OCI - Houston Tracker

Here is my timeline:

Applied: 04/04/10
Acknowledged: 04/09/10
Photo/signature scanned: 04/09/10
Granted: 05/03/10
Printed:05/04/10
Dispatched:05/05/10
Received at Houston: 05/10/10
Passport sent for stamping: 05/11/10
Passport received: .....................
 
KosmoKramer, you have the right link. You have to keep checking to see when your docs are acknowledged. They sometimes take a few days to a week to acknowledge.
 
Jalma, Did you have to apply for surrender certificate or did you have to send in an additional $175?

As a precautionary measure, I am going to go in person to the Houston CGI and apply for surrender certificate.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
may112010,

Since they have not asked me to apply for the surrender certificate, neither I got any email from them to send them any additional fee. I am not going to do it. This new rule could be for new applicant. I would rather save my money if I can. Surrender certificate is of no use to me. I would rather keep my canceled Indian passports.

Will see how they proceed, I am still waiting for my passports........anything can happen... fingers crossed.
 
Seems like any application that was acknowledged during the week of 4/11 and after is affected with the delays. Mine included. I'm traveling in mid-June and thought that a 2 month head start on this process is sufficient. I've sent for the regular entry VISA now since I was given a 3-month wait time when I called.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
PROTEST RALLY MAY 26th at 10 am
A Rally in front of the Indian Consulate in NY City is planned for May 26 at 10 am to protest the new rules and fees imposed on the Diaspora. Contact Thomas T Oommen, Chairman political forum, FOMAA, and Leela Maret, treasurer, FOKANA, at 631-796-0064.
This is right out of India Abroad dated May 28th.
 
At Last, All DONE WITH OCI

Here is my timeline:

Applied: 04/04/10
Acknowledged: 04/09/10
Photo/signature scanned: 04/09/10
Granted: 05/03/10
Printed:05/04/10
Dispatched:05/05/10
Received at Houston: 05/10/10
Passport sent for stamping: 05/11/10
Passport received: 05/24/10 (with cancelled Indian Passport, It's good that I don't have to pay for surrender certificate)

Good luck to rest of the bunch who are still waiting..........
 
Got my SC given that it would be needed for OCI

Went to Houston CGI in person and applied for the SC. Got it in 3 days. Got my old Indian passport back with a seal saying canceled since I acquired US citizenship. They gave me back one copy of the SC form (which I had to submit in duplicate) with the CGI Vice Consul seal and signature at the bottom part. I guess that is all you get as an SC for the $175 you pay - a seal on the Indian passport and the autograph of the Vice Consul :)

Given the current timeline the person at the counter told me that it would take 3 months for OCI to get approved. I guess this is a general estimate they give everyone. However, I did meet a couple of people who had applied for OCI and have waited 3 months and still have not received them. With all the new rules and changes it is a mess and will take some time to settle down.

Now that I have to go back to India within 2 months I have to apply for Re-entry. Filled in the online visa forms at Travisa and equipped with my new SC I went over there in person and they tell me that I have to apply for an Entry visa if I am of Indian origin (with an Old Indian passport). Fees for that is $113 compared to $38 for Re-entry. I went back to the Indian consulate and asked them if I am eligible for Re-entry visa and they sure you can. So go back to Travisa and tell them it is ok for me to apply for Re-entry permit. I guess even Travisa is confused a bit about the new rules and whatever changes are being made in real-time by the Indian Government.

Anyway, I guess it will be a while before my OCI comes through and meanwhile I should get my Re-entry permit in 4 working days (or so they say).

My OCI timeline:
Houston OCI
FedEx Docs - 5/11/10
Received - 5/12/10
Acknowledged - 5/13/10
Photo scanned - 5/13/10
Status - Under Progress
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hello,
I am planning to apply my OCI, i have a question reagrding the photo. In the CGI-Houston website says we need to paste 3.5x3.5cm but when i printed the form A, it says in the box 5.7X5.7, i am got confused, can i paste the same 3.5X3.5 picture in the form A?
 
Refund of $155 - Please send email to Ambassador / GOPIO / CG

Please see the link in renouncedindian.blogspot.com regarding mass appeal for refund of $155.

Let us all send emails to ambassadoroffice@indiagov.org,gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net, cg@indiacgny.org
with content as under :

While I welcome the decision of the Indian Govt for revising the surrender certificate fee to $20, I'd like to represent that I have not been treated justly. On May xx, 2010 , as I had to obtain VISA/OCI to visit India, I was forced to submit applications for the Surrender Certificate with the Consulate General of India along with the fees of $175 each for every member of my family . I had no option then but to adhere to the rules. Also penalties applied if we didnt act quick enough.

With the amended rule, I request you to refund a sum of $155.00 . There is no justification for charging differential amounts for the same category of people (all who obtained naturalization by June 1 , 2010). CG is trying to justify that $175 was the prevaling fee between May 4 and 28. The $175 fee is an aberration and not a fee that stood for several months and hence that argument is invalid.

A special camp was held by CGNY on May 29 and they collected $175 from thousands of people who stood for several hours in lines without food and water to comply with the law, only to know that the next day the fee is brought to the new $20 level.

The differential amount is a huge sum for me. Please do not punish people like me for trying to follow the law to the fullest , correctly and quickly all the time.
 
Renunciation back on web now

The NY site has now again added the page on renunciation - available from the home page, nothing new there - fee is $20+$20 or $175+$20.

They did remove the requirement for copy of US Naturalization Certificate - which is good, because legally that document cannot be copied, unless authorized by US govt. Indian consulates seem to think nothing of breaking local laws - most consulates still ask for copies of this document. This should not be necessary given a US passport - make no sense to ask for a copy of the naturalization doc.
 
Are OCI applications taking longer to process now, than before? I have been looking through this thread and most people have recieved their OCI back within a 1 month and 1.5 months.

I have mailed my OCI application to Houston.

Acknowledged : May 6th 2010
Photos Scanned: May 6th 2010

Since then, there have been no updates to my application. I am assuming that the documents have been sent to Dehli, but they have not been sent back. Does anyone know why its taking longer than usual? When can I expect my OCI?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top