OCI - Houston Tracker

OCIJungle said:
Hi Everyone, today my case progressed one more step. Finally our family OCI visas
are arrrived in houston. Total timeframe so far is 9.5 months including 1 month for wife's renunciation certificate process. I hope we get our visas back in my hand within a month :p.

Vellabadu,
thank you for your reply. I am almost in the same position as your child (I am PIO holder). My wife is same visa wise as your wife. (First time direct application for OCI).

When did you recieve the email notification from CGIHouston after the online informed you that your visas are in houston.

Should I wait for email notification, I dont know.

I will be sending
1. FOR me: coverletter + onlinestatus screenprint + original US pspt + original cancelled indian passport + original valid PIO
2. FOR wife: coverletter +onlinestatus screenprint + original US pspt + original cancelled indian passport + photocopy of renunciation cert
3. if I can find, I will include copy of original money order which included $20 for mailing fee. if I cant find, forget about it :)

I hope this sould do it.

I will keep your all posted, how it goes and our case progress.

Dori, I hope your visa arrived in houston as well.

Vellabadu, thanks for posting to forum, it helps us all.
Click to expand...


OCIJungle,

Today I mailed our US passports + cancelled Indian PP's and status screenprints with a cover letter to Houston CGI via Fedex. I should have checked Signature Required check box while sending it. I hope everything will be alright.

I will keep you posted.

Good luck.


Application Received Date: 27-AUG-2010
Date of Acknowledgement: 29-SEP-2010
Photo/Signature Scanned : 29-SEP-2010
Registration Status Granted: 31-MAR-2011
Documents Printing Status: PRINTED
Documents Printed On: 14-APR-2011
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on: 25-APR-2011
Documents Received at HOUSTON: 28-APR-2011
 
OCIJungle said:
Hi Everyone, today my case progressed one more step. Finally our family OCI visas
are arrrived in houston. Total timeframe so far is 9.5 months including 1 month for wife's renunciation certificate process. I hope we get our visas back in my hand within a month :p.

Vellabadu,
thank you for your reply. I am almost in the same position as your child (I am PIO holder). My wife is same visa wise as your wife. (First time direct application for OCI).

When did you recieve the email notification from CGIHouston after the online informed you that your visas are in houston.

Should I wait for email notification, I dont know.

I will be sending
1. FOR me: coverletter + onlinestatus screenprint + original US pspt + original cancelled indian passport + original valid PIO
2. FOR wife: coverletter +onlinestatus screenprint + original US pspt + original cancelled indian passport + photocopy of renunciation cert
3. if I can find, I will include copy of original money order which included $20 for mailing fee. if I cant find, forget about it :)

I hope this sould do it.

I will keep your all posted, how it goes and our case progress.

Dori, I hope your visa arrived in houston as well.

Vellabadu, thanks for posting to forum, it helps us all.
Click to expand...

OCIJungle,

My wife received the confirmation email from CGI Houston after 4 days of the online status says "Documents received in Houston". You should be fine sending the passports now. It may take up to 2 to 3 weeks for you to get the passports back. I went through this process (OCI) back in 2008. Everything will be all right from this stage. There are very rare cases running into issues from this point on (after the OCI documents reached Houston).

Good Luck.

Thanks
Application Mailed Date: 08-23-2010
Date of Acknowledgement: 24-SEP-2010
Photo/Signature Scanned : 24-SEP-2010
Registration Status Granted: 28-MAR-2011
Documents Printed On: 04-APR-2011
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on : 13-APR-201
Documents Received at HOUSTON On: 16-APR-2011
Passports Mailed Date: 04/27/2011
 
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Thanks Vellabadu.. hope your family gets their OCI within reasonable time. Hope same for all us.
Thanks for posting to this group.
 
Dori,
Thanks for posting to this thread. Signature should not much a problem. I sent mine yesterday.
lets hope this ordeal will be over within a month.
 
We mailed our passports to houston for stamping.
All I sent are the following
For Me = US pspt original + expired indian passport original + original PIO + copy the money order I sent back in August 2010 which shows mailing fee (20 dollars) is already paid + coverletter + online status screen print
For Wife = US pspt original + expired indian passport original +online status screen print

sent via Fedex 2 day saver (cheapest i was told) with direct signature required option (which was additional 3 dollars)

Now the waiting began... tik tok tik tok tik tok .......
 
Passports Received - But U-Visa stamp only in my wife's passport

Dear all,

I just received my wife's and son's passports back from CGI Houston in FedEx. My wife has U-Visa stamp in her U.S passport and also received her OCI booklet. Everything is fine with her OCI. But my son didn't get his U-Visa stamp (even though his OCI is approved) in his U.S passport and didn't get his OCI booklet. Istead they just returned his PIO booklet back in the mail with U.S passport. I am really surprised. Moreover they didn't even mention anything about it (we just have all the passports/booklets in the FedEx envelope). I expect at least some kind of reason why they didn't stamp my son's OCI. The only thing happened with my son is his U.S passport is different when we applied his OCI last year and now. He has a new passport issued in April 2011.

I am not sure what I should do now. Any help/suggestions would be very helpeful and thanks in advance for responding.

Thanks
Application Mailed Date: 08-23-2010
Date of Acknowledgement: 24-SEP-2010
Photo/Signature Scanned : 24-SEP-2010
Registration Status Granted: 28-MAR-2011
Documents Printed On: 04-APR-2011
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on : 13-APR-201
Documents Received at HOUSTON On: 16-APR-2011
Passports Mailed Date: 04/27/2011
Passports Delivered to Houston: 04/29/2011
Passports Received Date: 05/05/2011
 
Vellabadu,
Sorry to hear about your kid's passport sent back empty with no explanation.

I would contact Travisa, explain them the case that your son's passport is replaced. I understand Travisa is lesser of the two evils. That would be my idea.

Hope things will workout. I can understand how frustrating it is, to have a approved OCI and not being able to get stamped, and getting no explanation.

Depending what Travisa says, may be a trip to houston to visit and explain in person might help.

Vellabadu, hope things will soon work in your favor.

keep us posted.

our passports have reached in houston May 3rd.
 
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Called OCI Houston

OCIJungle said:
Vellabadu,
Sorry to hear about your kid's passport sent back empty with no explanation.

I would contact Travisa, explain them the case that your son's passport is replaced. I understand Travisa is lesser of the two evils. That would be my idea.

Hope things will workout. I can understand how frustrating it is, to have a approved OCI and not being able to get stamped, and getting no explanation.

Depending what Travisa says, may be a trip to houston to visit and explain in person might help.

Vellabadu, hope things will soon work in your favor.

keep us posted.

our passports have reached in houston May 3rd.
Click to expand...

OCIJungle,

I just called OCI Houston (Ph# 7136262148) and was able to talk to the operator. She took my son's information (old PP#, File Acnowledgement #) and my wife's information. So here is the conversation after giving the details.

Me: What happened to my son's OCI, he didn't get OCI stamped.
Operator: I am going to pass the information to OCI department and they are going to contact you in a couple of days.
Me: Do you think changing the passport is an issue? We lost my son's passport when we went to India. We received a temporary (3 months) passport from U.S consulate, Hyderabad and applied for another one when we are back in U.S. And I sent the new passport for OCI stamping.
Operator: There may be an issue with the new passport, but I don't know. I am going to pass this information to OCI department and they will be in contact with you in couple of days.
Me: If I don't get a call in couple of days, do you want me to call back next week.
Operator: No, you don't have to call back. Someone from OCI department will call you back and tell you what you should do.

Thanks
 
Vellabadu,
Thats good to hear that you are able to talk to a live person at houston. Hopefully yours will be resolved soon. keep us posted.
 
Well folks we are almost there in OCI app. The wonderful folks at houston mailed our family passports yesterday via FEDEX.

Ofcourse, it wouldnt be complete, without some cine-climax routine, so they did not put correct address (missing unit#)

So fedex refused to deliver the package.

I have to call FEDEX explain the address that houston wrote is incomplete and correct the address.
Can you imagine the professionalism of houston folks. Wait a minute, professionalism and babus dont mix.

hopefully my package wont go back to houston blackhole.

The package should have
my = OCI booklet + cancelled indian passport + cancelled PIO + US passport with OCI sticker
wife = OCI booklet + cancelled indian passport + US passport with OCI sticker. This is wonderful package that could not be delivered due to insufficient address.

Oh well, we have been patiently waiting for 10 months....
 
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Done with OCI for me and my wife

Friends,
after a 10 month wait, we finally got our OCIs. My PIO is cancelled and received.
Recieved original cancelled indian passports back as well. Myself and mywife both got OCI stickers in US passports and OCI booklets. Thanks everyone who helped with their suggestions and experiences.

I can not thank enough for this portal by Mr. Rajiv Khanna. I can not put my gratitude in words. From the bottom my heart thank you thank you.

I will stay around and suggest whatever and wherever I can help.

I will apply for my son's OCI later (at present he is PIO holder).

Wish everyone a successful speedy approval of your OCIs.

By the way, I was able to hold the FEDEX with missing unit# at fedex location and got it. (you would understand fedex saga, if you read my previous post).
 
Question regarding my minor son PIO:

His PIO card has previous US passport #. We recently got a new 5 year US passport for him. Will it be good enough just to carry old US passport along with new one, which visiting india with PIO card.

Any suggestion will be helpful.

thanks
 
OCIJungle said:
Question regarding my minor son PIO:

His PIO card has previous US passport #. We recently got a new 5 year US passport for him. Will it be good enough just to carry old US passport along with new one, which visiting india with PIO card.

Any suggestion will be helpful.

thanks
Click to expand...

Carry all the old passport that was involved with the PIO paperwork, the Indian Security Officers can give you hell of a time if you don't have enough papers to prove that you're clean. More is always better than less.
 
OCI Journey Was Over

All,

Finally our OCI journey was over after many moths of waiting. Received all our passports with U visa stamp and booklets. Everything looks fine.

I am indebted to this great forum and would like to thank each and everyone who contributed their experience here.

OCIJungle,

Congratulations on this great journey.



Application Received Date: 27-AUG-2010
Date of Acknowledgement: 29-SEP-2010
Photo/Signature Scanned : 29-SEP-2010
Registration Status Granted: 31-MAR-2011
Documents Printing Status: PRINTED
Documents Printed On: 14-APR-2011
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on: 25-APR-2011
Documents Received at HOUSTON: 28-APR-2011
Passports Mailed Date: 28-APR-2011
Passports Delivered to Houston: 03-MAY-2011
Passports Received Date: 06-MAY-2011
 
Hi Coolcatz2375,

I am still waiting for mine to be printed. It almost 21 days since grant status. Did your status get updated?
 
Expired Passport before OCI is processed

Question for the members here...

I applied for OCI for my family back in Sept 2010. So far our status is only to "Acknowledged". My daughter's US passport is about to expire in August. What should I do? Should I send for renewal? If so, would this create any issue with OCI processing since there would be a new passport number?
 
OCIFl said:
Question for the members here...

I applied for OCI for my family back in Sept 2010. So far our status is only to "Acknowledged". My daughter's US passport is about to expire in August. What should I do? Should I send for renewal? If so, would this create any issue with OCI processing since there would be a new passport number?
Click to expand...

It'd definitely be a mess if you renew the passport. Best option would be withdraw your application. Renew your passport and re-apply through travisa. So far, in over 7 months, consulate has only acknowledged your application. if you apply via travisa, it's much faster. less than 2 months for houston area residents.
that way you'd have your new oci paperwork with your new us passport(passport valid for 10 years)
 
Do not withdraw application yet...

speakamericano said:
It'd definitely be a mess if you renew the passport. Best option would be withdraw your application. Renew your passport and re-apply through travisa. So far, in over 7 months, consulate has only acknowledged your application. if you apply via travisa, it's much faster. less than 2 months for houston area residents.
that way you'd have your new oci paperwork with your new us passport(passport valid for 10 years)
Click to expand...


I would strongly advise against withdrawing the application. It might have other un-intended consequences and delay/jeopardize application through Travisa.

Another member, Vellabadu has the same problem -- his son got a new US passport and that passport came back without the OCI stamp. So, it might be a good idea to wait and see what happens to that case and the guidance that he receives from the consulate on what to do.
 
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