OCI - New York Tracker

"Not yet Acknowledged"

dhari1 said:
Thanks for the response. I think I will do what you suggested - wait for a week or two more before taking the next steps. I live in Philly, so it is a bother to visit CGNY in person, but don't have a choice.

I do not know however if they would let me in without the papers, and even if they do, will they be able to tell me anything more than what I see on the website...
Click to expand...

I am in the same situation and I live in Connecticut. I sent my application with wife and 2kids on April 14, which they received on April 17 and until this day website says same thing "Not yet acknowledged". The thing which is very annoying is they never answer the phone and never reply for emails, which shows how this department works. It seems true mess in spit of charging huge chunk of money, I don't know where my application is in the department. I may have to take a trip and see if it works. I do have to find out if my cashier's check has been cashed or not. I wonder why they do not give this work to outside agency, which will be more efficient. Well if anyone from the forum has any specific advice, I will be glad to follow and Good Luck to all you guys who are applying the same.
 
naved said:
I am in the same situation and I live in Connecticut. I sent my application with wife and 2kids on April 14, which they received on April 17 and until this day website says same thing "Not yet acknowledged". The thing which is very annoying is they never answer the phone and never reply for emails, which shows how this department works. It seems true mess in spit of charging huge chunk of money, I don't know where my application is in the department. I may have to take a trip and see if it works. I do have to find out if my cashier's check has been cashed or not. I wonder why they do not give this work to outside agency, which will be more efficient. Well if anyone from the forum has any specific advice, I will be glad to follow and Good Luck to all you guys who are applying the same.
Click to expand...

I sent a strong email to the Consul General via the contact us section saying that nobody needs to go through so much pain to get a simple response to a question. The same day I got a call from the consulate that they need a copy of my kids' birth certificates. How coincidental is that ?

I also left messages for Sasi Kumar and for the general OCI cell number. I also emailed CG@indiacgny.org which i think is an inbox meant for the consul general.

Not sure which one helped... but it took them more than 1.5 months to even open the packet.
 
wow. mine has been granted

I sent an email to CG@indiacgny.org as dhari mentioned and also called and left a message. I had sent my app in april. And miracle happened just now. cant believe my eyes. Here is what the status shows as of now. Looks like there was some issue with the system not displaying the statuses. Mine was showing not acknowledged till this morning. Hopefully they fixed this for all the other applicants in april also. If not, i would recommend sending an email to the above address. Thanks dhari1
:)
Date Of Acknowledgment 13-MAY-2008
Application Status
Registration Status Granted On 14-JUN-2008
Photo/Signature Scanned On 19-MAY-2008
Documents Printing Status PRINTED
Documents Printed On 17-JUN-2008
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on NOT DISPATCHED
Documents Received at NEW YORK CGI NOT YET
 
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mailed 4/8
acked 5/13
scan5/19
reg grant 6/13
print 6/16
despatch6/19
ny recd 6/24
 
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vj1234 said:
I sent an email to CG@indiacgny.org as dhari mentioned and also called and left a message. I had sent my app in april. And miracle happened just now. cant believe my eyes. Here is what the status shows as of now. Looks like there was some issue with the system not displaying the statuses. Mine was showing not acknowledged till this morning. Hopefully they fixed this for all the other applicants in april also. If not, i would recommend sending an email to the above address. Thanks dhari1
:)
Date Of Acknowledgment 13-MAY-2008
Application Status
Registration Status Granted On 14-JUN-2008
Photo/Signature Scanned On 19-MAY-2008
Documents Printing Status PRINTED
Documents Printed On 17-JUN-2008
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on NOT DISPATCHED
Documents Received at NEW YORK CGI NOT YET
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Good to hear about your application vj1234. In my case, I actually got phone calls from 2 different people at CGNY asking how they could help !! Turns out they needed a copy of my kids' birth certificates. Why they don't just email/call/mail this request for information rather than just stall the acknowledgement is beyond me.. But after I made the email requests, my application has now been acknowledged and I am able to breathe a sigh of relief
 
my docs are in NY

Date of mailing OCI app 21-April-2008
Date Of Acknowledgment 13-MAY-2008
Application Status
Registration Status Granted On 14-JUN-2008
Photo/Signature Scanned On 19-MAY-2008
Documents Printing Status PRINTED
Documents Printed On 17-JUN-2008
Documents Dispatched to Concerned Mission/Office on 19-JUN-2008
Documents Received at NEW YORK CGI On 24-JUN-2008
 
which address to send the passport to for collecting the OCI

Do i need to address it to OCI cell? Do i need to attach a coverletter also?
thanks
 
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sorry

I saw this after I posted the message but some of the questions are still valid. it doesnt tell u if this has to be addressed to the OCI cell or someone else? Do I need to write in the top of the envelope like we did for "OCI APPLICATION"? I have paid the price for assuming things based on the CGNY website. so i better check than be sorry.
 
vj1234 said:
I saw this after I posted the message but some of the questions are still valid. it doesnt tell u if this has to be addressed to the OCI cell or someone else? Do I need to write in the top of the envelope like we did for "OCI APPLICATION"? I have paid the price for assuming things based on the CGNY website. so i better check than be sorry.
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This question (very specific and asked after due diligence) is quite appropriate. I would send the passports addressed to "OCI Cell" or "OCI Dispatch".
 
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Date Sent by USPS Priority Mail: 30-MARCH-2008
Half dozen faxes sent to Consulate about missing application: 11-MAY-2008
Date Of Acknowledgment: 12-MAY-2008
Date Moneygram M.O. cashed as per MG's automated status phone line: 20-MAY-2008
Registration Status Granted On: 14-JUN-2008
Photo/Signature Scanned On: 16-MAY-2008
Documents Printed On: 14-JUN-2008
Documents Dispatched From Delhi On: 19-JUN-2008
Documents Received at NEW YORK CGI: 24-JUN-2008
 
received OCI in mail

Sent my passport last thursday in express mail and I received them yesterday (saturday). one week in total.
 
Did I wait too long to collect OCI?

My Documents were received at NEW YORK CGI on 01/03/2008.
Yup that was in January and I still couldn't make that trip to NY to collect my OCI.

Now, there's a impending trip to India in the last week of July. Therefore, the dire need for OCI. :eek:

Is it too late to collect the OCI via mail? Has anyone been in a similar situation - that is, collected OCI by mail many months after it was received by the Consulate?

Since my OCI documents have been sitting at the Consulate for 7 months now, and knowing how CGINY works, do you guys think it would take longer for them to look(??!!) for it amidst all the documents that they have and then mail it to me?
Like it may be buried in there somewhere, because it's been so long since they received it :( I personally do not want to make that trip to NY, that's why I'm even trying to find out what might be the right thing to do - Mail US PP or go to consulate in person?

I saw the instructions on the website to collect OCI card after its arrival.
But still asking to make sure this is what needs to be sent, if I still cannot make that trip this week:

My US Passport
Indian passport (although cancelled previously)
A postal order for $20 favoring "Consulate General of India New York”
A printout of the Online status with file # etc.,
A cover letter
 
jenimmi said:
My Documents were received at NEW YORK CGI on 01/03/2008.
Yup that was in January and I still couldn't make that trip to NY to collect my OCI.

Now, there's a impending trip to India in the last week of July. Therefore, the dire need for OCI. :eek:

Is it too late to collect the OCI via mail? Has anyone been in a similar situation - that is, collected OCI by mail many months after it was received by the Consulate?

Since my OCI documents have been sitting at the Consulate for 7 months now, and knowing how CGINY works, do you guys think it would take longer for them to look(??!!) for it amidst all the documents that they have and then mail it to me?
Like it may be buried in there somewhere, because it's been so long since they received it :( I personally do not want to make that trip to NY, that's why I'm even trying to find out what might be the right thing to do - Mail US PP or go to consulate in person?

I saw the instructions on the website to collect OCI card after its arrival.
But still asking to make sure this is what needs to be sent, if I still cannot make that trip this week:

My US Passport
Indian passport (although cancelled previously)
A postal order for $20 favoring "Consulate General of India New York”
A printout of the Online status with file # etc.,
A cover letter
Click to expand...

My advice would be to send the above by express mail and include a copy of your itinerary highlighting the date of departure (and add a request in your cover letter to expedite the return). I don't think you need to send your Indian passport if it's already canceled. If you don't get your stuff back by around 20th July, you may consider making a trip to NYC at that time.
 
Hi All,
I have mailed my OCI application today. Just FYI.

Also I made one mistake after checking it twice :). I forgot to write "OCI APplicaiton" on the envelope. Would it delay my case? Anyone did the same mistake?
 
mals said:
Hi All,
I have mailed my OCI application today. Just FYI.

Also I made one mistake after checking it twice :). I forgot to write "OCI APplicaiton" on the envelope. Would it delay my case? Anyone did the same mistake?
Click to expand...

I am sure it will be routed to the right cell within the consulate after they see the contents of your envelope. As it is, there is not much you can do about it.
 
dhari1 said:
I sent a strong email to the Consul General via the contact us section saying that nobody needs to go through so much pain to get a simple response to a question. The same day I got a call from the consulate that they need a copy of my kids' birth certificates. How coincidental is that ?

I also left messages for Sasi Kumar and for the general OCI cell number. I also emailed CG@indiacgny.org which i think is an inbox meant for the consul general.

Not sure which one helped... but it took them more than 1.5 months to even open the packet.
Click to expand...

After no response to all the phone messages and emails I left, I took the trip to NY yesterday and tried to find about the whereabouts of my application. It took them few minutes to look for my application, then at last they found it. Now why it was not processed from April was, because there was the application of my wife and she cannot apply because she is not from India and has no immediate from her family in India. I assumed that she is my wife and I am getting OCI, so she can get through me, but that doesn't work. My kids can get but not her, she can get PIO or other tourist visa. Ok so something new I learned which is not clear in the info on website. So the person said now change the money order for 3 people rather than 4 people, which I did. Now let's see how fast this process will go from July 9, 2008, officially application submitted. After all this drama, my biggest question was why nobody responded, even just one line through email would have saved all these months wasted for waiting since April 17. The answer I got was just a gentle smile, which I accepted with respect and meant a lot to me. Let me be clear the employee of CGINY was helpful and polite. Mera Bharat Mahaan
 
Naved -

Were you there today as well? (7/10).

I saw someone before me on the OCI line and it sounded like your case.
 
Picked up OCI from CGINY

It was *decided* by my family members that I would have to personally pick up the OCI and not take the mail route with the travel to India so close.

After taking sick leave from work :cool: I could only get to the basement of the Consulate 7 mins after 11 am. Blame it on the subway train going the opposite way. :rolleyes: Seriously, sometimes people on the train don't answer your "Is the train going Uptown/Downtown" question just in time, before the train door closes. :p And b'cos of the Construction going on right outside the Consulate, it was hard to figure out where the steps were to the basement visa section.

Anyway, I'm going to share my experience just in case, this should happen to some one else in the future. I was sprinting to the Consulate, but when I got there, the OCI windows had their blinds down. My heart just skipped a beat. The guy (attendant ?) at the desk as you enter on the right said, "No problem M'am.. just come back at 12:30 and hand over your documents". I was relieved to hear that and when I asked him if I should pick up OCI at 2 PM.. He said, "No problem, come back tomorrow at 12:30 to pick it up". I was like so.. :mad: If I were to pick it up tomorrow PM, then why should I again come back at 12:30 today to hand it over? Anyway, I was definitely not going to NYC for this again.

I didn't want to waste even a minute with this guy and went over to the other side (to the left) and with all my might and a lot of waving, got the attention of the gentleman who oversees the OCI stuff. He is the slightly dark, middle aged man in glasses, if you know who I'm talking about. (Description given, just so if you're in trouble and need help with any OCI issue, you can go to him - he is very kind and helpful). Year after year, I see him there. I explained to him that I need my OCI urgently and I can't afford to come back another day to pick it up - that too with my travel date so close. He took the docs without a question and asked me to come back at 12:30 to pick it up.

Went to to the stinky Central park zoo (what a waste!! I think even kids would be bored with this one) had a bite at the leaping frog cafetaria and got back to CGI at 12:30. Of course as expected, even around 1 PM they still had the blinds down and to top it, there was an announcement that said, "We apologize for the delay, running late with OCIs.." blah blah and ended with a "Thank you for your co-operation" which invited a few guffaws from the crowd waiting on line.

But when the blinds went up, they were really quick in handing out the OCIs. I picked up mine around 1:30 and was glad that they could find it from the 7 month old pile.

Now, hopefully the next time that I'd have anything to do with CGINY is when I'm 50! I think you have to upgrade the OCI to the new US PP, after you're 50 or something.. not sure.. but pllllllenty of time left for that. I'm sure in the meanwhile, they'll change the rules at will... so can't be bothered about it right now!
Whew... what a relief! OCI in hand finally!
 
Thank you akgarg..
I really did want to mail it out.. but this being time sensitive I was forced to take the personal trip route.
 
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