High commission jurisdiction, if any family member has applied for OCI before also with the OCI card # or Application #
OCI
- Thread starter majorsaab
- Start date
I believe you will have to get OCI first, also your wife will need a preapproval for the Consulate General of India, which will be provided after a brief interview as per BSL website.
FOR THOSE APPLYING ON BASIS OF THEIR SPOUSE, WHO IS A FORMER INDIAN NATIONAL AND EXISTING
OCI CARD HOLDER: (All documents in original are must)
- OCI applications on the spousal basis are required to have prior approval from the Consulate, which will be given
after a brief interview of the applicant.
- For applicants, NOT of INDIAN origin, (including those whose parents / grandparents were not former Indians),
they may apply on basis of their spouse who is of Indian origin or a former Indian national and an existing OCI
card holder. Please select ‘yes’ to the question “If you are applying on basis of your spouse’s OCI”. After
printing the online form, the right side of the form would display ‘Foreign Spouse Application.’
Please note: Any Marriage / Birth Certificates (for those married / born outside of Canada, excluding India), have
to be authenticated by the Embassy of your Country, located in Canada and thereafter attested by the Consulate
General of India, Toronto.
Hello,
I applied for citizenship and I got a test invite yesterday. I am taking my test on Jan 29th. Now I have booked one week of travel outside canada. I also want to apply for OCI. If I get my Oath ceremony scheduled for first week of march it should be good. Second option, If I get that done lets say before Feb 22nd ,and I have enough time to make my canadian passport in emergency. Is it okay to apply for OCI after I come back to Canada in march first week or Do I have to surrender my passport right away ?
I applied for citizenship and I got a test invite yesterday. I am taking my test on Jan 29th. Now I have booked one week of travel outside canada. I also want to apply for OCI. If I get my Oath ceremony scheduled for first week of march it should be good. Second option, If I get that done lets say before Feb 22nd ,and I have enough time to make my canadian passport in emergency. Is it okay to apply for OCI after I come back to Canada in march first week or Do I have to surrender my passport right away ?
I hope this will answer your questions....
Under Indian law, Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), who have acquired foreign citizenship are required to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship.
Even after acquiring the Canadian citizenship, the Indian passport can be used to travel for 3 months from the day of getting the Canadian citizenship. The grace period is only for such cases where foreign citizenship has been acquired but a foreign passport is not available to the person. It is also mentioned that it is illegal to travel on an Indian passport, where a person has obtained a foreign passport.
Penalty will be charged if the passport is used after 3 months.
Reference: https://www.cgitoronto.gov.in/eoi.php?id=surrender_certificate
Penalty for travelling on your Indian Passport after acquiring Canadian Citizenship
1 Trip 343 CAD$
2 Trip 686 CAD$
3 Trip 1029 CAD$
4 Trip 1372 CAD$
5 Trip or more 1711 CAD$
Penalty for getting Indian Passport renewed or reissued after acquiring Canadian/ Foreign Citizenship 856 CAD$
Penalty for obtaining any miscellaneous passport service (Name change/Correction) after acquiring Canadian / Foreign Citizenship 343 CAD$
Reference: https://www.blsindia-canada.com/renunciation_ppt.php
Under Indian law, Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), who have acquired foreign citizenship are required to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship.
Even after acquiring the Canadian citizenship, the Indian passport can be used to travel for 3 months from the day of getting the Canadian citizenship. The grace period is only for such cases where foreign citizenship has been acquired but a foreign passport is not available to the person. It is also mentioned that it is illegal to travel on an Indian passport, where a person has obtained a foreign passport.
Penalty will be charged if the passport is used after 3 months.
Reference: https://www.cgitoronto.gov.in/eoi.php?id=surrender_certificate
Penalty for travelling on your Indian Passport after acquiring Canadian Citizenship
1 Trip 343 CAD$
2 Trip 686 CAD$
3 Trip 1029 CAD$
4 Trip 1372 CAD$
5 Trip or more 1711 CAD$
Penalty for getting Indian Passport renewed or reissued after acquiring Canadian/ Foreign Citizenship 856 CAD$
Penalty for obtaining any miscellaneous passport service (Name change/Correction) after acquiring Canadian / Foreign Citizenship 343 CAD$
Reference: https://www.blsindia-canada.com/renunciation_ppt.php
This is a classic dilemma for any one before renunciation of home country's citizenship. Here it goes:
It is not clear to me as to when you planned to travel. Let's assume you planned to travel around Feb'20. You can take test on Jan 29th. It would take about 3-4 time for your oath date. Remember that you do not have an option to choose your date of oath. However, you can skip (for one time only) the first date of invite for both test date and oath date. You need to provide valid reason for this. Again, the second date is decided by CIC, not you. Once you take your oath, it is advisable that you do not use Indian passport to travel. They clearly mention in your oath invitation/Canadian passport application not to plan any travel till you get your Canadian passport. It is said that you can use Indian passport after you take foreign citizenship for 3 months. It is up to you to check this and take a chance on this. Hope this helps.
After you take your test and do interview let the office know you are travelling and your dates and they will try to avoid those dates for your oath.
Unless you are a person travelling a large distance to your test center, is it very unlikely albeit not impossible that your oath will be day after test or even within two weeks. As mentioned above 3-4 (months) is more normal.
Bear in mind that you don't need a visa on a Canadian passport to visit Australia or NZ. You need eTAs to enter Australia/New Zealand, these are relatively quick, easy and cheap. If you did have your oath right after test you would have to pay for express processing (extra $110) to get passport back next day. The cheaper $50 express option is 2-9 business days which may be cutting things fine. You could then surrender Indian passport before or after you go.
I am, of course, assuming you aren't going abroad for months.
Unless you are a person travelling a large distance to your test center, is it very unlikely albeit not impossible that your oath will be day after test or even within two weeks. As mentioned above 3-4 (months) is more normal.
Bear in mind that you don't need a visa on a Canadian passport to visit Australia or NZ. You need eTAs to enter Australia/New Zealand, these are relatively quick, easy and cheap. If you did have your oath right after test you would have to pay for express processing (extra $110) to get passport back next day. The cheaper $50 express option is 2-9 business days which may be cutting things fine. You could then surrender Indian passport before or after you go.
I am, of course, assuming you aren't going abroad for months.
Hi thank you for taking time out and replying to my post. I am planning to fly down south on feb 22nd for a week. and If I get invited to take oath before 22nd then I will get my canada passport in emergency as I can not delay my vacation, (planned and paid last year in oct). I just dont understand the surrender and applying for OCI part. Can i do that when I come back in March?? IS it okay to have two passports for a week or two after I take oath
Thanks! I am Scarborough office and its not uncommon to get asked for Oath the very next day - but more likely 3-4 months.
Yes, I know I will have to apply for eTAs but to avoid the urgent processing fees ($110) and eta costs ($58 CAD). Can I not just come back end of Feb and apply for my Canadian passport as well as surrender my Indian passport/apply for OCI? That's only if I do get my Oath the next day and if they can give me the special authorization to return. I know these are a lot of IFs but better to be prepared!
If not, I think I will accept the next day's Oath and get my Canadian passport on urgent basis (express might be cutting it close). So its okay to travel on my Canadian passport and come back and surrender my Indian passport, right?
I mean I am at the same office, requested they not send for Dec 14-Jan 1 on my Nov 18th test, and got Oath invite Jan 14th, for what that is worthThanks! I am Scarborough office and its not uncommon to get asked for Oath the very next day - but more likely 3-4 months.
Yes, I know I will have to apply for eTAs but to avoid the urgent processing fees ($110) and eta costs ($58 CAD). Can I not just come back end of Feb and apply for my Canadian passport as well as surrender my Indian passport/apply for OCI? That's only if I do get my Oath the next day and if they can give me the special authorization to return. I know these are a lot of IFs but better to be prepared!
If not, I think I will accept the next day's Oath and get my Canadian passport on urgent basis (express might be cutting it close). So its okay to travel on my Canadian passport and come back and surrender my Indian passport, right?
And I got DM day after test.
If you don't tell them about your travel, they may also sent you an oath invite between mid and end Feb of course. Which would, I assume, be problematic for you
Special authorization is possible to get sure, but I imagine that's quite expensive and difficult and may interrupt your vacation especially if one has to wait in the city it's ordered from for a few days. I don't know anything about these but these things are rarely simple and I personally have a (Citizen) friend who ended up driving back to Canada from Rhode Island (ie: land border) because he couldn't get anything faster than 5 days from the Canadian embassy in the US to make a flight.
I believe you can use Indian passport for three months after doing Oath. But that said, CBSA may not be happy when you turn up with an Indian passport being a Canadian citizenship. And that is BEST case, worst case the airline realizes and refuses to let you board because the law is that you need a Canadian passport to enter Canada. Many people can't do this now due to the eTA, you not being from a visa exempt country and so not requiring an electronic travel permit that they can check may work, but it's a risk in my opinion.
So to summarize, my suggestion is request they don't send oath invite until end of Feb.
Gotcha! I’ll definitely tell the officer of my travel dates if they don’t offer Oath next day! That’s the easiest option. Thanks again. I can always come back and surrender my Indian passport, correct?I mean I am at the same office, requested they not send for Dec 14-Jan 1 on my Nov 18th test, and got Oath invite Jan 14th, for what that is worth
And I got DM day after test.
If you don't tell them about your travel, they may also sent you an oath invite between mid and end Feb of course. Which would, I assume, be problematic for you
Special authorization is possible to get sure, but I imagine that's quite expensive and difficult and may interrupt your vacation especially if one has to wait in the city it's ordered from for a few days. I don't know anything about these but these things are rarely simple and I personally have a (Citizen) friend who ended up driving back to Canada from Rhode Island (ie: land border) because he couldn't get anything faster than 5 days from the Canadian embassy in the US to make a flight.
I believe you can use Indian passport for three months after doing Oath. But that said, CBSA may not be happy when you turn up with an Indian passport being a Canadian citizenship. And that is BEST case, worst case the airline realizes and refuses to let you board because the law is that you need a Canadian passport to enter Canada. Many people can't do this now due to the eTA, you not being from a visa exempt country and so not requiring an electronic travel permit that they can check may work, but it's a risk in my opinion.
So to summarize, my suggestion is request they don't send oath invite until end of Feb.
Not 100% clear on your question. I assume you mean if you get the oath and passport quickly you can travel on that and then surrender Indian one on your return then yeah, as I understand it you have three months to surrender your Indian passport. You can do any travel you want on that passport for three months as an exemption period but your issue will be getting back to Canada easily/legally with it.
Yes, that is exactly what I meant. If I do get my Canadian passport - travel - come back and then surrender my Indian passport later without any issues. And yes, it'll get messy trying to return to Canada without a Canadian passport. Thanks a lot for all your help! Good luck to you, as I see you have a Oath potentially for Feb 7th?
Yeah, I monitored ECAS and got an update/invite but no notice received. So I am hoping all will be okay (agent said it would be) or the notice will arrive by snail mail despite IRCC saying their emailed it (happened to at least one other here).Yes, that is exactly what I meant. If I do get my Canadian passport - travel - come back and then surrender my Indian passport later without any issues. And yes, it'll get messy trying to return to Canada without a Canadian passport. Thanks a lot for all your help! Good luck to you, as I see you have a Oath potentially for Feb 7th?
Hi, just so you’re aware, the three month grace period to use your Indian passport applies only in the event you are unable to get a passport after acquiring your new nationality.Yes, that is exactly what I meant. If I do get my Canadian passport - travel - come back and then surrender my Indian passport later without any issues. And yes, it'll get messy trying to return to Canada without a Canadian passport. Thanks a lot for all your help! Good luck to you, as I see you have a Oath potentially for Feb 7th?
https://www.cgitoronto.gov.in/eoi.php?id=surrender_certificate
I will admit there is conflicting information on the BLS website as well, and countless people have posted similar queries to yours. So travelling with an Indian passport requires a certain amount of peril on your part. If you do get a CAD passport on time, you could apply for an e-visa. Good luck!