OCI process

[Yogi3845]

Hi Yogi, can u please suggest me what other options are available if the the OCI is delayed?

You can apply for tourist visa (with a max. stay upto 6 months) with a processing time of 5-10 business days or a quick option is eTV which is an electronic visa issued through an email within 2-3 days. eTV is a good option is your stay in India is less than 30 days.

 

[thecoolguysam]

Thank you, Coolguysam - you are really cool !

- Yes, I paid for the courier fees when originally submitted application. So, if I understand you correctly, I should also expect to receive my new OCI document delivered via Courier too;
- Yes, I received all originals back already, including my new passport, old original OCI, old expired passport with OCI stamp, expired Indian passport, Surrender certificate, etc. A week after submission;
- Why applied - actually it is for my daughter. She crossed 20 years and applied for OCI miscellaneous application for transfer to her new Canadian passport

The confusion was that when the original documents were returned via courier, the package had Acknowledgement Slip with a note "For collection/Pick up - Documents needed: Canadian Passport, online status, acknowledgement slip AND OCI Card and old Canadian Passport". That is what threw me off, raising couple of questions - (1) what happens to the old OCI card, which is NOT cancelled as yet; (2) what happens to old sticker, which is not cancelled as yet. Hence I started thinking that I have to return these documents for cancellation before they hand over the new one. Maybe it is not necessary. Please advise if this is your understanding too.

Did you pay $28+$7.40 + courier charges?

As it is a reissue of OCI card, you might be called to BLS centre to pickup the new OCI card unless you have been charged double for courier charges. If you are charged double then one courier has been used to return your originals and one would be used to send you the new OCI. Ideally they should send everything all together but their policies may change anytime.

If you are called to BLS centre, please make sure you carry the documents as per the acknowledgement slip.
Either you will get a callback or you can check the status online on both govt of india's website and bls website.

I have applied for my OCI (fresh one) and haven't received the original indian passport and landing document back. I think these would be returned along with the OCI booklet.

 

[canadaon]

If passport expires, you need to carry old passport, new passport and the OCI card.

When the person is below age of 20 or beyond age of 50 and if canadian passport expires and a new one is reissued then the OCI card needs to be renewed as well with nominal fee of around 28+ dollars.

Thanks thecoolguysam!!

 

[DilipJoshi]

Did you pay $28+$7.40 + courier charges?

As it is a reissue of OCI card, you might be called to BLS centre to pickup the new OCI card unless you have been charged double for courier charges. If you are charged double then one courier has been used to return your originals and one would be used to send you the new OCI. Ideally they should send everything all together but their policies may change anytime.

If you are called to BLS centre, please make sure you carry the documents as per the acknowledgement slip.
Either you will get a callback or you can check the status online on both govt of india's website and bls website.

I have applied for my OCI (fresh one) and haven't received the original indian passport and landing document back. I think these would be returned along with the OCI booklet.

I think they only charged for one courier, I did pay as follows:

$ 26 Service fee
$ 2 ICWF Charge
Total $ 28
$ 6.55 BLS Fee
$ 35.40 Courier
$ 5.45 HST on Courier
Total $ 47.40

You are right, I have the feeling that since it is reissue of OCI card, I will have to go to the BLS centre to pickup the new OCI card, and provide old documents, for one simple reason - they need to cancel my old OCI before handing me the new OCI card. But the dilemma is if they cannot cancel old documents at BLS location, they may need to send them to the consulate for cancellation, which adds another 1-2 weeks, and I run out of time. We travel in 2 weeks. I think I need to pay a visit to the BLS centre and talk to the manager to find out (the person I talked to last time, had no clue). Let's see.

I need to know for certain, what the process is, so that I can plan. But no one seems to know for sure.

 

[thecoolguysam]

I think they only charged for one courier, I did pay as follows:

$ 26 Service fee
$ 2 ICWF Charge
Total $ 28
$ 6.55 BLS Fee
$ 35.40 Courier
$ 5.45 HST on Courier
Total $ 47.40

You are right, I have the feeling that since it is reissue of OCI card, I will have to go to the BLS centre to pickup the new OCI card, and provide old documents, for one simple reason - they need to cancel my old OCI before handing me the new OCI card. But the dilemma is if they cannot cancel old documents at BLS location, they may need to send them to the consulate for cancellation, which adds another 1-2 weeks, and I run out of time. We travel in 2 weeks. I think I need to pay a visit to the BLS centre and talk to the manager to find out (the person I talked to last time, had no clue). Let's see.

I need to know for certain, what the process is, so that I can plan. But no one seems to know for sure.

You should visit BLS centre to confirm the details.
I think you might require to surrender your old OCI card but I am not too sure. If the cancellation would have been required then they would have cancelled the old OCI card when you submitted it initially.
Please talk to the BLS centre and try contacting their call centre too: http://www.blsindia-canada.com/contactus.php

 

[InEdm]

My and family OCI application is in Process since January 12, 2016. " In process at consulate general". Any idea whom to contact? I wrote an e-mail to cgivancouver but no reply.
BLS says its with govt. of India and they cant do any thing?
Thanks

 

[thecoolguysam]

My and family OCI application is in Process since January 12, 2016. " In process at consulate general". Any idea whom to contact? I wrote an e-mail to cgivancouver but no reply.
BLS says its with govt. of India and they cant do any thing?
Thanks

It's been a long time. What does the status state on the BLS website and Govt of India's website?
Try visiting your nearest consulate if possible. I think consulate is generally open for public during specific hours during the day.

 

[InEdm]

The status at BLS - "Under process at consulate general"

GOI website - " Document Printing - Under Process"

I am in Calgary and consulate in Vancouver, have to travel if no other options. Thinking of writing an e-mail and to consulate general or tweet MOEA , now a days things move with this

It's been a long time. What does the status state on the BLS website and Govt of India's website?
Try visiting your nearest consulate if possible. I think consulate is generally open for public during specific hours during the day.

 

[thecoolguysam]

The status at BLS - "Under process at consulate general"

GOI website - " Document Printing - Under Process"

I am in Calgary and consulate in Vancouver, have to travel if no other options. Thinking of writing an e-mail and to consulate general or tweet MOEA , now a days things move with this

Check the following link:
http://www.cgivancouver.org/pages.php?id=6

Mr.Shammi Arora (Consul, CGO&OCI)
Email: indiapscg@telus.net

I sent him an email to the email address mentioned above and received a response from oci@cgivancouver.org after 20 days. You may get response early if they are not too busy.

 

[DilipJoshi]

That is exactly my thoughts and my concern. Cancellation cannot be done by BLS, hence it likely sent to consulate for cancellation, which means yet another week before I see my documents back ! I travel in another week. I wish they tell me exact process so I work around this. It is long week- end so will check Aug 2 with BLS center.

 

[DilipJoshi]

The status at BLS - "Under process at consulate general"

GOI website - " Document Printing - Under Process"

I am in Calgary and consulate in Vancouver, have to travel if no other options. Thinking of writing an e-mail and to consulate general or tweet MOEA , now a days things move with this

On MOIA site in Delhi it should have "Date of Acknowledgements". In my case, it gets printed in 2 weeks from that date and despatched 1 week after printed status. It arrives in your consulate in one more week.

 

[DilipJoshi]

You should visit BLS centre to confirm the details.
I think you might require to surrender your old OCI card but I am not too sure. If the cancellation would have been required then they would have cancelled the old OCI card when you submitted it initially.
Please talk to the BLS centre and try contacting their call centre too

Here is the update - just talked to BLS Customer Service, and they confirmed that OCI card is being dispatched via Fedex and will be received Aug 2 (tomorrow). It seems that the courier fees I paid originally ($35 something plus HST), includes courier delivery of the original documents (already received previously), as well as courier delivery of the new OCI card to home address.

Also, to add, there is no need to return or cancel the old OCI card, as per the Customer Service. We can just keep it. Considering that, they really have simplified the whole process.

Here are the dates from start to finish:

Submitted at BLS: - Jun 23, 2016
Acknowledgement Date - Jul 5, 2016
Processed (Delhi) - Jul 19, 2016
Dispatched (Delhi) - Jul 23, 2016
Received Toronto - Jul 29, 2016
Home (in Fedex) - Aug 2, 2016

So the entire process from date of submission to date updated document received at home is 6 weeks, which is exactly what the lady at BLS counter told us on day one of submission - kudos to BLS - I am impressed. If I had clarified the receipt process at the time, there would not have been any confusion. From date of acknowledgement, it is only 4 weeks document would be in the hand, for any future readers of this thread.

 

[thecoolguysam]

My OCI has been processed on 5th August. Not dispatched yet.

 

[DilipJoshi]

My OCI has been processed on 5th August. Not dispatched yet.

Two weeks, it will be delivered to your home, if you originally paid courier. I received mine Aug 2nd via courier, even though I only paid one courier charge (covers both delivery of original documents to home, as well as OCI to your home). They do NOT cancel or take old OCI back. Perhaps new process.

 

[nyadlapati]

My OCI status says Processed on August 10th. not dispatched yet. hoping to get it in next two weeks just like others :-X .