Wanted to share my experience...
Went to NY Consulate today & picked up our OCI (My family did not come with me) Went there at 9.15am, and there was a very long line in front of me (about 50 people), and there was one guy (security) giving token numbers to each one. When I said that I am there to collect OCI, he did not give me a token, but asked me to go to OCI counter. There were a couple of people in front of me at the OCI counter, and I gave the online status pages and the US passports for my family. No other documents were asked. I even asked if he needed any other document!! The counter guy said no, and asked me to come back at 1PM.
So I got out, roamed around for a few hours, and got to the consulate at 12.40. They started to hand over the OCI around 12.45pm. You just need to goto the counter, they will not call your name! Now, the strange thing is that they just ask for the last names, and he just hands over the stamped passports and OCI cards without verifying your identification. But, regardless, it was eventless.
However, I have to tell you that this place was like a zoo! It felt like hundred people in there (not for OCI, for other things). There were 2 guys from the Travisa with about 50 US passports in one corner, and there were people asking counter people with all kinds of questions. The place was not air conditioned, so it was hot inside. It was just totally unorganized!
Now get this....There is a note on the OCI counter saying all the OCI documents should be sent and collected by mail only! I have no idea why it was there, as they were handing over the OCI cards in person!
I tried to see if I can meet with people like CG to talk about the $175 surrender certificates, but given the chaos and the stress these counter people were under, I decided to continue to fight it by emails. I am still angry that some of us have to spend a ton of money to get that useless SC. We need to continue to protest this. This happened because of the bad interpretation of rules by these emabssy people.
Once again, these people are totally unorganized. Given the size of Indian population in Northeast, shouldn't they be adding more people, and put in place more streamlined process with good customer service - pick up phone calls, return emails with certain time frame? There was absolutley no smile on anyone working there except the security guy who was outside chatting with other people!!!
Anyway, I will continue to fight for the $175/person I paid for that SC.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I have one question, others can respond as well: Aren't we supposed to submit a copy of cancelled Indian passport to collect OCI? My OCI reached CGI-NY few weeks back, I wanted to collect it in person but didn't go there as I am waiting to receive my cancelled passport back from CGINY. Can I collect my OCI without showing them the proof of cancelled passport?
gc478, BITS_IITB, and others:
Did you follow up with consulate for missing thumb impression on OCI? Have people successfully traveled to India w/o kid's thumb impression on OCI?
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I have one question, others can respond as well: Aren't we supposed to submit a copy of cancelled Indian passport to collect OCI? My OCI reached CGI-NY few weeks back, I wanted to collect it in person but didn't go there as I am waiting to receive my cancelled passport back from CGINY. Can I collect my OCI without showing them the proof of cancelled passport?
Thank you for your detailed information.
Did you went by car. Could you please tell me where you were PARKED your car nearby. Is there any space or can I park my car near by PARK.
It has been 4 weeks since I received call from CGI asking for revised fee for cancellation, I mailed them immediately, no response from them even after 4 weeks. I will give it one more week before going there to collect OCI. Thanks for your response.Well. They did not ask me or others for Indian passports. I do not know if they have a way of knowing if a person has cancelled a passport or not. Best bet will be to wait. If you live closer to Manhatten, then you may want to try it out, also at the same time get your cancelled Indian passports in person.
When I went to pick-up our OCI Stamp and booklet on June 7th, they did not ask for either cancelled Indian PP or Surrender Certificate.
I have been writing every week to Govt. of India for the refunds. All my emails are sent tp JS(CPG) is being forwarded to l to Jt.Sec(Foreigners)/Dircoord-MHA to initate appropriate action. I have been CCed on the emails that were forwarded to Jt.Sec(Foreigners).
Lets us all continue to send emails ...
Hi,
I've applied for surrender certificates on 6/11th. It has been more than a month.
I've sent many emails to CGNY, but no response.
Did it take this long for anyone to receive surrender certificate?
I applied on 6/18. They just encashed my Money Order. Yours could be close. Not sure why it should take a month (though their web site says that it wil be processed in 3 days from receipt).
Hi misc_chic,
Thank you for your response.
Just curious, how do we know if our money order has been encashed? I bought mine at usps.
I applied for oci card CGINY office 12 days before 2 days before people from CGINY call me i have
naming error on my applicattion ( usually Indain passport comes with fathername first following by my
name. In USA all my NYId ,bank statement, utlitybills, my naturalization certificate has only my name)
People from CGINY call me and ask for name change proof i dont have any name change proof , I
just cut my fathers name and i use my name alone on USA paper work, please help me to
resolve these issue
Thank you
keelaiboy
newyork