OCI process

[Ryn_20]

For walk in applicant (Toronto jurisdiction), It takes slightly over 3 weeks (between 21 to 25 calendar days from date of submission)

Ok thank you.

 

[Dr kbknaidu]

To apply for visitor VISA one must have surrender certificate, even for online eVISA to India visit?? BLS dont have appointments till Feb, so can I try walk in ?? please guys this is crazy till Feb 2022 for VISA to India ??

 

[nerd]

To apply for visitor VISA one must have surrender certificate, even for online eVISA to India visit?? BLS dont have appointments till Feb, so can I try walk in ?? please guys this is crazy till Feb 2022 for VISA to India ??

eVisa is suspended till foreseeable future.
You have to apply for entry visa in person at BLS.
I am not sure where you got Feb 2022 appointment date, as I just booked an appointment for entry visa at Brampton BLS for 29th Dec 2021.
Please verify.
nerd.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

To apply for visitor VISA one must have surrender certificate, even for online eVISA to India visit?? BLS dont have appointments till Feb, so can I try walk in ?? please guys this is crazy till Feb 2022 for VISA to India ??

e-Visa is suspended for all nationalities because of Covid-19. Also, India, for non-Covid reasons, removed Canada from the list of countries whose citizens can get e-visa. So, if you want to travel to India now and you don't have time to get OCI, you'll have to get an entry visa and currently, they are giving entry visas with 6 months validity (6 months from the date of issue of visa).

 

[Dr kbknaidu]

Here they saying you can travel to India ( Canadian Citizens with COVID91 air Suvisdha App ??
https://www.evisasindia.org/

 

[thisisdna]

Hey guys,

Has anyone recently applied for their OCI with the new checklist requirements?

Just gathering information, if you did submit your original Canadian passport/Indian passport/citizenship certificate as per the new checklist requirement? If so, did you guys get these documents back earlier than your OCI, or will they only come back with the OCI booklet.

Also, what did you guys provide for the "professional details of the applicant"? What would students provide for this?

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Here they saying you can travel to India ( Canadian Citizens with COVID91 air Suvisdha App ??
https://www.evisasindia.org/

This is the official website => https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Click on that link and then select "Countries/Nationalities who are eligible to avail eVisa". You won't see Canada on that list.

 

[imm01]

Hey guys,

Has anyone recently applied for their OCI with the new checklist requirements?

Just gathering information, if you did submit your original Canadian passport/Indian passport/citizenship certificate as per the new checklist requirement? If so, did you guys get these documents back earlier than your OCI, or will they only come back with the OCI booklet.

Also, what did you guys provide for the "professional details of the applicant"? What would students provide for this?

Canadian passport must be returned after inspection as per CGI Toronto. Please escalate to CGI as well as BLS if Canadian PP is retained.
I applied before the new checklist, they did keep my original landing paper, and returned after 2weeks or so. They extort $30.95 to return this piece of paper, I don't understand why this cannot be sent along with the OCI booklet !


(f) Canadian passport / Foreign Passport (Original and copy) (duly signed)

Please enclose photo page of your Canadian Passport having photographs and details of your passport. Original Passport is required to be shown at the counter for verification, it will be returned back at the counter after verification. A minimum six months or more validity on your passport is required for applying for OCI.

 

[DigitalDestiny]

A single person (using 1 appointment) cannot submit application for entire family ?.

Just noticed on BLS site, " One Appointment is for One Application only. (E.g. for family application of 3 members you need to book 3 appointments). " ?.

screenshot >>> https://pasteboard.co/CelTSuAhF8TB.jpg

 

[Dr kbknaidu]

This is the official website => https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Click on that link and then select "Countries/Nationalities who are eligible to avail eVisa". You won't see Canada on that list.

So the above one I mentioned is private website ? just curious I am asking, and please some suggest my Canadian passport is underway way and pick for 15th of December, is there anything I can do to save some time to travel to India on Jan 10th ? like Application submission online for renouncing Indian citizenship / OCI or VISA or anything where I can save some time, please suggest me

 

[el02220]

This is another example of BLS creating rules out of thin air...If a person got married after the passport was issued, how can the spouse name be printed in it? Marriage certificate issued by a valid authority should have sufficed. This is nothing but monopoly and harassment. Good that you didn't accept whatever they said and challenged them!

@el02220
Can you please elaborate little bit on on the RTI part so that we are all aware and follow that avenue if necessary in the future?

Did a RTI for CGI vancouver(you can choose which government department you want to ask question from) I asked them that If I am married with a certificate and dont have spouse name printed should I put in single or married on my passport application.

Although only an Indian citizen can do RTI(proof of citizenship has to be attached) so find someone to do it.

when I went BLS for 1st time I explicitly asked them are you saying me to lie on my application? the lady said thats the way and passed a smirk that if you wish you can get approval from embassy and guess what I did it. I was temped to go to same person and flaunt but choose to ignore it.

 

[el02220]

Wow, that's amazing. I'm glad to hear they shenanigans they tried to pull was short lived.

Lol I didnt know that we cant apply together, although they were ready to accept both my application a month ago as well (Nov 9th) but all that married/single fiasco happened.

 

[el02220]

I think BLS Surrey accepted el02220's application due to escalation to CGI (for not accepting married status just because spouse's name was not printed in PP). I checked BLS Vancouver's OCI checklist, surrender certificate is required for oci submission.

BTW, the requirement to have surrender certificate as prerequisite for applying OCI was set by CGI on Nov 17th (not BLS).

no 2nd time I went to BLS Vancouver (I am done with Surrey). They first took my surrender application and then attached copy of surrender receipt to OCI application.

 

[el02220]

actually Vancouver BLS person are so nice that it does not feel that you are in BLS office. For all lower mainland residents ill suggest go to Vancouver office. its a long drive from some parts but totally worth it.

 

[masterofpupp]

So now that rules have changed, I guess going to BLS Toronto or Brampton won't make much of a difference.