OCI - Washington DC Tracker

ZND said:
Yes, you got it......when ppl talk right things nobody likes it and that's the common human nature....!!! well, hope everyone get their OCI.....no matter how much they have to wait but atleast they will get it so then they don't have to deal with this Indian govt. anymore for their India visit......!!!!!!
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Well, Like I said, they probably had PIO and they wanted to upgrade to OCI so they were granted quickly. That's what I think. but I don't know how the system works. Maybe we should talk to media about India's processing times so they will read.

Also, Long time ago immigration center used to be called INS and there were lots of problems. They needed to reduce backlogs.

so Indian immigration bureau will need to improve by reducing the processing times and backlogs and adding more staff. India is one of the largest population country in the world.

We should encourage Indian people to elect young prime minister, not old one or senior one and a young president, not old one. I see senior people are sitting and are not doing anything. We need someone to act and be a leader and be a productive leader.
 
I mean. the largest immigrant people in each country are Indian. Don't forget that. I guess they don't have much funds to help improving Indian immigration system including oversea offices like embassy or consulates.
 
USGC485 said:
Well, Like I said, they probably had PIO and they wanted to upgrade to OCI so they were granted quickly. That's what I think. but I don't know how the system works. Maybe we should talk to media about India's processing times so they will read.

Also, Long time ago immigration center used to be called INS and there were lots of problems. They needed to reduce backlogs.

so Indian immigration bureau will need to improve by reducing the processing times and backlogs and adding more staff. India is one of the largest population country in the world.

We should encourage Indian people to elect young prime minister, not old one or senior one and a young president, not old one. I see senior people are sitting and are not doing anything. We need someone to act and be a leader and be a productive leader.
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I think I know (atleast I believe) how this OCI stuff is working. I am 99% sure that the reason for delay is NOT background check. I am also 99% positive that there isnt anything going on except recording the information. They arent equipped to do any type of background check. Also any type of background check has to impact population regardless of the CGI thats processing the applications. Its unlikely that while one CGI is approving application on timely fashion other CGIs are spending weeks doing background checks.

One way to influence and bring out performance is to provide feedback and get attention of media. Every one of us who is getting delayed should write to highest authority at the consulate and express displeasure. Thats great first step. I just called NY CGI press relations and complained ..again.
 
How great !!!!

at present sept.1st,2009 USA time 9:20 p.m. and new delhi current time is 6:48 a.m. .....look at below USAW00391509 file no. is acknowledge sept.2nd and photo/signature scanned on sept.2nd-2009...............wow Indians and or indian machines are working 6:48 in the morning ????????????????? then why they can't speed up and have still backlog for what ?????????????????



Date Of Acknowledgment
02-SEP-2009
Application Status
Registration Status
UnderProcess

Photo/Signature Scanned
On
02-SEP-2009
Documents Printing Status
NOT PRINTED
Documents Despatched From Delhi On NOT DISPATCHED
Documents Received at WASHINGTON

NOT YET
 
ZND said:
at present sept.1st,2009 USA time 9:20 p.m. and new delhi current time is 6:48 a.m. .....look at below USAW00391509 file no. is acknowledge sept.2nd and photo/signature scanned on sept.2nd-2009...............wow Indians and or indian machines are working 6:48 in the morning ????????????????? then why they can't speed up and have still backlog for what ?????????????????



Date Of Acknowledgment
02-SEP-2009
Application Status
Registration Status
UnderProcess

Photo/Signature Scanned
On
02-SEP-2009
Documents Printing Status
NOT PRINTED
Documents Despatched From Delhi On NOT DISPATCHED
Documents Received at WASHINGTON

NOT YET
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So What can we do? If we are not happy with the way Indian staff works at the consulates or embassy or with Indian govt, we should forget about travelling to india and shouldn't invest.
 
Yes you are right and we never been go back to India since came to this country last 20 yrs. however, just think to help them and go for once but not getting good experience and it is still same ....makes us sad and shameful though.....and still not happy nor wanted to get OCI.......feeling guilty for myself to insists family to get this OCI ....however nobody agrees in the family neither they are exited to get even today and ready to get back those money and not wanted their OCI.......!!!! because of this experience family was expecting but I did not think....but it's prove now and have to convince myself that yes my family was telling the truth and they were right....!!!! just they wasted all money because of myself ....!!! and more and more ppl will be like that.....!!!!! great Jai ho India..............no matter how much good thing India have but it's gonna be the same way ........India will never become advanced evenif they have all the advancement than anyother foreign country..........why Indian wanted to spend lakhs of rupees to get US visa or greencard etc....and wanted to come ... and leave their own country ?
 
Just FYI.

Here's my status as of today (Sept 3, 2009 at 1 am EST):
Registration Status: UnderProcess
Photo/Signature Scanned On: 03-SEP-2009
Documents Printing Status: NOT PRINTED
Documents Despatched From Delhi On: NOT DISPATCHED
Documents Received at: WASHINGTON NOT YET

and as of today (Sept 3, 2009 around 6:15 am EST):
Registration Status: UnderProcess
Photo/Signature Scanned On: 03-SEP-2009
Documents Printing Status: PRINTED
Documents Printed On: 03-SEP-2009
Documents Despatched From Delhi On: NOT DISPATCHED
Documents Received at: WASHINGTON NOT YET
 
ZND said:
at present sept.1st,2009 USA time 9:20 p.m. and new delhi current time is 6:48 a.m. .....look at below USAW00391509 file no. is acknowledge sept.2nd and photo/signature scanned on sept.2nd-2009...............wow Indians and or indian machines are working 6:48 in the morning ?????????????????
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Batch upload to their servers :)
 
Guys, just an unequivocal compliment for the Indian Embassy in DC based on my experience of dealing with them for 23 years -- I've found their visa and passport services to be superb -- there is no embassy in DC that will give a visa in 1 day or a passport renewal in 1-2 weeks, (used to be 2 days or so earlier). Actually the PIO for my kids was also done in 2 weeks flat. After having said this, one can forget @ getting anyone on the phone or an email response!

The above record seems to fall apart with the OCI processing -- I suspect dealing with MHA and other India based ministries or bureaucrats is the Achilles heels of this process and wouldn't blame the local staff here fully. The 'tenuous' efficiency of Wash Embassy gets over powered by our sarkari babus back home for whom time lines are less important than chai breaks and unless someone pushes them (connections) it's que-Sera-Sera!!!
 
Rjain2 said:
Guys, just an unequivocal compliment for the Indian Embassy in DC based on my experience of dealing with them for 23 years -- I've found their visa and passport services to be superb -- there is no embassy in DC that will give a visa in 1 day or a passport renewal in 1-2 weeks, (used to be 2 days or so earlier). Actually the PIO for my kids was also done in 2 weeks flat. After having said this, one can forget @ getting anyone on the phone or an email response!

The above record seems to fall apart with the OCI processing -- I suspect dealing with MHA and other India based ministries or bureaucrats is the Achilles heels of this process and wouldn't blame the local staff here fully. The 'tenuous' efficiency of Wash Embassy gets over powered by our sarkari babus back home for whom time lines are less important than chai breaks and unless someone pushes them (connections) it's que-Sera-Sera!!!
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I think visa services are outsourced. That may explain the difference in service level. If the issue is with the State side, then all embassies should be experiencing the issue, but some of them like SF seem to provide pretty good service. May be they should ask for volunteers, and some of us may be willing to help out.
 
Rjain2 said:
Guys, just an unequivocal compliment for the Indian Embassy in DC based on my experience of dealing with them for 23 years -- I've found their visa and passport services to be superb -- there is no embassy in DC that will give a visa in 1 day or a passport renewal in 1-2 weeks, (used to be 2 days or so earlier). Actually the PIO for my kids was also done in 2 weeks flat. After having said this, one can forget @ getting anyone on the phone or an email response!

The above record seems to fall apart with the OCI processing -- I suspect dealing with MHA and other India based ministries or bureaucrats is the Achilles heels of this process and wouldn't blame the local staff here fully. The 'tenuous' efficiency of Wash Embassy gets over powered by our sarkari babus back home for whom time lines are less important than chai breaks and unless someone pushes them (connections) it's que-Sera-Sera!!!
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The Indian embassy in DC and all other Indian consulates in US have to equally deal with MHA for OCI related issues. But many consulates like SF provide much quicker OCI service than the embassy (in under 4 weeks in most cases). This says that the process efficiency problems arise at the embassy, not at MHA.

My experience has always been with SF consulate and even though they don't answer phones, they are very prompt in responding to emails and in my personal dealings with them in the last 10+ years, all my email queries were answered in a day or so.
 
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OCI Washington DC - complete processing timings

Mailed Application to DC : 26-MAY-2009
Recvd at DC : 29-MAY-2009
Date of Ack: 08-JUN-2009
Photo/Signature Scanned : 03-JUL-2009
Granted OCI status : 17-JUL-2009
Docs Printed : 20-JUL-2009
Docs Dispatched : 22-JUL-2009
Recvd at DC : 06-AUG-2009
Mailed Passports to DC for endorsement : 07-AUG-2009
Recvd at DC : 10-AUG-2009
Recvd OCI Card and Passport back from DC : 25-AUG-2009

Hope this helps.
 
clt_guy said:
Mailed Application to DC : 26-MAY-2009
Recvd at DC : 29-MAY-2009
Date of Ack: 08-JUN-2009
Photo/Signature Scanned : 03-JUL-2009
Granted OCI status : 17-JUL-2009
Docs Printed : 20-JUL-2009
Docs Dispatched : 22-JUL-2009
Recvd at DC : 06-AUG-2009
Mailed Passports to DC for endorsement : 07-AUG-2009
Recvd at DC : 10-AUG-2009
Recvd OCI Card and Passport back from DC : 25-AUG-2009

Hope this helps.
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Congrats! Did you mail Indian passport and US passport? did they stamp "cancelled" on your Indian passport?
 
I did send my Indian and US passports. They DID NOT stamp 'cancelled' on my Indian passport. Has anyone had this experience?
 
clt_guy said:
I did send my Indian and US passports. They DID NOT stamp 'cancelled' on my Indian passport. Has anyone had this experience?
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I have read some cases where the consulate didnt stamp the indian passport as cancelled. But it doesnt matter anyway, unless you are concerned that someone would steal and misuse that passport. As far as you are concerned, it became invalid as soon as you acquired US Citizenship.
 
OCI status

I have sent my OCI application on Jun 10th.
Documents despatched from Delhi on Aug 31st. Waiting.... :)
 
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I recd. my US passport today so am gearing up to apply for OCI..... has anyone any experience of submitting the application in person... I work close to the Embassy and was wondering if they accept hand-delivered OCI apps.
 
09citizen said:
I called USPS this morning, and they confirmed that the package is on its way back to me. When I called them last week, they told me that only the receiver can arrange a reschedule but today they were going to do it even when I told them that I am the sender. Thats when they found out that the package was already sent back to me.

What I dont understand is why doesn't USPS try to re-deliver a package if the recepient is not around the first time? Fedex and UPS do that. Is it because Priority Mail is cheaper than them? I"ll use Fedex this time. The inefficiency of Indian embassy and the limitations of Priority Maili is a lethal combination
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An update on our case - After going in circles with USPS, I finally got hold of the post office in DC that is responsible for delivering mail to the Indian Embassy. They told me some interesting information about how the delivery process works. I mailed the package on 8/14 which was a Friday, and the online status says that they left a notice on 8/15, a Saturday. The person who talked to me told me that the carrier doesn't actually leave a notice as they know that Indian Embassy doesn't work on Saturdays and just scan in their systems (for tracking purposes) with a notice left status. They then deliver the package on the following Monday. They are supposed to update the status as delivered when it is done, but in my case since the status never changed she wasnt able to confirm whether the package actually got delivered on 8/17. She is going to have the carrier verify with the Indian consulate tomorrow and give me a call to let me know the status.

Assuming it did get delivered on 8/17, today is the 15th working day. OCI online inquiry still doesn't have any details of the application. Their website says the details should appear after 15 working days. From your experience when does the case status realistically start appearing in their systems?

TIA
 
09citizen said:
An update on our case - After going in circles with USPS, I finally got hold of the post office in DC that is responsible for delivering mail to the Indian Embassy. They told me some interesting information about how the delivery process works. I mailed the package on 8/14 which was a Friday, and the online status says that they left a notice on 8/15, a Saturday. The person who talked to me told me that the carrier doesn't actually leave a notice as they know that Indian Embassy doesn't work on Saturdays and just scan in their systems (for tracking purposes) with a notice left status. They then deliver the package on the following Monday. They are supposed to update the status as delivered when it is done, but in my case since the status never changed she wasnt able to confirm whether the package actually got delivered on 8/17. She is going to have the carrier verify with the Indian consulate tomorrow and give me a call to let me know the status.

Assuming it did get delivered on 8/17, today is the 15th working day. OCI online inquiry still doesn't have any details of the application. Their website says the details should appear after 15 working days. From your experience when does the case status realistically start appearing in their systems?

TIA
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Check in couple of days. From NY CGI experience (which seem similar to DC in lazyness), it takes two weeks plus few days give or take. So you should have status online by end of this week for sure.
 
OCI Dispatch

Hi,

I am getting ready to send my passports to the embassy. In the instructions I see the following:

" Step 3: In Case return mail charges, or pre- paid envelope was not sent earlier, enclose a self addressed stamped Prepaid UPS Express Mail envelope for returning the passport. Please ensure that the complete current mailing address is mentioned on the UPS Express Mail envelope. "

Does this mean that the only accepted method is USPS ? I was wondering if anyone has sent a self-addressed, paid FedEx envelope and got back their passports ?

Thanks.
 
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