India Dual Citizenship Mega Thread (Merged)

[mangal969]

Earlier I asked the question about the $15 mailing charge as to whether it is per person or per application. Just noted this updated info on the chicago consulate website, though not sure if it is the same for NY consulate where I will be applying

$ 15/- are postal charges in r/o one passport only. For each additional passport, please add $ 1/- e.g. if 3 applicants have applied together (in a group of family), a total of $ 17/- is to be added as postal charges ($ 15 + $ 1 + $ 1), if a family of 4 (spouses + 2 minor children) have applied together a total of $ 18/- is to be added as postal charges.

Call the OCI cell at (212)734-0116.For visa applications for a family,they charge $15 for upto 4 applications.My guess is the same would also apply for OCI.
I had to send two seperate applications (my son is above 18) therefore had to send $30.

 

[fitness99]

Looks like the CGI's are making some money on the express mail charges. I thought the USPS express envelope rate is the same for less than 4 lbs weight

 

[PIO1]

I got a note from the consulate re 2004 OCI applicants. They are awaiting receipt of the stuff from MHA. It appears, they say, many will be returned as they do not have enough information to process.

 

[mangal969]

I got a note from the consulate re 2004 OCI applicants. They are awaiting receipt of the stuff from MHA. It appears, they say, many will be returned as they do not have enough information to process.

Note as in mailed or e-mailed in response to your query ?
I think you guys should pre-emptively send the documents and photos as per the requirements or atleast keep them notarised and ready.
Dont think any one of the 374 (+1000 if reports are to be believed) lucky ones are members of this forum
Also is the online status query working ? Has anyone received an acknowledgement from any consulate ?

 

[mangal969]

From the High Commision in New Zealand.If it's possible This should be posted as a sticky so even new members can read it:

OCI IS NOT DUAL CITIZENSHIP​

There is some confusion in the minds of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and others that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) amounts to granting dual citizenship. Therefore, the following clarification is being issued.

The expression ‘dual citizenship’ is a misnomer. The scheme, as has been of operationalised by Government of India is more commonly known as ‘dual citizenship’. However, the technical term used for the scheme in the Citizenship Act, 1955 (as amended vide Amendment Act, 2005) is ‘Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)’.

Articles 5 to 9 of the Constitution of India provide for the grant of Indian citizenship (IC) at the commencement of Constitution i.e. 26.01.1950. Article 9 clearly states that a person shall cease to be a citizen of India, if he voluntary acquires the citizenship of India of any foreign State. Therefore, one can not have citizenship of any other country, if he is an Indian citizen.

The acquisition of IC after 26.01.1950 is governed by the provisions of Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 1956. Indian citizenship may be acquired in the following manners under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

(i) By Birth – Under Section 3

(ii) By Descent – Under Section 4

(iii) By Registration – Under Section 5 and

(iv) By Naturalization – Under Section 6.

Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 deals with termination of IC, which is reproduced as below.
“9.Termination of citizenship – Any citizen of India who by naturalization, registration otherwise voluntarily acquires, or has at anytime between the 26th January, 1950 and the commencement of this Act, voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country shall, upon such acquisition or, as the case may be, such commencement, cease to be a citizen of India.”

In order to fulfill aspirations of large Indian Diaspora of renewing ties with their motherland, as recommended by the High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora, Citizenship Act, 1955 was amended by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, introducing a new category of citizenship known as Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). Citizenship Act, 1955 was further amended by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005 to expand the scope of OCI from PIOs of 16 specified countries to citizens of all countries except Pakistan and Bangladesh as long as their home countries allow dual citizenship in some form or the other under their local laws.

2.Persons registered as OCI are not Indian citizens. This is a new category created under the statute with certain restricted rights as compared to Indian citizens.

3.It may be further clarified that the provision of eligibility to PIOs of only those countries that allow dual citizenship in some form or other under their local laws was kept primarily to ensure that they do not lose any of the rights conferred under the foreign citizenship on being registered as OCI.

 

[PIO1]

From the High Commision in New Zealand.If it's possible This should be posted as a sticky so even new members can read it:

OCI IS NOT DUAL CITIZENSHIP​

...

The expression ‘dual citizenship’ is a misnomer...

Thanks mangal ...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Why are they telling us this, its the MHA, PM and MOIA who have publically called this Dual Citizenship. And its not a misnomer. It's misinformation, misleading and mismanaging.

 

[PIO1]

Note as in mailed or e-mailed in response to your query ?
I think you guys should pre-emptively send the documents and photos as per the requirements or atleast keep them notarised and ready.
Dont think any one of the 374 (+1000 if reports are to be believed) lucky ones are members of this forum
Also is the online status query working ? Has anyone received an acknowledgement from any consulate ?

E-mail. I think they should have given the applications back and asked everyone to do it again 1 year ago. But you can't do anything when they won't refund, and won't communicate. If this was operational since 2 december, why has it taken them 2 months to figure out that the applications are incorrect?

 

[qwert97]

I got a note from the consulate re 2004 OCI applicants. They are awaiting receipt of the stuff from MHA. It appears, they say, many will be returned as they do not have enough information to process.

PIO1, don't despair. I managed to talk to Mr. Sharma at MHA and he said that they are making all the efforts to get the OCI v1 cleared in the next 10 days. He informed me that they were currently processing about 350 plus applications that were received from Toronto and that he expects them to be mailed out in the next week. It is a pain to get him since the since the phone is shared by many departments. It is literally impossible to reach him. He made no mention that the applications are being returned. He actually said that the OCI cards are being mailed.

Also OCI v1 asked for more information than the current form so returning the applications due to lack of information is only a hearsay and you should not worry about it. From governments perspective why would they want to return the applications, since they will have to refund $250 per application?

 

[mangal969]

'Return" means send it back to the embassy with a note attached saying that "Documents 1,2,3 are required".The embassy would then contact you for the documents and after they receive them,forward them to the MHA for final processing.
They would not refund unless you application is to be rejected outright and there would be a very few number of people who would fall into that category.
Maybe you should ask Mr Sharma if you can track your applications online.Also when he says mail does he mean mail them to you or to the embassy ?

 

[qwert97]

'Return" means send it back to the embassy with a note attached saying that "Documents 1,2,3 are required".The embassy would then contact you for the documents and after they receive them,forward them to the MHA for final processing.
They would not refund unless you application is to be rejected outright and there would be a very few number of people who would fall into that category.
Maybe you should ask Mr Sharma if you can track your applications online.Also when he says mail does he mean mail them to you or to the embassy ?

He said that OCI cards will be mailed to the embassy and not me.
When I had submitted my OCIv1 application I had attached all the documents and they were reviewed by the consulate before the appplication was accepted. I do not see how they can be returning appplications since at that time consulate was not accepting the applications unless they were complete.

I have stopped trusting any arm of the government when it comes to OCI. I will have to see a real OCI before I believe anyone.

Only the new applications can be tracked online where the reference number was issued. This was confirmed by my local embassy.

 

[gaurav2005]

Thumb impressions for kids !!!

I got an email from Houston consular office that I need to send thumb impressions for my kids. I had signed for my kids in the application. I wish I had known that earlier. Was it written in the directions any where ?

Anyway I sent them today, hope they dont reject them because they were not very clear. Heads up for everyone who have kids. Its only for kids who cannot sign yet.

 

[rajudm]

clarification on OCI

Mangal and PIO1,
I am getting crazy with the requirements of OCI by NY CGI.

1) Where can one get the 35mmx35mm photos in US. Today I got the passport photos with white ground done for my spouse and son. I explained to the photographer at Picture People by showing another photo which had the required dimension and proper head size. She messed it up and turned out to be smaller than required.

I scanned that image at 4800 dpi, and plan to take a print of it Walmart. Will that be acceptable?

2) I go the documents by a notary from the bank. It would only verify my signature but not the document (According to the bank notary). Is that Ok or should it be signed by a public notary. It would cost a fortune to get it signed by a public notary.

thanks
raju

 

[mangal969]

1) Where can one get the 35mmx35mm photos in US. Today I got the passport photos with white ground done for my spouse and son. I explained to the photographer at Picture People by showing another photo which had the required dimension and proper head size. She messed it up and turned out to be smaller than required.I scanned that image at 4800 dpi, and plan to take a print of it Walmart. Will that be acceptable?
Should be.

2) I go the documents by a notary from the bank. It would only verify my signature but not the document (According to the bank notary). Is that Ok or should it be signed by a public notary. It would cost a fortune to get it signed by a public notary.
Go to another bank/another branch and see.Some do attest documents and some dont.As a last resort just do what the notary asks as long as he/she puts their signature and seal on the document.However,make sure the notary doesnt mention that only the signature is verified.

 

[rajudm]

thanks Mangal

Mangal thanks for your response.

Regarding Notary, she told me that if at all some one comes and asks their response would be that the signature was verified and not the document (i.e in case of forgery). She has signed and put the notary seal. So our Indian Bureacracy should be satisfied. If worse come to worse they should ask us appear for interview for veryfying documents.

I have other photos with blue and red background. Is there any harm in sending them also and inform them to use if required.

 

[fitness99]

Mangal thanks for your response.

Regarding Notary, she told me that if at all some one comes and asks their response would be that the signature was verified and not the document (i.e in case of forgery). She has signed and put the notary seal. So our Indian Bureacracy should be satisfied. If worse come to worse they should ask us appear for interview for veryfying documents.

I have other photos with blue and red background. Is there any harm in sending them also and inform them to use if required.

FYI - I asked the photo studio to make the pictures 35mmx35mm, and they did size it to the requirements. As fas as the notary, I had them notarized at my local bank. They did verify the document and notarized to the fact that it is a true copy. I am not sure why your bank wants to only verify the signature. On the other hand CGI's accepted my US passport copy without being notarized when I got my PIO ~2yrs ago (not sure why they want everything notarized now).

 

[romit]

I got an email from Houston consular office that I need to send thumb impressions for my kids. I had signed for my kids in the application. I wish I had known that earlier. Was it written in the directions any where ?

Anyway I sent them today, hope they dont reject them because they were not very clear. Heads up for everyone who have kids. Its only for kids who cannot sign yet.

Did you resend the application for the kid with the thumb impression?

I was surprised too when I saw this piece of information on SF website several days after I applied for it. I sent them an email about it and the reply was, they will ask for it when time comes. I saw the information clearly on the sydney Indian website that you could leave it blank for the kids who can't sign.

 

[mangal969]

Mangal thanks for your response.

Regarding Notary, she told me that if at all some one comes and asks their response would be that the signature was verified and not the document (i.e in case of forgery). She has signed and put the notary seal. So our Indian Bureacracy should be satisfied. If worse come to worse they should ask us appear for interview for veryfying documents.

I have other photos with blue and red background. Is there any harm in sending them also and inform them to use if required.

No one is going to verify it with them so you need not worry.
Don't send the photos with red/blue background.They will not accept them and who knows if you will even get them back

 

[gaurav2005]

Did you resend the application for the kid with the thumb impression?

I was surprised too when I saw this piece of information on SF website several days after I applied for it. I sent them an email about it and the reply was, they will ask for it when time comes. I saw the information clearly on the sydney Indian website that you could leave it blank for the kids who can't sign.

Yes I did. I was asked to send just the children's portion of the application again with thumb impessions.

On one hand, I was glad that they are corresponding through email instead of time consuming paper communication, on the other hand I wish they were clearly mentioned on the application in the first place.

 

[boggavarapu]

PIO1, don't despair. I managed to talk to Mr. Sharma at MHA and he said that they are making all the efforts to get the OCI v1 cleared in the next 10 days. He informed me that they were currently processing about 350 plus applications that were received from Toronto and that he expects them to be mailed out in the next week. It is a pain to get him since the since the phone is shared by many departments. It is literally impossible to reach him. He made no mention that the applications are being returned. He actually said that the OCI cards are being mailed.

Also OCI v1 asked for more information than the current form so returning the applications due to lack of information is only a hearsay and you should not worry about it. From governments perspective why would they want to return the applications, since they will have to refund $250 per application?

I spoke with OCI section in New Delhi this morning. I was informed that all the OCI Applications of 2004 have been now cleared and we can expect to receive the cards any day!!

 

[qwert97]

I spoke with OCI section in New Delhi this morning. I was informed that all the OCI Applications of 2004 have been now cleared and we can expect to receive the cards any day!!

Did you manage to speak to Mr. Sharma directly? When I called him on Monday (IST) I was told that he was on vacation. In general I found him the OCI section very helpful and courteaous.

Your informatiion sounds about right since the 10 days that he had mentioned to me was inclusive of the mailing time. So the embassies should receive the OCI cards by end of this week or early next week.

Hats off to mangal for getting that phone number. I think we are closer since this information is coming from those people who are processing the applications.