Hello Everyone,
As most of you are aware, OCI application process can be painful and confusing. Below is what worked for me and I was asked very minimal questions when I submitted my application at BLS Toronto today. Please note that this does not mean that I have successfully completed my OCI application. I still have to wait 2 weeks to know if every document is in order. The below steps helped me have a hassle free experience with BLS Toronto only. This is in no way the official steps for OCI. This is just what I experienced. Hopefully this will help everyone looking to apply for OCI
I am a single/unmarried guy with no wife or kids.
1. As soon as you receive your Canadian passport, you should apply for Indian Passport Renunciation
2. Go to the BLS Toronto office early around 7:30 to be ahead of the line to get in and finish all the formalities. The lineup gets pretty long by around 8 AM. I went on a Saturday around 7:30 and I was 5th in line. The BLS Toronto office opens up at 8 AM Monday to Saturday.
3. Renunciation is quite straightforward - You will get a receipt as proof of renunciation. You can use this for OCI application one week after you submitted your Indian passport renunciation request.
4. I took the pictures for OCI at the BLS office on the day I went for renunciation.
5. After renunciation you need to submit OCI application online - use this link https://passport.gov.in/oci/ The link from the BLS website is broken and I lost 2 days on it!
6. Please be careful when you fill application online! There are 2 parts 'Part A' and 'Part B' - Part A information needs to be fool proof. Take extra care when you fill in the information.
7. Keep your photo and signature ready (in respective sizes and quality) to upload while filling in your online application. Please take a screen capture of every time you successfully upload a document. You need to print this out as well. This is very important and a lot of people miss it!
8. You will also have to submit other supporting documents - In my case I submitted my old Indian passport and my current Canadian passport. Keep them in Pdf format and at about 500KB max file size.
9. Once you have uploaded the documents you will do a final submit and this will generate a Pdf that you need to take a printout of. This Pdf will have your photo and signature as well. You will have to stick your photo on this paper as well.
10. The next step is getting prepared to go to BLS office. I carried the following:
a) Canadian passport - Original and photocopy
b) Landing document - Original and photocopy
c) Canadian Citizenship Certificate - Original and photocopy
d) Indian passport - Photo copy only - First 2 pages, last 2 pages (with parent names), landing visa stamp - when you became a PR
e) Address proof - Photo copy only - driving license, bank statement, utility bill etc.
f) Draft - I went to Scotia and I was able to get a draft without any issues. You can pay the BLS fee (about $67 - this includes courier fee) by debit card or cash
g)Document checklist from BLS website - Print this out and do double check if you need to take anything more with you. This is very important as things usually go case by case!
11. Go to the BLS office early around 7:30 and be ahead of the long queue and you will be able to get out of there by 8:45
Hope this helps everyone who are in the process of applying for OCI in the GTA.
Cheers.
As most of you are aware, OCI application process can be painful and confusing. Below is what worked for me and I was asked very minimal questions when I submitted my application at BLS Toronto today. Please note that this does not mean that I have successfully completed my OCI application. I still have to wait 2 weeks to know if every document is in order. The below steps helped me have a hassle free experience with BLS Toronto only. This is in no way the official steps for OCI. This is just what I experienced. Hopefully this will help everyone looking to apply for OCI
I am a single/unmarried guy with no wife or kids.
1. As soon as you receive your Canadian passport, you should apply for Indian Passport Renunciation
2. Go to the BLS Toronto office early around 7:30 to be ahead of the line to get in and finish all the formalities. The lineup gets pretty long by around 8 AM. I went on a Saturday around 7:30 and I was 5th in line. The BLS Toronto office opens up at 8 AM Monday to Saturday.
3. Renunciation is quite straightforward - You will get a receipt as proof of renunciation. You can use this for OCI application one week after you submitted your Indian passport renunciation request.
4. I took the pictures for OCI at the BLS office on the day I went for renunciation.
5. After renunciation you need to submit OCI application online - use this link https://passport.gov.in/oci/ The link from the BLS website is broken and I lost 2 days on it!
6. Please be careful when you fill application online! There are 2 parts 'Part A' and 'Part B' - Part A information needs to be fool proof. Take extra care when you fill in the information.
7. Keep your photo and signature ready (in respective sizes and quality) to upload while filling in your online application. Please take a screen capture of every time you successfully upload a document. You need to print this out as well. This is very important and a lot of people miss it!
8. You will also have to submit other supporting documents - In my case I submitted my old Indian passport and my current Canadian passport. Keep them in Pdf format and at about 500KB max file size.
9. Once you have uploaded the documents you will do a final submit and this will generate a Pdf that you need to take a printout of. This Pdf will have your photo and signature as well. You will have to stick your photo on this paper as well.
10. The next step is getting prepared to go to BLS office. I carried the following:
a) Canadian passport - Original and photocopy
b) Landing document - Original and photocopy
c) Canadian Citizenship Certificate - Original and photocopy
d) Indian passport - Photo copy only - First 2 pages, last 2 pages (with parent names), landing visa stamp - when you became a PR
e) Address proof - Photo copy only - driving license, bank statement, utility bill etc.
f) Draft - I went to Scotia and I was able to get a draft without any issues. You can pay the BLS fee (about $67 - this includes courier fee) by debit card or cash
g)Document checklist from BLS website - Print this out and do double check if you need to take anything more with you. This is very important as things usually go case by case!
11. Go to the BLS office early around 7:30 and be ahead of the long queue and you will be able to get out of there by 8:45
Hope this helps everyone who are in the process of applying for OCI in the GTA.
Cheers.