OCI process
- Thread starter blueshirt
- Start date
We r almost similar situation.
Our Acknowledgement date is 2nd Dec and applied on 29th oct. No update since then.
From experts here, we would like to have your advice. We r planning to travel on 24th Jan 2022 and oci is still under process with Acknowledgement date 2nd Dec. Should I apy entry visa or vl receive OCI within time???
To play it safe, take an appointment for an entry visa sometime in the first week of January. If you have not recieved OCI by then, go ahead and apply the visa. I think do what will give you a little peace of mind, but of course doing this will mean some extra dollars spent.
Quick question- if we are travelling with an OCI , is there a requirement to carry old passport and a surrender certificate ?
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I recieved my oci card today through purolator.
i guess i would answer my own question. In one week I got status update as in transit from consulate to BLS. May be in next 2days I will have my Canada passport back. Hoping its positive results.
Hello guys,
I have applied for my son's OCI postal application Nov 11(received in BLs), still no update in OCI website. BLS website shows processing in General consulate and shows application date 27/11/2021. I am travelling on Jan 16th. Will this be too tight? Should I apply for entry visa? Need your suggestions.
Thanks..
I have applied for my son's OCI postal application Nov 11(received in BLs), still no update in OCI website. BLS website shows processing in General consulate and shows application date 27/11/2021. I am travelling on Jan 16th. Will this be too tight? Should I apply for entry visa? Need your suggestions.
Thanks..
I sent my surrender application via Canada post and it looks like it has reached them. How will I know that they have started processing my application? Will I get an email with a reference number?
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Hi, be
I hv booked entry visa appointment by end of December. Thank you. Hopefully I will receive some update by then on OCI.
As I received similar advice here, do go for entry visa as safer side. We have applied OCI on 29th Oct and still no update.
You can track ur application on OcI website after 21 days from application date.
I received my OCI card today as well through purolator, it seems the status updates on either websites should not be taken at face value, my OCI status still only shows processed and does not even show dispatched or received at ottawa.
"another wonderful work done by the Indian high commission with updates to put people at ease." - wink wink
Here is my timeline in case anyone gets calm looking at it - This is from Montreal , so HCI - Ottawa and they dont allow Passport surrender and OCI together , so different timelines.
Passport Surrender ( 2021 ) :
- Application sent Date - 8th October
- Received by BLS Ottawa - 9th October
- Documents fix requested by BLS -11th October
- Updated Documents sent with new application form - 12th October
- Received by BLS Ottawa - 14th October
- Application accepted by BLS ottawa - 16th October
- Surrender Certificate with originals received - 22nd October
- Application sent date - 25th October
- Received at BLS Ottawa - 26th October
- Date of Acknowledgement on OCI website - 29th October ( visible after November 3rd )
- Original passports returned - November 3rd
- Status update on OCI website - under process - 3rd December , Dispatched - 6th December
- Status update on OCI website - Under process -3rd December ( Dispatched and received lines got removed ) - 13th December
- Received OCI card at home - 14th December
- BLS status update - All the time no update - only showed in progress, started showed Passport ready For Dispatch after OCI stamping - 13th December
the overall process for Passport surrender and OCI card took more than 2 months, but i was prepared with the applications , pictures and Bank drafts right away and used Pickup and Delivery with Purolator from BLS website for both the applications.
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Hello folks,
I'm a regular at these forums. I have never posed any question or answers, but I've learned a lot reading from other's experiences.
So I just want to share my experience with OCI processing, so that these inputs can be helpful for others.
OCI and Indian PP surrender : postal application - Around October 22nd.
Surrender certificate and cancelled Indian Passport return - November last week.
OCI Cards - Dec 10th
After I got my Canadian citizenship and PP, I have visited the Brampton BLS office for a walk in application. I was shocked at the number of people waiting in the queue and realized immediately that there is no way I will be able to get my work done on that day. I have visited BLS in the past but with Covid, people are not allowed to enter the building meaning you have to stand outside in a queue irrespective of the weather. I saw people queuing up starting at 6 in the morning. As I live very far from Brampton BLS office I have then decided to go for postal application.
Important to realize that you can send the PP surrender and OCI applications with in the same package. The processing will be done together and you will not lose time.
Believe me, that was an easy decision, saved me on my gas, time and a lot of headache of waiting in queues. Surprisingly the price difference to pay for courier charges are less/around the same as the courier charges to be paid for in-person application. Remember that you still have to pay courier fees for document return and to collect OCI booklets through Purolator. So you are not really saving much, instead you dont have to take off from work for an entire day. These are my thoughts but it all depends on Individual choice.
The only thing one needs to be aware of, is that the entire application will be returned back even if there is an error with filling the application or with any missing documentation. I had this experience as this was strictly my mistake on one of the applications. I paid extra 100 bucks to reapply and lost 15 days but thats how it is. I heard a case where my friend has to return from the office due to a similar mistake and had to rebook an appointment.
So purely from my personal experience, what I learned is :
- Postal application is better than in person application
- OCI and PP surrender can be done at the same time with in a same package
- Be careful while filling up the applications and ensure that everything is in order.
- A smarter way is to book an appointment with BLS as soon as you know your Canadian citizenship Oath date. So in a simple way leave 4-5 weeks for Certificate of citizenship and Canadian passports. Another say a week or two to be ready with OCI and PP surrender applications. So plan around 6-8 weeks of Oath date so that you will not have to either wait in a queue at BLS office or worry about additional courier charges. But again, use your due diligence.
All the best fellas
I'm a regular at these forums. I have never posed any question or answers, but I've learned a lot reading from other's experiences.
So I just want to share my experience with OCI processing, so that these inputs can be helpful for others.
OCI and Indian PP surrender : postal application - Around October 22nd.
Surrender certificate and cancelled Indian Passport return - November last week.
OCI Cards - Dec 10th
After I got my Canadian citizenship and PP, I have visited the Brampton BLS office for a walk in application. I was shocked at the number of people waiting in the queue and realized immediately that there is no way I will be able to get my work done on that day. I have visited BLS in the past but with Covid, people are not allowed to enter the building meaning you have to stand outside in a queue irrespective of the weather. I saw people queuing up starting at 6 in the morning. As I live very far from Brampton BLS office I have then decided to go for postal application.
Important to realize that you can send the PP surrender and OCI applications with in the same package. The processing will be done together and you will not lose time.
Believe me, that was an easy decision, saved me on my gas, time and a lot of headache of waiting in queues. Surprisingly the price difference to pay for courier charges are less/around the same as the courier charges to be paid for in-person application. Remember that you still have to pay courier fees for document return and to collect OCI booklets through Purolator. So you are not really saving much, instead you dont have to take off from work for an entire day. These are my thoughts but it all depends on Individual choice.
The only thing one needs to be aware of, is that the entire application will be returned back even if there is an error with filling the application or with any missing documentation. I had this experience as this was strictly my mistake on one of the applications. I paid extra 100 bucks to reapply and lost 15 days but thats how it is. I heard a case where my friend has to return from the office due to a similar mistake and had to rebook an appointment.
So purely from my personal experience, what I learned is :
- Postal application is better than in person application
- OCI and PP surrender can be done at the same time with in a same package
- Be careful while filling up the applications and ensure that everything is in order.
- A smarter way is to book an appointment with BLS as soon as you know your Canadian citizenship Oath date. So in a simple way leave 4-5 weeks for Certificate of citizenship and Canadian passports. Another say a week or two to be ready with OCI and PP surrender applications. So plan around 6-8 weeks of Oath date so that you will not have to either wait in a queue at BLS office or worry about additional courier charges. But again, use your due diligence.
All the best fellas