Mailing passport from India to Buffalo

[gc2canada]

Hello Forum Members-

This is a repost from another thread. I am still looking for help.

My CEC application has been approved by Buffalo CIC and they have now requested for passports of all family members.

Calling everyone who has sent their passports from India to Buffalo by a courier service:
1. Which courier service did you use to send your passports for stamping and when did you send them?
2. Was there any supplementary documents / authorization required by the courier company to courier your passports?

I dont know any friend/relative who can take our passports to U.S. and mail them locally. Fedex and Blue Dart have refused to carry passports. DHL says that they would carry it provided they have a letter from Ministry of External Affairs allowing the same but I have no clue how to get such a letter.

Any insight will be appreciated. Thank you all for your attention and responses.

[nkm-oct23]

It is illegal to send Indian passport by mail to a destination outside India. That is why courier companies refused.

[gc2canada]

nkm-oct23: So, is there no solution if one doesnt have a relative/friend travelling to U.S. and one cant travel himself?

[nkm-oct23]

nkm-oct23: So, is there no solution if one doesnt have a relative/friend travelling to U.S. and one cant travel himself?

You can request Canadian immigration to send the paperwork to India and you can get your immigrant visas there.

If you are planning to travel to Canada soon, you might travel to US first (if you have or can get a US visa), pick up your Canadian visa then travel to Canada.

I am guessing you applied for Canadian immigration while in US, then moved to India from US, but did not inform Canadian immigration about your pending application.

Mailing Indian passport is very risky, both to and from India. If you have a friend who has plans to travel to US, stay there for a few weeks and then return to India, you can use his address to receive your visas. (Not sure if using a different address causes additional paperwork with Canadian authority)

[gc2canada]

nkm-oct23:
I did send an enquiry to CIC Buffalo requesting for the stamping to be done in New Delhi. Here was their response:
"You must submit your passport to the office that processed your application. If you are unable to do so you can withdraw your application and reapply in your country of nationality or the country where you are residing, provided you have been lawfully admitted for a period of at least one year. Please be aware processing fees are non refundable.

Canadian Consulate General Buffalo
Immigration Section"

I applied from within India itself to New Delhi CIC. However, apps under CEC category are mandatorily routed to Buffalo and processed there. So, the PPR request has come from there and the passport has to be sent to Buffalo - no option there.

DHL says that they can carry the passport officially subject to an authorization letter from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) but neither do they have any format of the expected letter nor the know-how of who to contact in the Ministry. When I contacted the MEA, they said there is no policy to issue such letters.

I will re-try to find out within my friend circle if anyone is travelling to U.S. Such a messy fix to be in right at the end of the process.