longer period of time. Most people will not stay long enough to get this done so this only applies to a very small percentage of former Indian citizens traveling to India on Indian passports.

 

[ajit90]

Mine got updated with Passport ready For Dispatch after OCI stamping.

yup . mine changed too .. i think you can now go and collect

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Hello everyone, Any idea when does BLS dispatch the documents after changing the status to 'Ready for Dispatch', the status has been the same since yesterday morning and hasn't changed yet?

Give it a couple of days.

You can try tracking on the Purolator site using your application reference number

 

[catchit]

Give it a couple of days.

You can try tracking on the Purolator site using your application reference number

Thank you Sir, tried tracking on Purolator as per your suggestion and could not find any record, I see people are usually getting it dispatched the same day after status change but not sure why it is being delayed for me

 

[krunal2904]

yup . mine changed too .. i think you can now go and collect

Well.....I am just 5 mins away from BLS Brampton but Since BLS has charged money for Courier, I will wait to get it in mail. I am not in a rush to get it.

 

[sumg]

1. Have to do it separately. They changed the rule recently and BLS won’t allow applying for both separately

2. One login per application.

3. Yes. If Brampton or Toronto you will have to start queuing no later than 6 AM.

Is it really one login per application? I used one login for 3 of our applications. The system did not throw an error or anything. I also see the option of tracking all 3 applications. I have not submitted it yet.
Do I have to redo the applications?

 

[Yen@5]

Applied through postal at BLS Brampton
29th Oct: Purolater pick up
01 Nov: Received at BLS as per purolater tracking
04 Nov: Received application on BLS as per website
Nov 15: Status changes from under process to Processing at consulate
Since then no update on BLS and also no records on OCI inquiry website.

Hello, can any one shed a light on this? We have applied OCI through postal on 29th Oct but still no update on OCI website. is this usual or do i need to raise query to consulate?

 

[yourr.grace]

I finally got the oci. My status changed to ‘Passport ready For Collection after OCI stamping’ ar 1:45 pm today. I rushed to BLS brmapton and collected it right away. The good for nothing call centre was still saying that my application is ‘processing at CGI’ and it might take 4-5 days more which was obviously incorrect. My flight was booked for tomorrow morning so getting the oci 12hrs bfr my flight came as a blessing for me.
Takeaway?
1. BLS call centre is full of clowns who do not always understand the current status
2. ‘ready for collection..’ means you can 100% get it from BLS.
3. CGI is a typical snob agency who will not pick up calls and will not reply to emails or twitter. For them, only a death in the family qualifies as an urgency. Their urgent appointment form literally has a placeholder to upload death certificate. These f$&@tards dont understand that it takes atleast a month to receive death certificate in India. Diplomats and grade B and C officers working at CGI are as good as the decade old BSNL employees who dont bother for responding to querries.

Factual details:
Date i sent the application to bls via courier: 07-OCT-2021
Received by BLS: 13-OCT-2021
BLS application date: 19-OCT-2021 (yes, they didnt do sh1t for 6 days.
Date Of Acknowledgment: 29-OCT-2021
Documents Printing Status PROCESSED On 24-NOV-2021
Dispatched From MEA (OCI ) NEW DELHI On 25-NOV-2021
Document received At TORONTO On 25-NOV-2021

Status on BLS website was always ‘Counter Delivery to BLS Centre after OCI stamping’

Status changed to ‘Passport ready For Collection after OCI stamping’: 26- NOV 2021 01:45 pm EST
Thanks @ajit90 for sharing his details with me. It helped me figure out my status. Really appreciate your responses man.

 

[imm01]

Hello, can any one shed a light on this? We have applied OCI through postal on 29th Oct but still no update on OCI website. is this usual or do i need to raise query to consulate?

You should see it in the oci website within 15-18 days from Nov 15th.

 

[thisisdna]

1. Google "BLS Tracking"
2. Open first link
3. Choose Walk-in or postal
4. Choose "Passport Application" as application type
5. Enter other details
6. Enter CAPTCHA
7. Click on Track Application

Thank you so much, I was very confused as to which drop down option to use before!