OCI (Indian Nationals) - Questions

[fedex682]

Hi Guys,

I had a few questions on the process of OCI from the various people who went through it recently.
I am in Toronto and will be using BLS Toronto

1. Can we apply for OCI card along with Surrendering of Indian Passport?
2. How long will BLS/Indian Consulate/Indian embassy hold our Canadian Passport for?
2. I have heard horror stories about BLS and the number of times we may have to go into the office. Any advice on how I can avoid these horror stories? lol. I am hoping to go into the BLS office only once to finish my application.

Thanks in advance for all your help

 

[Exports]

Hi Guys,

I had a few questions on the process of OCI from the various people who went through it recently.
I am in Toronto and will be using BLS Toronto

1. Can we apply for OCI card along with Surrendering of Indian Passport?
2. How long will BLS/Indian Consulate/Indian embassy hold our Canadian Passport for?
2. I have heard horror stories about BLS and the number of times we may have to go into the office. Any advice on how I can avoid these horror stories? lol. I am hoping to go into the BLS office only once to finish my application.

Thanks in advance for all your help

1. Can we apply for OCI card along with Surrendering of Indian Passport?
YES YOU CAN. ONCE YOU APPLY FOR SURRENDER, THE RECEIPT IS VALID FOR OCI AS PROOF OF SURRENDER; THIS IS FROM MY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH NOT MENTIONED IN THE WEBSITE ( HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I AM NOT SURE IF IT MAY DEPEND UPON THE STAFF'S MOOD, NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE)

2. How long will BLS/Indian Consulate/Indian embassy hold our Canadian Passport for?

THEY DON'T TAKE THE CANADIAN PASSPORT. BUT FOR OCI, THEY WILL KEEP THE 1. CITIZENSHIP ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE 2. ORIGINAL LANDING PAPER
3. INDIAN PASSPORT SHOWING VISA WITH 1st TIME LANDING IN CANADA
4. if you are applying and your landing paper shows family applicant, then ORIGINAL LANDING PAPER OF YOUR SPOUSE WHO MIGHT HAVE SPONSORED YOU, ORIGINAL INDIAN PASSPORT WITH LANDING STAMP OF THE SPOUSE AS WELL.
5. IF YOUR NAME IS IN THE PASSPORT OF YOUR SPOUSE, THEN OKAY. IF NO NAME IN THE PASSPORT OF YOUR SPOUSE THEN THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.
6. MOST IMPORTANT: SCREEN SHOT OF THE UPLOAD DOCUMENTS. DON'T FORGET TO UPLOAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS IN THE REQUIRED FORMAT AND SUBMIT. FOR PASSPORT YOU CAN ATTACH THE 1ST PAGE, LAST PAGE, AND THE LANDING VISA STAMP. IF YOU HAD 2 INDIAN PASSPORTS OLD AND RENEWED THEN ADD PAGES IN THE SAME PDF DOC.
FOR REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE JPEG AND THEN IN PDF THIS MAY BE USEFUL TO YOU
http://bestrix.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-reduce-photo-size-less-than-20.html#200,195
7. REQUIRED PHOTO
8. APPROPRIATE " BANK DRAFT "TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL AS MENTIONED FOR OCI/ FOR SURRENDER THEY CAN TAKE BY DEBIT OR CASH.
9. IF ALL OKAY, IN SOME CASES, THE LAST NAME AND FIRST NAME IN THE INDIAN PASSPORTS ARE AS ONE; THEY MAY ASK AN AFFIDAVIT - YOU CAN GIVE AN UNDERTAKING IN A PLAIN PAPER.


ALL ORIGINAL DOCS ARE USUALLY RETURNED BACK BY FEDEX WITHIN 14 DAYS.

3. I have heard horror stories about BLS and the number of times we may have to go into the office. Any advice on how I can avoid these horror stories? lol. I am hoping to go into the BLS office only once to finish my application.

TAKE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WHAT YOU THINK ARE MENTIONED AND ALSO TAKE ORIGINALS WHICH YOU KNOW THEY MAY ASK RELATED TO YOU. I HAVE COVERED MOST OF THEM! HOPE YOU CAN DO ALL IN ONE VISIT.

ALL THE BEST!

 

[fedex682]

1. Can we apply for OCI card along with Surrendering of Indian Passport?
YES YOU CAN. ONCE YOU APPLY FOR SURRENDER, THE RECEIPT IS VALID FOR OCI AS PROOF OF SURRENDER; THIS IS FROM MY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH NOT MENTIONED IN THE WEBSITE ( HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I AM NOT SURE IF IT MAY DEPEND UPON THE STAFF'S MOOD, NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE)

2. How long will BLS/Indian Consulate/Indian embassy hold our Canadian Passport for?

THEY DON'T TAKE THE CANADIAN PASSPORT. BUT FOR OCI, THEY WILL KEEP THE 1. CITIZENSHIP ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE 2. ORIGINAL LANDING PAPER
3. INDIAN PASSPORT SHOWING VISA WITH 1st TIME LANDING IN CANADA
4. if you are applying and your landing paper shows family applicant, then ORIGINAL LANDING PAPER OF YOUR SPOUSE WHO MIGHT HAVE SPONSORED YOU, ORIGINAL INDIAN PASSPORT WITH LANDING STAMP OF THE SPOUSE AS WELL.
5. IF YOUR NAME IS IN THE PASSPORT OF YOUR SPOUSE, THEN OKAY. IF NO NAME IN THE PASSPORT OF YOUR SPOUSE THEN THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.
6. MOST IMPORTANT: SCREEN SHOT OF THE UPLOAD DOCUMENTS. DON'T FORGET TO UPLOAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS IN THE REQUIRED FORMAT AND SUBMIT. FOR PASSPORT YOU CAN ATTACH THE 1ST PAGE, LAST PAGE, AND THE LANDING VISA STAMP. IF YOU HAD 2 INDIAN PASSPORTS OLD AND RENEWED THEN ADD PAGES IN THE SAME PDF DOC.
FOR REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE JPEG AND THEN IN PDF THIS MAY BE USEFUL TO YOU
http://bestrix.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-reduce-photo-size-less-than-20.html#200,195
7. REQUIRED PHOTO
8. APPROPRIATE " BANK DRAFT "TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL AS MENTIONED FOR OCI/ FOR SURRENDER THEY CAN TAKE BY DEBIT OR CASH.
9. IF ALL OKAY, IN SOME CASES, THE LAST NAME AND FIRST NAME IN THE INDIAN PASSPORTS ARE AS ONE; THEY MAY ASK AN AFFIDAVIT - YOU CAN GIVE AN UNDERTAKING IN A PLAIN PAPER.


ALL ORIGINAL DOCS ARE USUALLY RETURNED BACK BY FEDEX WITHIN 14 DAYS.

3. I have heard horror stories about BLS and the number of times we may have to go into the office. Any advice on how I can avoid these horror stories? lol. I am hoping to go into the BLS office only once to finish my application.

TAKE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WHAT YOU THINK ARE MENTIONED AND ALSO TAKE ORIGINALS WHICH YOU KNOW THEY MAY ASK RELATED TO YOU. I HAVE COVERED MOST OF THEM! HOPE YOU CAN DO ALL IN ONE VISIT.

ALL THE BEST!

Thanks a lot exports! That's amazing level of detail. I really appreciate it

 

[KRP]

1. Can we apply for OCI card along with Surrendering of Indian Passport?
YES YOU CAN. ONCE YOU APPLY FOR SURRENDER, THE RECEIPT IS VALID FOR OCI AS PROOF OF SURRENDER; THIS IS FROM MY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH NOT MENTIONED IN THE WEBSITE ( HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I AM NOT SURE IF IT MAY DEPEND UPON THE STAFF'S MOOD, NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE)

2. How long will BLS/Indian Consulate/Indian embassy hold our Canadian Passport for?

THEY DON'T TAKE THE CANADIAN PASSPORT. BUT FOR OCI, THEY WILL KEEP THE 1. CITIZENSHIP ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE 2. ORIGINAL LANDING PAPER
3. INDIAN PASSPORT SHOWING VISA WITH 1st TIME LANDING IN CANADA
4. if you are applying and your landing paper shows family applicant, then ORIGINAL LANDING PAPER OF YOUR SPOUSE WHO MIGHT HAVE SPONSORED YOU, ORIGINAL INDIAN PASSPORT WITH LANDING STAMP OF THE SPOUSE AS WELL.
5. IF YOUR NAME IS IN THE PASSPORT OF YOUR SPOUSE, THEN OKAY. IF NO NAME IN THE PASSPORT OF YOUR SPOUSE THEN THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.
6. MOST IMPORTANT: SCREEN SHOT OF THE UPLOAD DOCUMENTS. DON'T FORGET TO UPLOAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS IN THE REQUIRED FORMAT AND SUBMIT. FOR PASSPORT YOU CAN ATTACH THE 1ST PAGE, LAST PAGE, AND THE LANDING VISA STAMP. IF YOU HAD 2 INDIAN PASSPORTS OLD AND RENEWED THEN ADD PAGES IN THE SAME PDF DOC.
FOR REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE JPEG AND THEN IN PDF THIS MAY BE USEFUL TO YOU
http://bestrix.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-reduce-photo-size-less-than-20.html#200,195
7. REQUIRED PHOTO
8. APPROPRIATE " BANK DRAFT "TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL AS MENTIONED FOR OCI/ FOR SURRENDER THEY CAN TAKE BY DEBIT OR CASH.
9. IF ALL OKAY, IN SOME CASES, THE LAST NAME AND FIRST NAME IN THE INDIAN PASSPORTS ARE AS ONE; THEY MAY ASK AN AFFIDAVIT - YOU CAN GIVE AN UNDERTAKING IN A PLAIN PAPER.


ALL ORIGINAL DOCS ARE USUALLY RETURNED BACK BY FEDEX WITHIN 14 DAYS.

3. I have heard horror stories about BLS and the number of times we may have to go into the office. Any advice on how I can avoid these horror stories? lol. I am hoping to go into the BLS office only once to finish my application.

TAKE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WHAT YOU THINK ARE MENTIONED AND ALSO TAKE ORIGINALS WHICH YOU KNOW THEY MAY ASK RELATED TO YOU. I HAVE COVERED MOST OF THEM! HOPE YOU CAN DO ALL IN ONE VISIT.

ALL THE BEST!

Good one...….

 

[itz_nsn]

I am looking at doing both at the same time - however, the online documents upload demands this

Cancelled Indian passport (first and last page) with stamp showing ‘Cancelled on acquiring foreign citizenship’ as one file. In case, there is no Indian origin proof, Nativity Certificate can be uploaded here.

As I have not surrendered my passport, I dot have a stamp with Cancelled on my indian passport.
Have the requirements changed recently ? If not, how what did you upload your passport copy without the cancelled stamp online ?

 

[androme]

how long doe they take to provide you the OCI card and this probably is a stupid question, however I have to ask. Once we have the OCI card, do we need to apply for Indian visa? Hope not. Cheers!!

 

[itz_nsn]

how long doe they take to provide you the OCI card and this probably is a stupid question, however I have to ask. Once we have the OCI card, do we need to apply for Indian visa? Hope not. Cheers!!

OCI processing time check here: https://www.blsindia-canada.com/ocimisc.php

No, you do not need a visa after you get OCI