India Dual Citizenship Mega Thread (Merged)
- Thread starter columbiaman
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qwert97 said:
Wasnt there a message that some embassy/consulate will handle the old applications first and then process the new ones ? Now suddenly the old apps are to be processed by the MHA ? Why ? And then why on earth arent the embassies accepting new apps ? Why are they just twiddling their thumbs and waiting around ?
Also seems the foreign secretary is going to give a speech in Washington on Dec 21.Check the embassy site for details.I hope (& request) someone to give him a piece of our minds regarding the incompetent handling of OIC.
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boggavarapu
Registered Users (C)
mangal969 said:
Yes - Indian Consulate in Houston, TX
http://www.cgihouston.org/OverseasCitizenship.html
Hotdiggety
Registered Users (C)
Well, I got an e-mail back form the consulate in Toronto, saying that the exchange-rate for the OIC fees was fixed by the government. Buck-passing bullshit, basically. I replied back saying that in that case, I think they should give us the option of paying in US dollars, since the Cdn dollar amount represents a 31% over-charge. I wonder if they'll reply back.
I think the clock will start after PBD. Some guy will get an OCI booklet from the PM through some miracle. (will the PM stick the U-visa on his passport, I can't see this happening on the stage, can you? - so basically it is 100% magic show). Then consulates may ask what has happened to the old applications. MHA will say "what applications? we thought you had them." ... Someone tell me when I can breath - can't hold on much longer!mangal969 said:
OIC is purely the MHA's responibility.But i dont think they have a e-mail gateway.Forget about the MEA.Just write the PM,MHA (if you can) and the MOIA.
Read this and laugh (or weep):
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1336057.cms
Read this and laugh (or weep):
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1336057.cms
Hotdiggety said:
Unfortunately this may be true.I have had dealings with the government and they fix a certain date and the value of the currency on that date is used for the whole month irrespective of the currency value going up or down.And you have to pay in the local currency only.
Hotdiggety
Registered Users (C)
mangal969 said:
The Canadian exchange-rate they are using in this case, is at least a year old. What's to prevent them from using one that's 4 years old, or just making one up for that matter, if they benefit from it? There appears to be no accountability anywhere in the process.
Hotdiggety said:
I dont think you understood my point.Lets say the government chooses it's date as 6th (for example) then whatever is the value of he currency on 6th of Jan the government uses that rate for the whole month of Jan,whatever the rate is on the 6th of Feb is used for the whole of Feb etc.The date is fixed.From my experience it is either the 5th,6th or 7th.
An article worth reading and what our babus sould read:
http://www.ilw.com/articles/2005,1214-spiro.shtm
Hotdiggety
Registered Users (C)
mangal969 said:
I understood your point. You didn't understand mine. Their exchange-rate is a year old. The Canadian dollar has been worth a lot more, for at least a year. If they adjusted the rate every month, I'd have no problem with that. At this point, though, we have no indication when they'll adjust the rate to reflect the current reality, or whether they will ever do it at all. Given the opportunity, I'm sure they'd like to keep over-charging us indefinitely.
You both don't understandHotdiggety said:
the role of the bureaucracy is to make a completely illogical and unjustifiable decision make sense. Allow me to illustrate.1) OCI is Dual Citizenship = You the people call it dual citizenship, so that is why we give this visa that name
2) Applications can't be processed for one year = we are simplifying and streamlining the process
3) OCI is almost operational = we are finalising issues with tamper proof certificates
4) OCI is nearly almost operational = we are awaiting launch by the Prime Minister before we start thinking about it.
And so:
5) We want to make money out of you rich NRIs = we fix currencies exchange rates based on complex analysis set by secret departments using criteria we can’t tell you.
Hotdiggety said:
OK seriously now - here is a theory from left field. What if they set the rate a year ago, for OCI v1. What if they thought, if we reduce the application fee for OCI v2, OCI v1 applicants would feel they got a raw deal, or worse, we would need to refund the money we have already converted. How does this theory hold?
Hotdiggety
Registered Users (C)
PIO1 said:
I have a simpler one. They're hoping they can rob us blind, and that we're too stupid to notice.
PIO1 said:
Do you really think anybody would have thought about this..I dont think so.
I also noticed the difference in processing times as mentioned on various embassies in the world. Consulate General of Toronto states the processing time as 90 days. The embassy of Chicago on their website has stated that the processing time as 6-8 weeks which is about half the time taken by Toronto. Can somebody explain why this difference. I guess they are not subject to any standards and any embassy can modify the processing time based on the convenience.
mangal969 said:
I think I am ready to weep. Why the heck did I apply for OCI in December 2004. Although the article states clearly that already received applications will be processed after Pravasi diwas I doubt this will happen. The embassies and MHA will keep passing the buck as to who has the forms. The embassies will say MHA has it and MHA will say that embassies have it and then will modify the rules once again and we will see the action near Pravasi diwas 2007 with OCI v3
qwert97 said:
Best part is the rules clearly state the process should take not more than 15 days for people with no criminal antecedents and not more than 90 for those with criminal antecendents.They have to issue the card and then post verification may happen later (Citizenship rules {1956} 25 (e) 1&2).
So I guess the embassies are assuming only criminals will apply
As a thought maybe those who applied in December 04/January 05 can warn their respective embassies that their 15 days ended on the 18th of December.So either they should state that you have criminal antecedents against your name or issue you your OIC card otherwise they are in violation of the above rule (Irrespective of exactly when in 12/04 and 1/05 you sent the form the scheme went operational on Dec 2)
mangal969 said:Best part is the rules clearly state the process should take not more than 15 days for people with no criminal antecedents and not more than 90 for those with criminal antecendents.They have to issue the card and then post verification may happen later (Citizenship rules {1956} 25 (e) 1&2).
So I guess the embassies are assuming only criminals will apply
As a thought maybe those who applied in December 04/January 05 can warn their respective embassies that their 15 days ended on the 18th of December.So either they should state that you have criminal antecedents against your name or issue you your OIC card otherwise they are in violation of the above rule (Irrespective of exactly when in 12/04 and 1/05 you sent the form the scheme went operational on Dec 2)
I asked more questions regarding the application I had submitted in December 2004. I got a response from CGI Toronto that the applications were sent to MHA in December 2004 itself. Hopefully MHA should have verified the information by now and should just send the OCI card imemdiately after prawasi diwas. The CGI Toronto never issued a file number/ reference. All I have is a receipt for the $275 that I had paid. I am pretty sure my application has been lost. For those who want to apply for OCI v2, you should wait till the embassy actually starts issuing the OCI.
hornplease
Registered Users (C)
response from 'minister' in HCI Ottawa
The 'Minister' (Pol) replied to my email which along with my reply on this day, I would like to share with the folks on this forum.
His email address is as mpol@hciottawa.ca
I would encourage fellow forum members to write to this person (minister or whoever he is) and press upon him to start something that is straight forward and just - and that is too provide a second option to pay the OCI application fee in US $275 fee by certified check/ demand draft irrespective of which country one happens to reside in. If we are able to get this done through our joint efforts, this may set a precedent that would benefit other people like ourselves everywhere.
Dear Mr Sahi,
I thank you for replying. It was not my intention to sound confrontational. The tone of my earlier email was more out of frustration due to the lack of response to earlier emails I had written. Do appreciate that like several other former Indian citizens, I too would like to take advantage of this laudable scheme.
That said, the rate set is US$ 275 and this is reflected not only on the
http://www.mha.nic.in/oci/broch.pdf website but also in part B of the
form available on line and which may be used in the application process.
I can understand that due to the volatility of the exchange rates of the US $ against other currencies, it may be too much to expect 100% accuracy in the exchange rate values, but for there to be a difference of C $100 is too much of a discrepancy.
If you check with any bank or currency exchange website such as
http://www.xe.net/ucc/ you can see that US $275 comes to around
Can$ 322 and not $421 as shown on the website of HCI, Ottawa.
My suggestion is that you provide another option of receiving this payment by US$ demand draft/ certified check of US$ 275 - in either way the consul
gets (the equivalent of ) US$ 275.
I speak for several other Indo/Canadians who I am in touch with in this
regard and who would appreciate your good offices in facilitating such
an option.
Thank you for your attention in this matter Minister - I do appreciate
your taking the time to consider these suggestions.
best wishes
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
From: "Minister (Pol)" <mpol@hciottawa.ca>
Date: Mon, December 19, 2005 5:00 pm
To: <anil@portfoliosupport.com>
E-mail Message
Kindly refer to your e-mail dated 16th December regarding the OCI fee as it is shown on the website of HCI, Ottawa. The unduly confrontationist tone of the e-mail has not only surprised us but it also based on false presumptions. This is to inform you that the exchange rate for the fees to be charged for the OCI scheme, which is the same as is being currently used by our consular missions for other consular services, and that these rates are specified by the Government of India from time to time and conveyed to the respective missions abroad. Thus any notion you might have that there is any arbitrariness on the part of our Missions in Canada in this regard is unwarranted. Of course, if the Government of India revises the exchange rate in the future, we will at once incorporate these changes in the fee we will be charging for the OCI scheme and will notify it on our website. R.R.P.N. Sahi Minister
The 'Minister' (Pol) replied to my email which along with my reply on this day, I would like to share with the folks on this forum.
His email address is as mpol@hciottawa.ca
I would encourage fellow forum members to write to this person (minister or whoever he is) and press upon him to start something that is straight forward and just - and that is too provide a second option to pay the OCI application fee in US $275 fee by certified check/ demand draft irrespective of which country one happens to reside in. If we are able to get this done through our joint efforts, this may set a precedent that would benefit other people like ourselves everywhere.
Dear Mr Sahi,
I thank you for replying. It was not my intention to sound confrontational. The tone of my earlier email was more out of frustration due to the lack of response to earlier emails I had written. Do appreciate that like several other former Indian citizens, I too would like to take advantage of this laudable scheme.
That said, the rate set is US$ 275 and this is reflected not only on the
http://www.mha.nic.in/oci/broch.pdf website but also in part B of the
form available on line and which may be used in the application process.
I can understand that due to the volatility of the exchange rates of the US $ against other currencies, it may be too much to expect 100% accuracy in the exchange rate values, but for there to be a difference of C $100 is too much of a discrepancy.
If you check with any bank or currency exchange website such as
http://www.xe.net/ucc/ you can see that US $275 comes to around
Can$ 322 and not $421 as shown on the website of HCI, Ottawa.
My suggestion is that you provide another option of receiving this payment by US$ demand draft/ certified check of US$ 275 - in either way the consul
gets (the equivalent of ) US$ 275.
I speak for several other Indo/Canadians who I am in touch with in this
regard and who would appreciate your good offices in facilitating such
an option.
Thank you for your attention in this matter Minister - I do appreciate
your taking the time to consider these suggestions.
best wishes
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
From: "Minister (Pol)" <mpol@hciottawa.ca>
Date: Mon, December 19, 2005 5:00 pm
To: <anil@portfoliosupport.com>
E-mail Message
Kindly refer to your e-mail dated 16th December regarding the OCI fee as it is shown on the website of HCI, Ottawa. The unduly confrontationist tone of the e-mail has not only surprised us but it also based on false presumptions. This is to inform you that the exchange rate for the fees to be charged for the OCI scheme, which is the same as is being currently used by our consular missions for other consular services, and that these rates are specified by the Government of India from time to time and conveyed to the respective missions abroad. Thus any notion you might have that there is any arbitrariness on the part of our Missions in Canada in this regard is unwarranted. Of course, if the Government of India revises the exchange rate in the future, we will at once incorporate these changes in the fee we will be charging for the OCI scheme and will notify it on our website. R.R.P.N. Sahi Minister