Thanks Ramkay for sharing your detailed expereince. Did they say they will be processing your Surrender certificate in 2-3 days or OCI card in 2-3 days or both ? Did you find out if this Surrender Certificate has any use in the future; would they return it to you or just return the passports with the U-sticker ?
I sent my OCI application on 4/30 also and was received on 5/03. No acknowledgement yet. I did not include my US passport and prepaid envelope. I was planning on sending both once I saw approval on the site. Now I am really worried. Some members are saying that they mailed in May and already had it returned back.
Talkative,
Do you have all the items in no. 1? For those of us who came in the 60s, there were no such things as photocopy machines, and we do not have copies of all those documents.
We had gotten a similar mail. The wording in the mail is not very clear. Apparently any of the following can be used.
1) color copy of the GC or
2) Original passport used to enter US or
3) Original I-130 document and other docs related to immigrant visa
Fortunately we had both 1) and 2). They just took 1). 3) is for folks who may not have 1) or 2) Ours were I-140 based I-485 and hence 3) wasn't even applicable.
I read somewhere they may be doing this to isolate folks got GCs through asylum that I am guessing would not be eligible for OCI. Apparently asylee GCs have a different notation as would GC stamp based on asylum. This just my reading of it, better to please confirm directly with the consulate.
Folks:
I am planning send OCI application to consulate (in San Fran) soon for my family and I have following questions :-
1. We both (Husband and Wife) are naturalized citizen and kid us born (has PIO )
1. Can I submit application without US passport? E.g. Send our Indian passport, application, fees, copy of US passport : for kid, PIO card but not US Passport (just copy)?
If yes then at what stage in the process they ask for US passport or are they going to return my application?
2. If I submit for Surrender Certificate and OCI together then can I expect them to co-ordinate this at their end or should I get the certificate first and then file for OCI?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
1) Yes, you can send copies of the US passports and even of the PIO with the application and then send the originals when you see the status change to dispatched. That way you can use the passports/PIO for travel and also the consulate doesn't have to wait/e-mail you for the passports/PIO. We did this for ours.
2) I would normally expect them to be able to do this. If you do not have travel to India coming up in the short term, my personal advice would be to get the surrender certificate done before and then send it with the OCI app. In our case, the new rule came into effect after our OCI cards were already issued, so this was a bit different.
Hope this helps and all the best!
Thanks!! Actually we have to go to India in July end and I will be receiving my US passport in first week of June. So this may be cutting close that is why I was asking to send it together.
As per current rules, apply for surrender certificate first to avoid return of OCI application. Applying for surrender certificate doesn't require US passport. So by the time you receive the US passport, you can expect the surrender certificate in same timeframe.
Congrats Awaiting_PR !
As per current rules, apply for surrender certificate first to avoid return of OCI application. Applying for surrender certificate doesn't require US passport. So by the time you receive the US passport, you can expect the surrender certificate in same timeframe.
Congrats Awaiting_PR !