OCI process

[SHVM]

I applied for surrender application on 31st January 2022 by post- from last 10 days on passport India website it says Surrender certificate has been granted and is available for issuance.
And on BLS website it says

Processing at Consulate General - I have OCI walking appointment on 23rd March(booked in January) When I can received the surrender application????

 

[vvarma]

Hey guys, looking for some help here.

So I got my oath certificate recently: I am planning to apply for Canada passport and surrender indian passport at the same time. So for passport purposes I have to submit the original oath certificate with my application. So I have few question with surrender indian application.

1) What original documents I need to include? Indian passport or Oath certificate or the record of landing. Or just copy is enough for all of them.
2) Do I need to include the Demmed Surrender application form as well, because I feel it is for the people who lost their indian passpot.

Please help. I will be mailing the application

1) Canadian Passport you will have to apply via Service Canada. They recently started Walk-ins. You will need your original Citizenship Cert. Details here.
2) Indian Passport Surrender is via BLS. Depending on your Jurisdiction you may or may not need to send original docs including Citizenship Cert to BLS. Also its advisable that you first get your Canadian passport in hand before surrendering (less documentation hassles at BLS), although not a requirement. See your jurisdiction's checklist for which forms/docs that you will need.

 

[Vivadhi]

My OCI status details:

Postal application

mailed on January 12 to Brampton
Received in January 13
Acknowledged by BLS on January 19
Received by CGI Toronto - January 22
OCI website acknowledgement - February 9
OCI status change to “processed” - March 2

 

[royce110]

Vancouver is even more brutal - they change the courier rates every time you call them. I was quoted $140 for OCI + Surrender. When I asked that can I send them the package using Canada Post next day delivery, they said that only Purolator packages are opened by them the next day. Canada Post will go in their general mail box and they only open it after a week!!! Wow!

Scams and Red Tape at its finest!!! Welcome to India in Canada.

 

[royce110]

Hey guys, looking for some help here.

So I got my oath certificate recently: I am planning to apply for Canada passport and surrender indian passport at the same time. So for passport purposes I have to submit the original oath certificate with my application. So I have few question with surrender indian application.

1) What original documents I need to include? Indian passport or Oath certificate or the record of landing. Or just copy is enough for all of them.
2) Do I need to include the Demmed Surrender application form as well, because I feel it is for the people who lost their indian passpot.

Please help. I will be mailing the application

1) Canadian Passport you will have to apply via Service Canada. They recently started Walk-ins. You will need your original Citizenship Cert. Details here.
2) Indian Passport Surrender is via BLS. Depending on your Jurisdiction you may or may not need to send original docs including Citizenship Cert to BLS. Also its advisable that you first get your Canadian passport in hand before surrendering (less documentation hassles at BLS), although not a requirement. See your jurisdiction's checklist for which forms/docs that you will need.

To add to this, not ever jurisdiction is accepting both Surrender and OCI at the same time. People’s applications for OCI were returned because surrender certificate was not available. They have also updated the guidelines on cGI website that say you CANNOT apply for OCI together without applying for surrender certificate first.

 

[mudassirm]

To add to this, not ever jurisdiction is accepting both Surrender and OCI at the same time. People’s applications for OCI were returned because surrender certificate was not available. They have also updated the guidelines on cGI website that say you CANNOT apply for OCI together without applying for surrender certificate first.

Thank you I am not applying OCI at the moment.

 

[mudassirm]

1) Canadian Passport you will have to apply via Service Canada. They recently started Walk-ins. You will need your original Citizenship Cert. Details here.
2) Indian Passport Surrender is via BLS. Depending on your Jurisdiction you may or may not need to send original docs including Citizenship Cert to BLS. Also its advisable that you first get your Canadian passport in hand before surrendering (less documentation hassles at BLS), although not a requirement. See your jurisdiction's checklist for which forms/docs that you will need.

Thank you, they kind of changed their website on BLS. They removed all past links. so checklist is not accurate. I just want to confirm if the original certificates are required during surrendering applications

 

[zagcollins]

My OCI status details:

Postal application

mailed on January 12 to Brampton
Received in January 13
Acknowledged by BLS on January 19
Received by CGI Toronto - January 22
OCI website acknowledgement - February 9
OCI status change to “processed” - March 2

wow. from received to OCI acknowledgment it was 3.5 weeks.

 

[vvarma]

Thank you, they kind of changed their website on BLS. They removed all past links. so checklist is not accurate. I just want to confirm if the original certificates are required during surrendering applications

If you are in the East coast, you will need to send original Certificate by mail. If you can get an in-person BLS appointment, they will verify the original and return it right away.

 

[Loh12]

You can walk into a branch where you hold a account and request for the same. The details of the demand draft and amount are on the BLS website. If you are paying for courier separately then the draft is for $129.40

You can arrange for purolator pick up and drop off by calling BLS directly. They will send you a payment link and shipping label

Thank you, do you think is it possible to walk in to BLS and get it done right away

 

[BNS007]

I applied for surrender application on 31st January 2022 by post- from last 10 days on passport India website it says Surrender certificate has been granted and is available for issuance.
And on BLS website it says

​ Processing at Consulate General - I have OCI walking appointment on 23rd March(booked in January) When I can received the surrender application????

Surrender Certificate (Walk-In - Brampton): 21-Jan
Status on Passport Seva updated to "granted": 28-Jan
Status on Passport Seva updated to "printed": 24-Feb
Still NOT dispatched!

Through out, BLS tracking status is "Processing at Consulate General"

With an assumption that I will receive surrender certificate in approximately 5 weeks (like most of the folks in January), I had booked OCI appointment for 28-Feb and I cancelled it few days back so someone else can use the slot.

Hope you get it before your OCI appointment.

 

[aaroniclee]

We had filed Tourist Visa for 4 of our family members and now one of the member decided not to go ahead with the India plan so she went to the High Commission in Ottawa this morning. As always, they didn't let her in and there were a few more people outside trying to get an update on their applications. After waiting for a while outside, she was given the permission to come inside and she was given the passport back without the visa.

They let her get her passport back? I read on BLS that you need to do an application to withdraw your visa application to get your passport back. Need to book an appointment etc, and then wait 24-48 hours for BLS to process.

 

[BNS007]

had my appointment with BLS Toronto for Surrender certificate today morning. My experience and tip below.

Mostly smooth but please would advise to be extra cautious and vigilant as usual is the need for us to be sadly when dealing with our own people
When I went and submitted my documents, the clerk casually handed me over a pad and told me to write down my home address (with no indication about purpose) as if its routine requirement. It is good that I got a bit vigilant here and asked her why? To which she said that it is for delivery of surrendered passport by Purolator. On advice of previous contributors here (sincere thank you to those people and to this forum) - I remembered to insist for pickup option as their purolator fees are somehow ATROCIOUSLY HIGH!!

So I told her firmly that I want to choose pick up option so I wont be filling this form. She was being insistent and making excuses like: the system is not allowing to choose pickup... due to covid we dont have pick up option... we only give pick up option for emergency visas... blah blah.. and i sensed that she is taking me for a ride..

but i was calm but firm in my stance and politely told her that this is an OPTIONAL service. BLS absolutely cannot FORCE me to pay for this. She then went back to speak with a colleague beside to her and not sure about the conversation but she came back to her desk and just told me hand the pad back to her. No update or no conversation - i kept quiet too. after a while she pickup the payment console and keyed in 130.10 CAD. (they charge additional 0.7 CAD which is not mentioned on their website btw, (which mentions the total fees as 129.40, small amount but good to know) and handed me the receipt with tracking information.

I just asked her that how will i be informed that my passport is ready for pickup? She said I will get a phone call or email.

so my TIP to fellow members here:

You ABSOLUTELY CAN insist for pickup of surrendered passport and save some money. Their purolator fees are atrociously high and not sure if it is due to a commission being incentivised to the clerk for getting us to sign up for purolator.

--
sincerely now hoping i get done with the surrender process - and then onwards to the next big hurdle: OCI. PLEASE if anyone has any tips to share or advice regarding OCI application process and things to be careful about - would be very grateful

• Surrender Certificate (Walk-In: Brampton):
  • Charge 1: Courier - Gave me an excuse of Covid, pick-up for emergency visa only and I ended up paying courier charges (I guess they have similar transcript like call centers lol).
  • Charge 2: Without even asking me, charged me for Passport Cover and handed it over to me when I was leaving.
  • Charge 3: Photo not as per specification (though I had expected that)

• Tourist Visa(Walk-In: Brampton):
  • Charge 1: Courier - Agent lied that passport is dispatched from Consulate directly and not from BLS so better opt for courier to avoid delays (NEW & WRONG REASON)
  • Avoided Charge 2 (Interesting - MUST READ): I had extra photos they clicked during my Surrender Certificate Application. This time, looking at the photo, agent told me that my shirt's color is light (It was Dark Blue and was clicked by BLS 3 days back!) and asked me to get the new photo even with wearing winter parka coz it was black! I think they didn't know that they had clicked my photos couple of days back for Surrender Certificate and were just trying to charge for photos. Heights!

• Future OCI application (Walk-In: Brampton): Hope to avoid this stupid "Helicopter Delivery" courier charge by BLS (I wouldn't even say Purolator) and other unknown surprise charges and their new tactics

It's not only about money but also about being truthful. That too with people from the same country of origin (It should not matter, though.)!

 

[116sg17]

Still NOT dispatched!

Do they not allow you to pick up your certificate and cancelled passport in person?

 

[aaroniclee]

We had filed Tourist Visa for 4 of our family members and now one of the member decided not to go ahead with the India plan so she went to the High Commission in Ottawa this morning. As always, they didn't let her in and there were a few more people outside trying to get an update on their applications. After waiting for a while outside, she was given the permission to come inside and she was given the passport back without the visa.

Hey just want to give you a heads up - just looked at my application tracking on BLS and it says it's on the way from the Consulate to BLS. Did your status change?