India PCC from Toronto

[Vengayam]

I donot have experience in applying passport renewal in Canada. I would let anyone who has experience provide a confident comment on that. As far as I understand, unfortunately, there is more chance that your application will be returned if you are very sure that there is a discrepancy in the amount in money order. It is very hard to reach them over the phone or email. You have to spend lot of time to get them on the phone by keep on trying. I see BLS center is replying for google reviews(I never tried). You can try if that is ok for you.

Thanks for your comments. I tried many ways to connect, but there is no two way communication.

They are taking a month to return the document which is unfair!! I do not know how to escalate this.

btw, I posted on twitter, looping mea india's head and other clowns. no reply there as well.

 

[Vengayam]

I have enquired about the fee for passport renewal (in my case needed because of name change), and BLS advised me it is $110.40

BLS gives conflicting information about fees.

My understanding is - the fees have changed since April 1 2021 on CGI's end, and BLS has not been consistent with their advice. I enquired about the fees for both passport renewal and PCC in February 2021 and they advised me the higher fee (which is applicable only after April 1) even though I was submitting in Feb. I submitted my PCC application on Feb 19 with the higher fee and even though the fee was lower at the time it did not get rejected. They probably pocketed the money...lol

In your case, the fee is probably correct if you have applied after April 1. Even if you are right and the fee is actually lower, I do not think BLS will reject your application. They will pocket the excess without informing you (as they evidently did in my case). Bunch of thieves....

Thanks for the comment. The application form was generated on March 31, based on this the fees was 110.40 (my bank draft was based on month of March) and I submitted my application package on April 09th. I'm unsure what they are looking - based on Application generation form or submissions date.

They are confusing us!!! Indian citizens are in a limbo. I need my passport on urgent basis!

Can I apply through BLS Vancouver using my Friend's address? - shortly I'll be moving there. Can I Show them my phone bill or bank statement as an address proof?

 

[bergfrue89]

My timeline (I reside in Ottawa jurisdiction and applied for BLS Police Clearance as it's a required document for CEC class candidates)

Mar 11 - Application picked up by purolator
Mar 12 - Application delivered by Purolator
Mar 15 - BLS requested for Invitation to Apply (ITA) document to begin the process for PCC. Since I didn't have ITA at that time, BLS decided to keep my application on hold. I received my ITA couple of days after so I decided to visit VAC in person (luckily I booked an appointment earlier for Mar 23rd)
Mar 23 - Submitted entire application in person and received automatic email from BLS that all documents were accepted. Tracking was showing "under process" on BLS website
Mar 24 - Tracking status was updated to "Under Process In Transit from BLS Centre to Consulate General" on BLS website
Mar 25 - Tracking status was updated to "Processing at high commission" on BLS website and "Application has been received" on CGI website
Apr 2 - Tracking status on CGI website was updated to "Police Verification is initiated. Once clear police certification will be done and report is received, PCC will be issued"
Apr 11 - Police in Ahmedabad (India) reached out to my parents [my father isn't keeping well so my mother took care of it]. Police asked for the documents like Aadhar card, passport photocopy, my airway ticket (when I was landed here for the first time) as well as latest lightbill of my parents.
Apr 12 - Luckily a close friend of my dad is a senior police officer who thoroughly helped with uploading all documents on their website that were sent by me on the same day which made the process quite faster than expected
Apr 21 - Tracking status was changed to "Police Clearance Certificate has been printed" on CGI website
Apr 22 - Tracking on BLS website was updated to "In Transit from Consulate to BLS center". In the afternoon, it was updated to "Ready for Dispatch" and then an hour after it was again changed to "Dispatched via courier". Purolator tracking says it should be delivered by April 23
Apr 23 - Received PCC through Purolator in the afternoon after long wait

Drawbacks:
-> During the entire process, I literally had hard time dealing with BLS either due to reaching them out by call which they never answer or chasing them by dropping multiple emails and expecting to hear back from them [which sometimes took several days for them to respond with incomplete details].
-> The problem is that BLS checklist on their website is quite confusing which I don't think they have updated for ages. In the checklist, they mentioned that original documents are expected to be submitted. However, in reality, they just ask for originals for verification for in-person application [only photocopies needed to be sent if postal application].
-> Apart from that, BLS only mentions one issue at a time to make us work which technically wastes our efforts, time and money. In my case, they had 3-4 issues with the application form and reference form which I submitted while doing postal application for the first time and they made me deliver 3-4 times by pointing out only one mistake at a time. In first time, they said "address is incorrect and send application form again". On second time, they said "name and parents name is not in the same sequence as passport". On third time, they said "ITA is mandatory part of the process". Then on fourth time, I decided to visit BLS to submit application in person
-> while filling application form, I had my parents name in the sequence (last name + first name + middle name) so I had to fill last name in first name column and first + middle name is last name column in order to get it printed correctly because website is not smart enough to detect automatically which is also little confusing. Same thing for address as well!!

To be honest, I am extremely happy of receiving my PCC finally after working hard and devoting plenty of precious time which I could have spent somewhere else.

I hope this may help to other applicants [ of Ottawa at least ]. Good luck with guys and please keep in mind that patience is the only key here

Thank you so much for your post. I am a candidate that applied to BLS Ottawa and have been watitng for 3 weeks now for the Police Verification to be initiated! I don't know how long it will take especially since we only have 90 days to submit all docs post-ITA. But, as you said patience is key so lets hope for the best for everyone.

 

[Wacky1.nash]

Thanks for the comment. The application form was generated on March 31, based on this the fees was 110.40 (my bank draft was based on month of March) and I submitted my application package on April 09th. I'm unsure what they are looking - based on Application generation form or submissions date.

They are confusing us!!! Indian citizens are in a limbo. I need my passport on urgent basis!

Can I apply through BLS Vancouver using my Friend's address? - shortly I'll be moving there. Can I Show them my phone bill or bank statement as an address proof?

@Vengayam

You mentioned you already submitted to BLS Brampton, but you are also asking if you can apply through BLS Vancouver. Are you thinking of withdrawing your application from BLS Brampton and then applying at BLS Vancouver? If so, are you planning to do that before or after you move?

1. As per BLS website, you are supposed to apply to the center as per the jurisdiction where you reside. Refer to Jurisdiction chart at link: https://www.blsindia-canada.com/new_ppt.php. Accordingly you cannot apply to Vancouver BLS before you move there or have proof of residency there.

2. I would not withdraw the application. BLS has been historically known to lose passports (in general) and cause even longer delays with return of submissions. So do not risk disturbing their process by triggering a withdrawal. There is a good chance they will mess it up and you maybe left waiting for months, or worse case even never receiving your old passport. I recommend just being patient and trying your best to call them to nudge them along.

 

[Nicholas0095]

Thank you so much for your post. I am a candidate that applied to BLS Ottawa and have been watitng for 3 weeks now for the Police Verification to be initiated! I don't know how long it will take especially since we only have 90 days to submit all docs post-ITA. But, as you said patience is key so lets hope for the best for everyone.

My pleasure. It normally takes about about 1 month of little over a month. I would recommend you to keep following up where the police station in India is located. Sometimes they keep pilling up applications while not paying attention to it. Follow up will definitely help in that case. Once the documents will be uploaded on CGI website from their end, it will barely take a week or so to deliver PCC at your requested address. I hope you will receive your PCC in time. Good luck mate!!

 

[bergfrue89]

My pleasure. It normally takes about about 1 month of little over a month. I would recommend you to keep following up where the police station in India is located. Sometimes they keep pilling up applications while not paying attention to it. Follow up will definitely help in that case. Once the documents will be uploaded on CGI website from their end, it will barely take a week or so to deliver PCC at your requested address. I hope you will receive your PCC in time. Good luck mate!!

Thanks for your recommendation but I think you misunderstood my post. Its been 3 weeks and the police verification has not yet been initiated. I don't even have my CAT number yet and the portal online says its been processing at the Consulate. After days of trying, I just got in touch with BLS today. They said they will update on the status of my application within 48 hours. I am not too hopeful but am being patient since that's the only thing we can do -WAIT.

 

[Nicholas0095]

Thanks for your recommendation but I think you misunderstood my post. Its been 3 weeks and the police verification has not yet been initiated. I don't even have my CAT number yet and the portal online says its been processing at the Consulate. After days of trying, I just got in touch with BLS today. They said they will update on the status of my application within 48 hours. I am not too hopeful but am being patient since that's the only thing we can do -WAIT.

Thanks for clarifying. Apologies for misunderstanding it earlier. Glad to hear that you finally got in touch with BLS. I'd say that's the best thing we can do is to keep following up with them via email as contact number is not reachable these days. Good thing is they respond to emails at least even if it takes a little more time. I hope you will recieve an update from them soon and police verification from their end would be initiated accordingly!!

 

[Vengayam]

@Vengayam

You mentioned you already submitted to BLS Brampton, but you are also asking if you can apply through BLS Vancouver. Are you thinking of withdrawing your application from BLS Brampton and then applying at BLS Vancouver? If so, are you planning to do that before or after you move?

1. As per BLS website, you are supposed to apply to the center as per the jurisdiction where you reside. Refer to Jurisdiction chart at link: https://www.blsindia-canada.com/new_ppt.php. Accordingly you cannot apply to Vancouver BLS before you move there or have proof of residency there.

2. I would not withdraw the application. BLS has been historically known to lose passports (in general) and cause even longer delays with return of submissions. So do not risk disturbing their process by triggering a withdrawal. There is a good chance they will mess it up and you maybe left waiting for months, or worse case even never receiving your old passport. I recommend just being patient and trying your best to call them to nudge them along.

Thanks for your response. I thought of moving to Vancouver just because of Passport renewal as I would require this on urgent basis.

Fortunately, my file moved to Indian Consulate General, so the above plan is cancelled, I'll stay in Ontario Better to receive my new passport at the mentioned address!

 

[bergfrue89]

Thanks for clarifying. Apologies for misunderstanding it earlier. Glad to hear that you finally got in touch with BLS. I'd say that's the best thing we can do is to keep following up with them via email as contact number is not reachable these days. Good thing is they respond to emails at least even if it takes a little more time. I hope you will recieve an update from them soon and police verification from their end would be initiated accordingly!!

Hello everyone! I just checked online and my status on the passport portal site just changed to "Police Verification has been initiated and a request has been sent to Indian Embassy/Consulate. PCC needs to be collected from the Indian Embassy/Consulate where the applicant applied after a 'Clear' Police Verification Report is received at the Indian Embassy/Consulate." What does this status mean? Has my application been sent now to India for verification?

Secondly, I also see a file number has been generated but doesn't start with the prefix CAT but with CA. Is this common/normal?

Finally, how do we know what police station is the file sent to in India? Is it from the email they send because I have not yet received it?

I thank in advance for a constructive response/suggestion and wish everyone the best

 

[byorderofthepeakyblinders]

Hello everyone! I just checked online and my status on the passport portal site just changed to "Police Verification has been initiated and a request has been sent to Indian Embassy/Consulate. PCC needs to be collected from the Indian Embassy/Consulate where the applicant applied after a 'Clear' Police Verification Report is received at the Indian Embassy/Consulate." What does this status mean? Has my application been sent now to India for verification?

Secondly, I also see a file number has been generated but doesn't start with the prefix CAT but with CA. Is this common/normal?

Finally, how do we know what police station is the file sent to in India? Is it from the email they send because I have not yet received it?

I thank in advance for a constructive response/suggestion and wish everyone the best

This means your file has moved to the police station which you must have filled in your initial form. Somebody from that police station will visit your address and verify documents. Get your passport/aadhar card etc xerox ready. After the verification is done, they have to upload the documents to confirm that the police verification is done.
I am in this status for more than a month. My police verification was done 3 weeks back but I still don't see any status update. The lockdown in Delhi and the tough circumstances due to Covid are causing further delays. Wish you all the best.

 

[bergfrue89]

This means your file has moved to the police station which you must have filled in your initial form. Somebody from that police station will visit your address and verify documents. Get your passport/aadhar card etc xerox ready. After the verification is done, they have to upload the documents to confirm that the police verification is done.
I am in this status for more than a month. My police verification was done 3 weeks back but I still don't see any status update. The lockdown in Delhi and the tough circumstances due to Covid are causing further delays. Wish you all the best.

Thanks @byorderofthepeakyblinders for your response. But don't you recieve an email when the Police verification is initiated? How do I know what Police Station is my PCC application sent to in India?

 

[canprind2020]

Thanks @byorderofthepeakyblinders for your response. But don't you recieve an email when the Police verification is initiated? How do I know what Police Station is my PCC application sent to in India?

As like @byorderofthepeakyblinders mentioned as "police station which you must have filled in your initial form ". In your application form where you filled in Consulate website to apply PCC, you should have filled the police station name where the verification need to be done.

 

[byorderofthepeakyblinders]

Thanks @byorderofthepeakyblinders for your response. But don't you recieve an email when the Police verification is initiated? How do I know what Police Station is my PCC application sent to in India?

Yes I did receive an email. District Police Headquarter and Police Station (Thana) name before it started.

 

[SG1]

Hi Guys - The current status of my PCC application is showing - "Police Verification Report is clear. PCC is available for issuance.". Could you please let me know whether it is already approved from the local police station in India ? And, how many days it will take to receive the hard copy of the PCC from now ? I am currently in Canada. Many thanks in advance for your kind clarification.

 

[canprind2020]

Hi Guys - The current status of my PCC application is showing - "Police Verification Report is clear. PCC is available for issuance.". Could you please let me know whether it is already approved from the local police station in India ? And, how many days it will take to receive the hard copy of the PCC from now ? I am currently in Canada. Many thanks in advance for your kind clarification.

You may get another status as "Police Clearance Certificate has been printed" soon in Consulate website. You can check the status in BLS website as well. Usually, the PCC will be delivered within a week after you see the status as "In transit from Consulate to BLS center" in BLS website.