OCI - New York Tracker

gaya3 said:
I am filling out the Sc form - the latest pdf version on CGI NY website. There is a declaration line that reads
I, ____________________________________________ do solemnly and sincerely declare that the foregoing particulars stated in this declaration are true and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true.
Made and subscribed this __________ day of __________________
Phone No: Name:
E-mail: Signature:
US Address:

who should sign here Me or the notary ? Whose phone number and email address should be filled in ?you should sign and your phone number & email address should be filled. Below your signature Notary will be signed..

In the event of a non-emergency , is the CGI NY , still accepting SC applications in person ?They will accept only when you have travel documents in person
Thanks for all your help in advance. This is the most detailed thread for all immigration related queries. Thanks to all the posters for taking the time to share their experience
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Good luck !
 
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Looks like every one righly mentioned that drama at NYC on this week end is only Money collection scheme of GOI.
It was mentioned that Mr.Bajaj announced that OCI received before 4th May will not have to pay but received later will have to Pay. This does not look like same across all the consulate.

This is what has beeen posted on P/39 of 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: 05/24/10 (with cancelled Indian Passport, It's good that I don't have to pay for surrender certificate)
**********************************************

This makes the business of GOI and Indian Consulate a big JOKE !!! Not common across all the consulates with in a country. What a MESS !!!
 
LATEST CGI-NY UPDATES:

Renunciation of Indian Citizenship/Obtaining Surrender Certificate

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1 What is a Surrender Certificate and why do I need to obtain one?
Under Indian law, Persons of Indian Origin, who have acquired foreign citizenship, are required to surrender their Indian passports to the nearest Indian Mission/Post immediately after acquisition of foreign citizenship and should obtain a Surrender Certificate.

The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, does not allow dual citizenship. Holding Indian passport/acquiring Indian passport/travelling on Indian passport after acquisition of foreign citizenship constitutes an offence under the Indian Passport Act, 1967, and attracts penalties. The Government of India has prescribed imposition of penalty on a graded scale, depending on number of trips made on Indian passport after acquiring foreign nationality, for the violation of Passport Rules and retention of Indian Passport for more than 3 years after acquiring of foreign nationality.

Q2 I have already obtained an Indian visa/PIO/OCI card. Do I still need to obtain the Surrender Certificate?
Yes, you need to obtain the Surrender Certificate. If you have an emergency travel to India coming up and hold valid visa/PIO/OCI, you may travel as of now but you should apply for Surrender Certificate at the earliest on your return.

Q3 My Indian passport has already been cancelled by an Indian Mission but I was not issued a Surrender Certificate. Do I need to obtain one?
Even though your passport has a cancelled stamp, you need to formally renounce your citizenship as per the prescribed format and obtain a Surrender Certificate as a proof of having done so.


Q4 I have lost/misplaced/submitted (to US authorities) my Indian passport. How may I obtain a Surrender Certificate?

If you do not have your Indian passport, you need to submit a sworn affidavit (notarized) explaining loss of your passport. You may attach a copy of your lost passport with your application. If your passport has been retained by the US authorities, you may submit some documentary proof to that effect. If you have lost an Indian passport which was valid beyond January 2005, you need to submit a police report along with your application. You may also provide additional documents (copy of birth certificate) to prove your Indian origin. Once your application is accepted as complete, we’ll issue you an acknowledgement that you have surrendered your citizenship and that your passport has been lost.

Q5 May I apply for Surrender Certificate and visa/PIO/OCI at the same time?
You should first obtain the Surrender Certificate and then apply for other services.

Q6 I have to undertake an emergency travel. Can I obtain Surrender Certificate and the Indian visa the same day?
Yes, if you have an emergency, you may first apply for SC at the Consulate. Once you have the SC, you may apply for emergency visa.

Q7 I have included names of my minor children in my renunciation form. Is this sufficient for renouncing their citizenship as well or separate applications need to be submitted for them?
Yes, you need to submit separate applications along with their Indian passports for your minor children. The fees and penalties are same as in cases of adult applications.

Q8 I have to process Surrender Certificates for my whole family. May I send all the applications as one mail and a combined money order/certified check for all the fees and mailing charges?
Yes. The total mailing charges for the whole family are $20 only. You need not send mailing charges separately for all applications of a family.

Q9 My minor children have obtained their US passports but do not have their naturalization certificates. How may I apply for them?
You may submit copies of their first US passports instead.

Q10 I became a US citizen more than 20 years ago. My child who travelled from India on my passport never held an Indian passport. Do we still need to renounce the Indian citizenship?
Even though you became a US citizen long time ago, you need to formally renounce the Indian citizenship and obtain a Surrender Certificate. Children, who travelled on their parents’ Indian passports, also need to renounce their Indian citizenship. They may submit copies of their parents’ passports along with their application.
 
Form in duplicate

They have now updated the requirements for Surrender Certificate and mention that the form needs to be submitted in duplicate.
 
ginnu said:
Those who apply Entry(X) visa for India are also facing problem.
Few days back Travisa was asking to fill the Visa application online and one also was supposed to send Visa application fees of $113 and for the surrender certificate they had the Form and one was supposed to fill up that form and also supposed to send $175 by money order on the name of Indian consulate with other documents like pages of Indian passport, copy of US naturalization certificate, Indian passport and US passport and two Photographs.
Now the Travisa site clearly states that one must get surrender certificate directly from Indian Consulate NYC only then apply for India visa through them as they can’t get Surrender certificate.
Many who have sent Visa application few days back had sent Indian passports; US passports with Visa Fees and also Fees for surrender certificate and the applications were submitted to Indian consulate. With new announcement from Travisa how the person whose application for Visa is submitted by Travisa to Indian consulate will be able to get surrender certificate when his/her Indian passport is with Indian consulate? What difference does it make to Indian consulate if Travisa submit the application for surrender certificate or the person directly applies with consulate as Consulate is only interested in Fees and want to cancel Indian passport and need the for that. Travisa need to clear the things with Indian consulate. Travisa also must update on website that if Visa application was submitted to Consulate before Particular date then Indian consulate does not have problem but now one need to get surrender certificate before Apply Visa through them. If the Travisa people don’t have correct information then they must talk to Indian consulate and must post the CUT OFF date that applications submitted before date… don’t need to get surrender certificate as the Indian passport is with Travisa or with Indian consulate and fees has been submitted to Indian consulate.

Try to get information from Travisa so that they post clear information. If one has to travel in 10-15 days and has applied for Indian Visa Trough Travisa and application is submitted by Travisa to Indian consulate how the person now can get Surrender certificate as Indian passport is with Indian consulate.
Please send Email to Travisa so that they clear the things or talk to Indian consulate and post the information.
316 East 53rd St, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 754-9900
Fax: (212) 754-9905
Email: newyork@travisaoutsourcing.com
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I totally agree to this...I just got all my docs back from Travisa, 'cos I missed by a day in transition to this new rule. When spoke to a Travisa rep, all I got was "Sorry Ma'am. we understand your situation, but we have to follow strictly the rules of CGNY!!"
 
SS_485 said:
I totally agree to this...I just got all my docs back from Travisa, 'cos I missed by a day in transition to this new rule. When spoke to a Travisa rep, all I got was "Sorry Ma'am. we understand your situation, but we have to follow strictly the rules of CGNY!!"
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Did the Travisa say that your application reached on XYX date and Cut of date was…..
Do you mean that application that reached before your application and submitted to Consulate will get Visa and surrender certificate as Fee for both was paid to Travisa and Travisa submitted to Consulate?
 
http://www.guyanachronicleonline.co...or-indian-americans&catid=10:letters&Itemid=6

GOPIO urges the Government of India to reconsider the retroactive enforcement of the new rules as many thousands of people who have acquired citizenship of the United States could suffer undue and unnecessary hardship for no fault of their own.

GOPIO urges Indian community groups, organizations and individuals to join in protesting the new rules imposed by the Government of India by writing to the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at secretary@meainida.nic.inThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Secretary Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) at secretary@moia.nic.inThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with a copy to GOPIO at GOPIO-Intl@sbcglobal.netThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

GOPIO is a non-partisan, non-sectarian global organization with chapters in several countries, actively promoting the interests of people of Indian origin worldwide by monitoring and addressing current critical issues of concern, and by enhancing cooperation and communication between groups of Indians living in various countries.
GOPIO urges Indian community groups, organizations and individuals to join in protesting against the new rules by writing to the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at psfs@mea.gov.in and Secretary Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) at secretary@moia.nic.in with a copy to GOPIO at GOPIO-Intl@sbcglobal.net.

For more information, please contact GOPIO International at +1-818-708-3885, Email: GOPIO-Intl@sbcglobal.net.

http://www.gopio.net/
http://www.gopio.net/news_052510.htm
 
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In past 10 days I have sent about 25 emails to PM, Ministry of Home affairs, Ministry of External affairs, secretaries and to ALL (Emails/contacts are Posted by me and one can find in this thread. How many have sent emails or just read this thread? It is time one must take action. One is not able to get OCI even if OCI reached NYC, one is not able to get PIO Card or Visa. The mess has created problems for all and we all must take the action. If one needs the draft of Email then others can post the rough draft and we all are ready to correct it or can add the points missed and when all agree to it then slightly change the language and send Emails.
 
ginnu said:
In past 10 days I have sent about 25 emails to PM, Ministry of Home affairs, Ministry of External affairs, secretaries and to ALL (Emails/contacts are Posted by me and one can find in this thread. How many have sent emails or just read this thread? It is time one must take action. One is not able to get OCI even if OCI reached NYC, one is not able to get PIO Card or Visa. The mess has created problems for all and we all must take the action. If one needs the draft of Email then others can post the rough draft and we all are ready to correct it or can add the points missed and when all agree to it then slightly change the language and send Emails.
Click to expand...

I did similar thing and highlighting the difference between consulate and how efficient SFO is, of
no response yet but atleast I hope that they got the message
 
For everyone who has become an American citizen, this should be something that needs to be raised with the US State Dept as well. We all agree that this crap is just a money-making exercise on the part of the Indian govt but US government should know as well because this is clear discrimination against Americans who were once Indian citizens. The US govt should take up with the Indian govt why one set of Americans (Indian origin) have a different set of rules and fees to apply for a simple visitor visa than other Americans (non Indian origin). We're not talking OCI here, just regular visas.
 
While this $$ for obtaining SC is a pain, the frustration of the SC requirement for already approved documents is much bigger pain.. Acquiring SC document should be a separate (free) process and shouldn't be made mandatory for the applications already in process or approved.. That is frigging stupid..
 
JPBoston said:
For everyone who has become an American citizen, this should be something that needs to be raised with the US State Dept as well.
------That is correct and you be the first to make a call to US State Department and do it Tuesday and let us know what the said and I will also call DOS on Tuesday. If they say send email then send the emails with all the info to them.
We all agree that this crap is just a money-making exercise on the part of the Indian govt but US government should know as well because this is clear discrimination against Americans who were once Indian citizens. The US govt should take up with the Indian govt why one set of Americans (Indian origin) have a different set of rules and fees to apply for a simple visitor visa than other Americans (non Indian origin). We're not talking OCI here, just regular visas.
Click to expand...
-----
 
ginnu said:
That is correct and you be the first to make a call to US State Department and do it Tuesday and let us know what the said and I will also call DOS on Tuesday. If they say send email then send the emails with all the info to them.
Click to expand...

I can't contact the State Dept as I am not yet a citizen but will become one in a couple of weeks' time. I will do it then.
 
JPBoston said:
For everyone who has become an American citizen, this should be something that needs to be raised with the US State Dept as well. We all agree that this crap is just a money-making exercise on the part of the Indian govt but US government should know as well because this is clear discrimination against Americans who were once Indian citizens. The US govt should take up with the Indian govt why one set of Americans (Indian origin) have a different set of rules and fees to apply for a simple visitor visa than other Americans (non Indian origin). We're not talking OCI here, just regular visas.
Click to expand...

You sent email related to your OCI then Consulate got Mail from MC Sharma and your OCI was sent to you. Please check Sent folder of your email and let us know the emails ID you sent your Info to Delhi that Prompted MC Sharma to send email to NYC. Post the info and the "matter you wrote to emails so that others in your situation can send emails to Delhi.
 
ginnu said:
You sent email related to your OCI then Consulate got Mail from MC Sharma and your OCI was sent to you. Please check Sent folder of your email and let us know the emails ID you sent your Info to Delhi that Prompted MC Sharma to send email to NYC. Post the info and the "matter you wrote to emails so that others in your situation can send emails to Delhi.
Click to expand...

You're confusing me with BostonCool.
 
Documents finally recd at New York!!

My online status changed to Documents Recd on 27th May, 2010. They were dispatched on 10th May. I already have the SC (applied for it because I had to get visa). I sent the SC form for my wife about 10 days back and haven't recd it back yet. Will wait for that and then the passports in for OCI stamp.
 
Hi,
Anyone who have applied for Surrender Certificate by mail are planning to go to the consulate on May 29th to collect the surrender certificate?
I uhave applied for surrender certificate 10 days ago by mail and I didn't receive it .
Do you think it's worth going there on May 29th?
Thanks.
 
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