OCI - Washington DC Tracker

Sam012007
I am glad you got notorized from your credit union, my bank refused all of them except affidavit for name change for my wife. I have to run to AAA to get everything notorized by paying them $$$. I don't know how the rules of notary are different between notarie's.

I see that you have resend the documents on 5/21, did you receive acknowledgement yet? As I have resent my wife and kids on the same day (with extra money + NC ) and I don't see any acknowledgement till date, it is almost a week now
 
VM - No ackd. yet ... here in NC I went to a AAA office and they refused to notarize my docs since I am not a member ... what a rip off ... I used to get it done in MA for $1 a paper at AAA... guess all have their own rules.
 
Mine came back again today by UPS listing "wrong Jurisdiction". Some dumb guy/lady received my application, now I have to resend it explaining them to "look before they return". I hope this doesn't happen to any one else.
 
VM, Are you kidding me? What the hell ... they are indeed going nuts, just trying to buy as much time as they can before they would accept the applications ... and wasting our hard earned money ... absolutely ridiculous ...

Where you located and where did you send your documents?

DC Jurisdiction:
(Bermuda, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia)
 
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I am thinking if they send our documents back one more time ... we should all get together and kick their a*s by going to DC personally...
 
just a fyi for any one interested: i went to the embassy today to get the SCs. apparently only the renunciation form needs to be in duplicate not the entire set of supporting docs. i was told the canceled ppts & SCs would not be mailed to me, so i had to remake my initial cashiers check of 370 to 350 - and i am to pick the up the canceled ppts & SC on tuesday.
 
Sam012007,

DC Jurisdiction:
(Bermuda, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) , I am dealing with this counsulate for last 7 years and this is the first time my wife's apps came back. Could be human error....
 
You call it Human error, I would like to assume the same but looks like they are just trying to buy as much time they can before they could start thinking straight ... and process the applications the correct way.

We all know how much money and time is wasted if we make one error and there have been many ...
 
aparnas said:
just a fyi for any one interested: i went to the embassy today to get the SCs. apparently only the renunciation form needs to be in duplicate not the entire set of supporting docs. i was told the canceled ppts & SCs would not be mailed to me, so i had to remake my initial cashiers check of 370 to 350 - and i am to pick the up the canceled ppts & SC on tuesday.
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Hi Aparnas,
Did you have to contact them in advance to go in person to apply for the SC or did you just "Walk-in"?
Did you have to submit any emergency travel docs for the "in-person" visit?

I am in the same boat and am ready to apply for OCI and would appreciate your feedback...

Thanks for your time,
V!
 
gc4us said:
Hi Aparnas,
Did you have to contact them in advance to go in person to apply for the SC or did you just "Walk-in"?
Did you have to submit any emergency travel docs for the "in-person" visit?

I am in the same boat and am ready to apply for OCI and would appreciate your feedback...

Thanks for your time,
V!
Click to expand...

i just walked in at their 2536 mass ave address. i wasnt able to reach them on any of their numbers prior to going, i just took a chance. i did not have any travel docs etc.

the only additional doc i took along was a "letter of authorization" from my husband as he was unable to get the day off and i had to submit his app, docs and ppt on his behalf. the person at the counter gave me 2 tokens as a receipt.

i would say go early (plan to arrive when they open) so that IF there's anything amiss, you can still correct it before 12.30 of that day, else it would be a wasted trip. they dont accept anything after 12.30.

eta: the letter of auth is not something that the embassy requires, its just something i took along so my entire day would not be wasted.
 
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Hi Aparnas,
Thanks for the quick reply. Appreciate it much. I will plan to go there early next week. From your experience, it looks like it will be 2 trips..... to get this done. At least there will be the peace of mind that you have SC in hand.
Once this is ready, need to submit the OCI packets...

Good luck,
V!
 
Hi Vm,
First off, I am sorry to read about the misery that the consulate is causing you with your "returned" package. Not sure if you are within driving distance to their office to explain them this sorry state of affairs. Hope it gets resolved.
As for getting SC before OCI, the online instructions of DC consulate is not clear about providing SC if you give them the $175 along with OCI package. After reading all the horror stories of various "Independent" consulates acting on one "Global" ruling about SC, I won't be surprised if some "Intelligent" soul in Delhi comes up with another decree ..... 2 or 3 years down the lane that says....
"Those who did NOT get a Surrender Certificate when they got their OCI, but got their Indian passports canceled, should apply for this certificate with a fee of 111 dollars"......
To followup on this decree "Independent" consulates will start interpreting according to their own understanding and implement their own guidelines with their arbitary cut-off dates and all that jazz.....
Sounds crazy, but nothing is beyond imagination........ if they have the will.....

As such, our "Independent" consulates are acting on their own guidelines on whether SC is required if you already cancelled your Indian passport.
A couple of years ago, when I happened to visit the DC consulate for some paperwork, there was this applicant who wanted to get a power of attorney document from the consulate and had come a long way with all the relevant documents. He had tried to contact the DC office to clarify one piece of information and as is always the case, could not get anyone on the phone. He tried NY and got someone on the line and got it clarified. When he submitted the documents, the clerk gave it back to him and asked him to get one additional piece of document to process his request. He explained to them that he clarified that with NY as he could not get anyone in the DC office online and they (NY) had told him that it was not required. Here is the killer part.... The clerk simply said...
"If you spoke with someone in NY about a document to be submitted for this request and they told you something, then you should go to NY and get it processed. Don't come to our office". As much as he tried to reason, he was sent back....
When all our "Independent" consulates process our OCI requests and send us just the canceled Indian passport, if the immigration clerk in the Indian airport is hanging on to that piece of instruction that might read....
"If OCI holder after this date, and NO SC proof........ Not admissable"....... Even if you show him the San Francisco link or NY link or any other link, he/she will not budge...... (Maybe after some green buck)
 
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gc4us said:
Hi Vm,

"Those who did NOT get a Surrender Certificate when they got their OCI, but got their Indian passports canceled, should apply for this certificate with a fee of 111 dollars"......
To followup on this decree "Independent" consulates will start interpreting according to their own understanding and implement their own guidelines with their arbitary cut-off dates and all that jazz.....
Sounds crazy, but nothing is beyond imagination........ if they have the will.....

Hi gc4us:

I agree with you.

This reminds me of a procedure for pensioners (back home........in the 80s) that required them to
"COME AND TESTIFY WHETHER YOU ARE ALIVE OR NO MORE".
I used to wonder ..........like how a dead person can come and testify.
I am not kidding.
Any thing is possible.

On the other hand, let me also add here....on side note.....about a fact ........which we should be proud of about our motherland.

WE (back home) NEVER EVER GOT INTO THIS KIND OF STUPID RECESSION..........DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ARE '1.3 BILLION POPULATION'.

WE NEVER HAD SUCH LOOSE REGULATIONS ........ (like granting mortgage loans to those who cannot repay ..... )
WE NEVER ALLOWED ANY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CREATE MONEY IN VACUUM (freddie, fannie, goldman and AIG besides Leyman bros did)
THIS IS A MAJOR FACTOR FOR THIS UNFORTUNATE STATE OF ECONOMY IN USA.

OUR REGULATIONS WORKED REALLY WELL..... AND WERE VERY PREVENTATIVE...........WHEREAS USA IS IN A MESS.....WITH NO SIGN OF EASY RECOVERY..... ALL MAN MADE...
JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION. MAY NOT BE SO RELEVANT FOR THIS FORUM THOUGH....

I HAVE WORKED IN THE FIELD OF REGULATIONS / COMPLIANCE FOR MORE THAN 2 DECADES......BOTH BACK HOME AND HERE.
GOD ONLY SHOULD SAVE EVERY ONE.

Gee24
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pb74 said:
GOPIO has initiated a PetitionOnline to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India. Visit http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ip100521/petition.html

If you agree on this petition, please sign and show your support. At present 20,000+ people have signed it.
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:

Pb74:

Thanks.
I have signed off on this one.

I thought we may as well include another option to the Embassy suggesting "THE EMBASSY MAY RETAIN THE ORIGINAL PASSPORT (INSTEAD OF SENDING IT BACK WITH CANCELLED STAMP), IF DEEM NECESSARY, AND PROVIDE US A XEROX COPY OF THE FIRST PAGE WITH STAMP 'CANCELLED' ............"
BUT DO NOT CHARGE 175 FOR EACH PASSPORT.
Not sure if this is a good option.
Just my thoughts.
We don't need the cancelled passports mostly and the copy should be good enough.


Gee24
 
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