Surrender Certificate mailing fees - NY Consulate only

[pankajkandhari]

HI All,
I have a question, I would be thankful if someone can answer. I am confused about the mailing fees. I have attached a document from the consulate website which has only 2 options for mailing: 1) send Express mail self addressed and self stamped and 2) Priority mail again self addressed and self stamped

But here is a link which says 20 dollar mailing fees?
http://www.indiacgny.org/php/showContent.php?linkid=238

Why do I need to send 20 dollars if I am sending the self addressed and self stamped
envelope? What if I rather give 20 dollars and not worry about sending the envelope is that an option in New York?

Please let me know if someone has recently applied in this area?

Thanks

 

[JPBoston]

These people are notorious for posting conflicting, confusing and obsolete info. Do not send the $20 for the postage fees but instead follow the directions on the PDF because that is the current expectation and is also more efficient. I just sent and received my OCI booklets and visa stamping by doing the following and it also applies for the surrender certificate submission:

I submitted a return postage-paid envelope (the USPS Express Mail letter size envelope on which I had stuck both the return address label as well as a single stamp for $18.30). I had enclosed this Express Mail return envelope along with my passport and other documents to the OCI cell all inside a USPS Priority Mail legal size envelope and used delivery confirmation. Now because the submission envelope was a legal size one, I didn't need to fold the return Express Mail letter size envelope to make it fit because legal size is bigger than letter size. This was a minor thing but I felt better about not having to fold it. Hope this helps.

 

[pankajkandhari]

Thanks so much JP, this is very helpful. I will follow your instrustions. One more quick question - did you apply for both OCI and surrender certificate together? Thanks again.

 

[JPBoston]

Thanks so much JP, this is very helpful. I will follow your instrustions. One more quick question - did you apply for both OCI and surrender certificate together? Thanks again.

DO NOT apply for both SC and OCI together at the CGI NY. I had tried that first because the SC instructions PDF said you could do that. The OCI cell rejected my application in part because I did not have the SC included as part of the OCI application. This is an example of the chaos at the CGI NY where the info online conflicts with their expectations. Also the SC cell and OCI cell are two separate groups who don't coordinate the instructions very well. Anyway, everything (both SC and OCI applications and docs) were sent back to me with the instructions to apply for SC first and then do OCI. That is what I did in the end. Here is the separate timelines for both SC and OCI submissions for me.