Since we all share the misfortune of having to deal with scammy con-artists from BLS and the corrupt bureaucracy of our homeland, I want to set up a thread to document all the various "mistakes" in the application, photo etc. that BLS scammers use as a way of scamming us. A couple from Mumbai asked me to make a youtube video while we were at BLS toronto - I'll do that in due course but in the interim, here are a few that happened to me over separate occasions. Please add to the list so that others can be extra careful while filling out their applications:
Application:
Excuses to make you re-do the photo:
Redundant Service fees:
Public service announcements:
Application:
- "Mistake" - Postal / Zip code is before the province. It should be should be after the province name.
- "Mistake" - Province name should be complete (eg. "ONTARIO") not short-form ("ON", "AB" etc). If you go with full-form, then they might just as well say - it should be short form not full-form. I print two separate applications versions now take them with me.
- If the GOI application says a certain field is optional (like emergency contact number) and you choose not to fill in anything in that field, BLS may say that the field is not optional and you need to pay $40 or $60 of whatever to correct it on the spot or go back.
- "Mistake": Why is there "no space" between canadian postal code. You should stand your ground on this.
- "Mistake": zero looks like O and vice-versa.
- "Mistake": Why is there no address for the emergency contact (even though it's a completely optional field). Stand your ground on this.
- Make sure the passport issue city matches exactly as its written in your passport, do not add the country name on your own. - This one is a genuine requirement.
Excuses to make you re-do the photo:
- Enough shoulders not visible in the photo (even though my photo had same amount of shoulders as in the example photo on the checklist).
- In the next round - they rejected the photo that they themselves took and accepted the photo that they had rejected in the prior visit
- In the next round - they rejected the photo that they themselves took and accepted the photo that they had rejected in the prior visit
- Hair on the shoulder - always always carry multiple photos.
Redundant Service fees:
- Service charge repeated multiple times with no explanation provided. Check your total and ask for the breakdown BEFORE you pay and stay firm on removing the redundant charges if the total doesn't make sense. Have a calculation in your head before you go to the counter.
- They add some BS service charge to get a notification call or service call or something. - tell them you don't want that.
Public service announcements:
- India e-visa is now available for Canadian citizens. Spare yourselves the headache and apply online for e-visa online. 1yr visa is only US$40 (CAD 56) - 5 bucks less than BLS' purolator scam.
- Please make sure you email the CG Toronto and MEA (and to PM Modi through Write to PMO office - they always respond) on all the scams that are going on and the poor service.
- You should keep flagging the lack of appointments and people waiting for hours outside in freezing (and potentially fatal) weather because of the poor staffing, lack of proper waiting areas, bathroom, and corrupt business practices to MEA / CG as well as CBC marketplace. If we stay silent, they'll keep scamming us, our families and even our next generation.
- Ask them to modernize their bureaucratic processes. If canada can run a whole immigration program from visas to citizenship end to end online, there's no reason why a country that produces so many coders can not. The only reason we are dealing with all this BS is because no one holds these incompetent con-artists to account.
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