New Indian Passport - Please help.

[nakash]

I apologize in advance if this isn't the right thread for this question. If that's the case, please direct me to the appropriate thread.

I am an Indian Citizen and Canadian Permanent Resident. My passport expired in April and I sent an application for a new Passport to VFS Vancouver. Today I received a letter from CGI-Vancouver stating that:

"It is observed that your above-mentioned passport contains Canadian visa issued by the Canadian Consulate located at Buffalo. However, there is no American Visa in the passport. Under the provisions contained in the Govt. of India Passport Act...blah blah blah .. sending of Indian Passports out of a country is violation of the act".

They are referring to my Post Graduation Work Permit and Visa issued at Buffalo, when I had applied for it back in 2006. I had sent my application to CPC Vegreville. Wasn't it normal procedure back then in 2006? I believe it still is.. isn't it? I had sent my passport to Vegreville and not to Buffalo. I have never been to the United States, nor do I have any kind of American Visa.

Is anybody else in this situation? What should I do? I wrote an email and sent a scanned copy of this letter to CGI-Vancouver and also to VFS Vancouver through which I applied to get a new Indian Passport. I guess I should wait for their reply, but getting a bit anxious and see if anybody here has any ideas on what to do.

 

[kingcobra]

I apologize in advance if this isn't the right thread for this question. If that's the case, please direct me to the appropriate thread.

I am an Indian Citizen and Canadian Permanent Resident. My passport expired in April and I sent an application for a new Passport to VFS Vancouver. Today I received a letter from CGI-Vancouver stating that:

"It is observed that your above-mentioned passport contains Canadian visa issued by the Canadian Consulate located at Buffalo. However, there is no American Visa in the passport. Under the provisions contained in the Govt. of India Passport Act...blah blah blah .. sending of Indian Passports out of a country is violation of the act".

They are referring to my Post Graduation Work Permit and Visa issued at Buffalo, when I had applied for it back in 2006. I had sent my application to CPC Vegreville. Wasn't it normal procedure back then in 2006? I believe it still is.. isn't it? I had sent my passport to Vegreville and not to Buffalo. I have never been to the United States, nor do I have any kind of American Visa.

Is anybody else in this situation? What should I do? I wrote an email and sent a scanned copy of this letter to CGI-Vancouver and also to VFS Vancouver through which I applied to get a new Indian Passport. I guess I should wait for their reply, but getting a bit anxious and see if anybody here has any ideas on what to do.

I know several people who have sent their Indian passports to the US to get a Canadian visa (Buffalo, NY, Los Angeles, etc.). Most of them did not have a US visa- which meant, they sent their passports to USA by Canada post or some other courier service. It is strange that CGI actually caught that. But I have read somewhere that you are not supposed to send your Indian passport outside a country unless you are also travelling.

Actually CGI is not asking about your PG work permit, but your Canadian Visa on your passport. This is rather surprising that they have begun to object to it now when people have been sending their passports to the US to get the visa stamped for many years now. I did renew my Canadian visa too, but I did that when I was on a trip to Los Angeles- when I renewed my Indian passport here in Toronto, it was easy. However, when I got my Permanent Residency, I **sent** my passport via Canadapost to New York.

I think you did the right thing by writing to them. Do let us know how it went.

 

[nakash]

Thank you for your reply. I am hoping for the best.

 

[Kas1234]

Have you heard back from them nakash?

 

[Hayer]

Did you hear from them? I have a friend who could be in the same situation.

 

[ramans]

i am in a same position....did u get ur passport back.

 

[aman1986]

hey Raman.. when did u sent the passport to them for renewal???

 

[bsr]

Hey Raman,

I am in same trouble, what happened finally?

bsr